Sanford, a long established New Zealand fisheries company, wanted to signal a significant period of change. Previous Annual Reports had been pragmatic, efficient and compliance driven. With a new CEO, we were encouraged to boldly express Sanford’s vision of being the best seafood company in the world in a way they hadn’t done previously. The desire was for an engaging document that modernised the face of the business, increased its profile with external stakeholders and instilled pride amongst staff.

As a statement of progression, an Integrated Report was decided upon - one of the first in New Zealand. Integrated Reports follow international guidelines to showcase how environmental, human, intellectual, financial and social factors combine to create value in the business.

By exploring various change scenarios that relate to Sanford’s business, we landed on the concept of ‘how we see the sea’ to immediately position them as a company with a broad perspective and approach to business. This idea was then extrapolated through as a series of powerfully engaging story-telling spreads - such as ‘Deep’ and ‘Committed’ – each one covering a different dimension of the business. Each idea offered bold messaging to communicate a unique perspective, to reinforce the overall concept and to create a dialogue on a more granular level.

The commitment to staff was reflected in strong authentic portraits. Active working images deliberately recess images of the sea to allow more focus on the social and environmental aspects of the business. Business scale and innovation is captured through a micro/macro approach, juxtaposing the vastness of the ocean with detailed close up imagery. Once again, this allowed us to represent Sanford’s broad view of the sea. Location and detailed product photography create a personal and intimate viewpoint.

The document significantly and rapidly shifted internal and external perceptions of the company and its bold vision for its future. A significant step change from previous reports, it has created a strong platform for Sanford to continue to change brand perceptions and a powerful resource for internal staff and external audiences.