I was very impressed by Goldman Sach's Annual Report because of the web designs they used to really engage the audience. They allow you to either download a version or look into the online version, which they enhanced to really get the full attention of whoever is interesed in learning more. Goldman Sachs' takes the time to actually divide the annual report into sections with seperate links, so that it is much easier to find exactly what you may be looking for. The 2007 Annual Report is divided into an introduction, letter to shareholders, financial highlights, we see opportunity, the face of, core businesses, business principles, & financials & downloads. I think that the company did a fantastic job in making an Annual Report, which may not be so enthralling or interesting for everybody to read, into something that actually gets people to want to read more because it is so easy to follow and understand. Because of this I would say that the online version of the Annual Report would be more of a marketing piece because of its draw and attention. However, if you are simply looking for facts and numbers, then the downloadable Annual Report would be for you, so this is the economical side of it. Goldman Sachs' covers both sides of covering an Annual Report and this is why they are such a respected financial firm. 
I think that the actual purpose of the Annual Report (online version) is to get the audience to have a feel for the people who work for Goldman Sachs as well as getting across the point that they put their clients first. They also use this time to tell of all their unique opportunities they have had and what they are doing in other parts of the world. They use the Annual Report as a way to tell the public all that is going on in the company, as well as what strategic workers they have and what Goldman Sachs is really all about, which I think makes the Annual Report more interesting to read. Goldman Sachs focuses on the "culture" of their employees which "reflects 158 nationalities and 106 languages" among their employees.
In the "Letter to the Shareholders" from CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, the letter starts out discussing the "turbulence across global markets" in the past year, but even though these hard conditions existed, Goldman Sachs was able to stay strong. They discuss the strength of their "client franchise," which involves clients seeking advice and counsel from the firm, and sometimes partnering up with them. However, the letter seemed to what to get across the message that Goldman Sachs employees are what really makes the firm what it is. The letter stresses positive aspects of the over 30,000 employees such as teamwork, skills & expertise, and being results driven. It describes this as the "culture" of the firm and it is this culture that makes the firm different from others. Because the firm focuses so much on its employees, it also discusses the recruiting the firm does and how more than 80% of job offers made last year were accepted. The firm wants its shareholders to know that Goldman Sachs believes in giving back and has created new philanthropic services, in which the firm's partners will contribute to charitable organizations and it will eventually reach to $1 billion donated to charitable funds. Lastly, the letter ends with "looking ahead" so that the shareholder knows that the firm is always thinking about the future. I think investors will certainly feel as though they have invested in a firm that not only cares about business and making money, but also one that truly is concerned about the people that they employee. This is seen in the tone of the whole letter because it is very optimistic yet shows that the company is serious about what it does, which makes it come across as even more credible.
I think that the actual purpose of the Annual Report (online version) is to get the audience to have a feel for the people who work for Goldman Sachs as well as getting across the point that they put their clients first. They also use this time to tell of all their unique opportunities they have had and what they are doing in other parts of the world. They use the Annual Report as a way to tell the public all that is going on in the company, as well as what strategic workers they have and what Goldman Sachs is really all about, which I think makes the Annual Report more interesting to read. Goldman Sachs focuses on the "culture" of their employees which "reflects 158 nationalities and 106 languages" among their employees.
In the "Letter to the Shareholders" from CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, the letter starts out discussing the "turbulence across global markets" in the past year, but even though these hard conditions existed, Goldman Sachs was able to stay strong. They discuss the strength of their "client franchise," which involves clients seeking advice and counsel from the firm, and sometimes partnering up with them. However, the letter seemed to what to get across the message that Goldman Sachs employees are what really makes the firm what it is. The letter stresses positive aspects of the over 30,000 employees such as teamwork, skills & expertise, and being results driven. It describes this as the "culture" of the firm and it is this culture that makes the firm different from others. Because the firm focuses so much on its employees, it also discusses the recruiting the firm does and how more than 80% of job offers made last year were accepted. The firm wants its shareholders to know that Goldman Sachs believes in giving back and has created new philanthropic services, in which the firm's partners will contribute to charitable organizations and it will eventually reach to $1 billion donated to charitable funds. Lastly, the letter ends with "looking ahead" so that the shareholder knows that the firm is always thinking about the future. I think investors will certainly feel as though they have invested in a firm that not only cares about business and making money, but also one that truly is concerned about the people that they employee. This is seen in the tone of the whole letter because it is very optimistic yet shows that the company is serious about what it does, which makes it come across as even more credible.
The last news release that the company posted on its website was entitled, "Goldman Sachs reports first quarter earnings per common share of $3.23." I think that this press release could be considered "reader friendly" because it actually highlights in bullet form what they call "business highlights," making it much easier and quicker to find out facts. The press release consists of 10 pages, but is broken up throughout by various subtitles, which also works to make it more effeciently read. The CEO is quoted at the bottom of the first place and talks about despite the difficult conditions, Goldman Sachs stays strong and that although "the market conditions present challenges at the moment, they also offer considerable opportunities." I think that this quote is a good one because it shows that the CEO is looking to take a bad situation (the economy) and try to turn it into something good for the company, which is what shareholders and people interested in Goldman Sachs are going to want to be told. Because I do not find the financial world to be that interesting and I was able to actually read the annual report, news release and letter to the shareholder, I think that the company does an excellent job of taking that "boring" aspect out of it.
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