Press Release | Gütersloh, 11/28/2018

Bertelsmann Annual Report Wins Several Awards

• Platinum Vision Award
• No. 6 in the global ‘Top 100’

Bertelsmann’s annual report has once again received several awards from experts this year: In the relevant competitions, there were awards for both the printed and digital versions of the report, which looks back on the results of the year 2017 as well as explaining the Group’s strategy and future plans.

The international media, service and education company celebrated a double win at the “Vision Awards” hosted by the US League of American Communications Professionals (LACP). Roughly a thousand applicants from 25 countries participate in this international competition. The printed Bertelsmann Annual Report 2017 received a platinum award from the LACP and was ranked sixth among the world’s top 100. The simultaneously published online report received the “Gold” award this year.

Bertelsmann also scored two prizes at the Stevie Awards, the so-called “Oscars of the Annual Report World”: both the printed report and the online version won bronze this year.

At the ARC Awards, the color illustrations in the report did particularly well and won a silver award.

Karin Schlautmann, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications of Bertelsmann, said: “We are delighted with the awards for our Annual Report. This report communicates both our growth strategy and the diversity of Bertelsmann’s creative offerings, which reach more than one billion people worldwide every day. The annual report is always part of a holistic communication concept that is implemented throughout the year in other formats and events. The many awards for the current report confirm that we have staged the strategic progress in an innovative, informative and appropriate way. My thanks go to all the colleagues who were involved in this project.”

With its annual report under the heading “Our global success story of entrepreneurship and creativity,” the Group underscores its international orientation and highlights exemplary successful businesses in its eight divisions. This year’s motto is illustrated by four individual world maps showcasing the Group’s creative, service and education offerings as well as its strategic investments. Each of the maps represents one of Bertelsmann’s pillars: Media, Services, Education and Investments.

As in previous years, the report is made up of an image section and a financial report. Both titles are combined in a slipcase and refined with a high-quality lacquer finish as a special haptic feature.

The online annual report picks up on the core messages of the print edition (ar2017.bertelsmann.com  ). On a user interface suitable for all end devices, elaborate animations illustrate the diversity and reach of Bertelsmann’s creative offerings.

In the digital domain, the concept is extended in a video trailer for the Group’s online and social media presence. The 60-second video takes a look at the content of the various world maps from the image brochure and was screened for the first time during the presentation of the Annual Report at the Group’s Annual Press Conference in Berlin in late March 2018.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 119,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.2 billion in the 2017 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for entrepreneurship and creativity. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.