BHF, the nation's heart charity worked with M-Corp on the brief to create an emotional attachment with its audiences by demonstrating the impact the organisation is having while reinforcing its ongoing need for funds.

When approaching the development of the BHF Annual Report and Accounts it became clear that if the BHF were to change the way people viewed, interacted and utilised the knowledge contained within the publication, M-Corp would need to achieve a number of key objectives:

• To ensure that all audiences receive an Annual Report that delivers knowledge, understanding, emotional testimonies, and a clear call to action
• Creatively, to set the bar higher than for previous years annual reports
• To deliver complex, dry, financial information in an engaging manner that does not distract from it's seriousness or importance
• To lengthen the shelf-life and usefulness of the publication
• To increase the publication's use internally
• To make the Annual Report a cornerstone in the BHF's communication repertoire

M-Corp believed the development of a combined print and digital piece would enable the BHF to utilise new interactive technologies to widen accessibility to the publication, improve the delivery of the core information and increase the impact of the key messages.

Working in partnership with the marketing team, our 'it's personal' concept focused on personal experience and individual's perspectives. Each story is presented through the eyes and voice of the individual including a personal call to action. Video testimonials link with the print piece which adds cohesion between print and interactive.

On the DVD, Roger Black MBE is the proÞle personality who introduces each personal testimony, highlights the BHF's achievements and reinforces the importance of on-going public support. This combination of personal testimony and strong emotive imagery is designed to connect with the audience, taking them on an emotive journey leading to a call to action, a personal pledge to support the BHF.

The final publication included:

• A presentation framework developed and built utilising standard web-based technologies, enabling the BHF to update content as they needed to.
• Video-based personal stories and testimonials with an 'Action', 'Impact', and 'Next steps' format delivering powerful endorsements and the crucial emotional attachment to the work of the BHF
• A question and answer approach to the content to really make the user interact with the report and stop and think about the work of the BHF
• A poster-based print format to display the key information and messages in a clear and concise manner which included the DVD

Accessibility and usability were the key drivers in the success of the project. The format enabled the reader to quickly move from section to section of the report to find the information that matched their interest quickly and effectively. The interactive elements brought the report to life in a way that engaged and informed our diverse audiences. The use of video case studies in particular provided the valuable emotional attachment to emphasise our work and ongoing needs.

The success of the publication can be measured by the demand for copies, which for the first time outstripped supply! The online version of the Annual Report on the web site attracted significantly higher visitor impressions and increased site visit lengths than previous years and the document has been described as an essential piece of internal communication by staff, for whom it is now used as part of the BHF’s training and induction programme.