Com Hem

Storytelling through financial reporting

How to use financial reporting to tell a wider story than just results and figures.

Background

Com Hem, a fore runner within triple play (IP telephony, broadband and TV) in Sweden needed to increase the knowledge of their offer to journalists, customers and potential customers. This need was largely met through traditional marketing and media work, but the need was still to showcase the company’s field leadership in a broader and more comprehensive way.

Idea

Although Com Hem at the time was not listed on the stock exchange, the company had begun to prepare for a future listing by starting to report its quarterly results on an continuos basis. The reporting was largely digit-based and intended for financial journalists. As part of complementing the other communication channels, the idea was born to utilize Com Hem’s financial reporting to also include a description of the market development in digital entertainment and utility applications and thus showing Com Hem’s role within the same.

Implementation

The idea was to create content that was both appealing and informative and that confirmed and consolidated Com Hem as a leading player in triple play. The work started by extending the CEO’s word in the quarterly report from mentioning only the company’s financial performance, to also include its driving and innovative role in a completely new technical market field.

In the annual report, a large part of the business presentation section was then devoted to in text with illustrations describing the market development and Com Hem’s contribution to and place therewithin. Work was also done to better profile the company’s management team as the people behind the company’s challenger position and rapid technological development.​

Results

Com Hem’s financial reporting quickly went from being a matter for the financial sector, to becoming an important information channel with a significantly broader target group. Every quarter, Com Home offered the rest of the world information on the latest developments, which were intercepted by both the daily press and the magazines. The grip provided an opportunity for many interviews and consolidated the company’s leading role in triple play. Internally, among employees and customer service, the quarterly update created a broader understanding and cohesion as well as arguments for contacts with customers.

Lessons learned

» A company’s financial reporting, as well as quarterly reports and annual reports, are excellent communicative carriers of in-depth market information and profiling of the company’s expertise and ambition.

» Even companies that are not yet listed can advantageously start to report quarterly and communicate the outside world everything from earnings, sustainability development and market development.

» The internal communication effect of increased reporting is great with increased understanding of both business, business development and market development.

Curious to learn more? Please contact Bernd Schmitz