When looking at Intel's 2008 Annual Report, I am first shocked at it's length. Weighing in at a whopping 8 pages, the report is shockingly small. Perhaps it is because I have never before seen an annual report and I don't know what to expect. Or maybe it has something to do with the precision and accuracy of the company which is beautifully expressed within the pdf file. Either way, I am intrigued.
The cover of the Intel annual report is somewhat inspiring. It reads "its not just what we make, It's what we make possible." I feel that overall, the report is a marketing piece. It sells the image of Intel throughout -- sleek, efficient and successful. When downloading the official PDF of the report, it seems rather short. However, the information that is included completely sells the company. It uses easy to read charts and graphs to explain complicated financial information, there are letters from the CEO and Chairperson, relevant contact information for the board of directors and also easy to understand highlights for the entire report. For someone who doesn't understand financial, I understand the Intel Annual Report.
After navigating through the Intel Investor Relations section of their website, I found a longer version of the annual report, complete with in depth financial information. However, this section is still relatively easy to understand. Additionally, they have overviews of their products and the company. While much more in depth than the downloadable PDF, this version of the annual report is still appealing to the untrained audience.
The letter from the CEO contains key messages for investors. Paul Otellini expresses his confidence in the company and the strengths that Intel possesses. Despite the fact that he states that Intel reported lower than expected revenue in the 4th quarter, he is consistently proud of the work they do and confident in their ability to "whether the economic downturn". By using statements like "perhaps our greatest strength" and "we have become essential parts of businesses, schools and homes around the world", he conveys his sincere belief in the stability of the company. He is credible, believable and honest which gives piece of mind to investors reading the annual report.
On January 14th of 2010, Intel published a fourth quarter news release. It documents the fourth-quarter results of the company and states the finances and income for Intel. The quote from Otellini is found in the third paragraph down. It is approximately one paragraph long. He states that Intel has an investment in industry leading manufacturing and product innovation. He also talks about how the business has strived during though economic times, and they are eager to continue to bring consumers an expanded set of products.
The quote is inspiring and thought provoking. And while it is clearly well-scripted and strategically planned by a public relations team, it instills confidence in investors. The news release is titled "Intel Fourth-Quarter Net Income $2.3 billion, Up 875%". That alone is overwhelmingly positive, as is the remainder of the news release.
My only criticism for Intel's investor relations is with the letter from the CEO in the 2008 annual report. When CEO Paul Ottelini opens the letter by stating "the global economic climate significantly impacted our fourth-quarter 2008 financial results", audiences are immediately greeted with a sense of failure. Intel obviously did not do as well as expected in 2008, however, by blaming the economy right out of the gate, I feel less than inspired by Intel's progress. Maybe Intel could record Ottelini reading the speech on video and send it via email to investors, as well as uploading it to you tube. I feel that would increase sincerity and relate ability during a difficult financial time for Intel.
Signing off... Literally,
KDC123
For a company as influential as Intel, it seems obvious that they would dedicate a portion of their money and expertise to enhance the community. But when I looked into Intel's Corporate Responsibility section of their website, I was moderately shocked at just how much they were giving back.
Intel tackles a lot of different aspects within their community involvement -- with two main focuses. The first is the Intel Foundation, which is organized to further literacy education worldwide. They use monetary grants to promote math and science education and sponsor numerous math and science fairs both in the United States and internationally. They have numerous scholarship programs -- too many to name -- and they have donated millions of dollars worth of computer supplies to schools. The second main focus of the Intel's community relations program is called Intel in Your Community. They have programs about community giving, which focuses on donating money to non-profits. They also have an organization called "Intel Involved" which is centered around volunteering and community service. Additionally, the site emphasizes the communities in which Intel is located - be it a test plant, or manufacturing facility, or lab -- those communities are where Intel volunteers do their strongest community service efforts.
It is without question that Intel's community relations program is supporting the mission of the company. They stated clearly that their mission is to "enhance lives around the world in the community by accelerating access to advanced technology". With their donations to schools and communities and their emphasis on technological literacy and math and science education, it is obvious that their corporate responsibility focus is directly tied to further the mission of the company. They go on to mention that they hope to be an "asset to communities worldwide". By donating money to non-profits and disaster relief efforts and volunteering time and expertise within the communities where employees live and work, I know that Intel is truly becoming irreplaceable to the global community.
As I stated before, I am impressed and surprised by the overwhelming emphasis that Intel puts on their community relations. For a company which has no direct product -- you can't go into a store and purchase an Intel printer or computer -- they sure are donating a lot of time and money to international causes. I have no doubt that this significantly enhances the company's reputation. As far as public relations is concerned, the amount of time and money that Intel is donating to the global community is extremely valuable to the company. At science and math fairs, you see Intel. In classrooms and universities, you see Intel. At disaster relief efforts and non-profit organizations, you see Intel. Intel is constantly registered as a generous, community-conscious company who donates time and money to the community. What better PR could you ask for?!
Despite their extreme generosity to multiple causes, I kind of wish Intel would streamline their community relations efforts. They have scholarships, matching grant foundations, disaster relief support, school grants, an educational foundation, employee giving, skill based volunteering, team community service projects and even a science museum. Even after researching their corporate responsibility program for hours, I still haven't found everything! Don't get me wrong, I don't think that Intel should cut any of the work their doing, and it is obvious that they can afford to donate as much as they do. My suggestion is just to simplify their community relations efforts. Instead of having countless different community service programs, have one key focus. That way, not only will it be easier to understand their corporate responsibility plan, but consumers will be certain that Intel is not spreading themselves too thin. The more unified and simple their community relations program is, the more valuable and rich their donations will be.
Signing off... Literally,
KDC123
When looking at Intel's 2008 Annual Report, I am first shocked at it's length. Weighing in at a whopping 8 pages, the report is shockingly small. Perhaps it is because I have never before seen an annual report and I don't know what to expect. Or maybe it has something to do with the precision and accuracy of the company which is beautifully expressed within the pdf file. Either way, I am intrigued.
After navigating through the Intel Investor Relations section of their website, I found a longer version of the annual report, complete with in depth financial information. However, this section is still relatively easy to understand. Additionally, they have overviews of their products and the company. While much more in depth than the downloadable PDF, this version of the annual report is still appealing to the untrained audience.
On January 14th of 2010, Intel published a fourth quarter news release. It documents the fourth-quarter results of the company and states the finances and income for Intel. The quote from Otellini is found in the third paragraph down. It is approximately one paragraph long. He states that Intel has an investment in industry leading manufacturing and product innovation. He also talks about how the business has strived during though economic times, and they are eager to continue to bring consumers an expanded set of products.
My only criticism for Intel's investor relations is with the letter from the CEO in the 2008 annual report. When CEO Paul Ottelini opens the letter by stating "the global economic climate significantly impacted our fourth-quarter 2008 financial results", audiences are immediately greeted with a sense of failure. Intel obviously did not do as well as expected in 2008, however, by blaming the economy right out of the gate, I feel less than inspired by Intel's progress. Maybe Intel could record Ottelini reading the speech on video and send it via email to investors, as well as uploading it to you tube. I feel that would increase sincerity and relate ability during a difficult financial time for Intel.
