We had the opportunity to speak last Fall with UCLA Anderson Assistant Professor Suzanne Shu about a paper she co-authored regarding the advantages to companies who turn out aesthetically pleasing annual reports. Shu's co-author on the paper is University of Miami Assistant Professor Claudia Townsend, who earned her Ph.D. from UCLA Anderson in 2010. The crux of their findings is that, while we would like to believe that the only the content of a document like a corporate annual report should matter, those companies who invest in the look and feel of their annual reports actually increase the valuation of their companies.
A podcast of Professor Shu discussing these findings was recently released and we're happy to present that podcast above. It's worth a viewing.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Should the look and feel of an annual report make a difference to investors?
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