Exelon, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest competitive U.S. power generator, with a commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in areas such as education and environmental sustainability. Despite its significant investments and efforts, Exelon's industry faces a weak overall reputation, reflected in various rankings and perceptions. To enhance its standing, recommendations include strengthening investor relations, improving board expertise, and actively promoting achievements through social media.

1. Corporate
Communication and
Reputation Audit
Susan Fleming
Alex Penovich
Mackenzie Porter
Jeff Troupe
PRAD 564 Corporate Communication

2. Executive Summary
 Headquartered in Chicago, Exelon
operates in 47 states, the District of
Columbia and Canada
 The company is the largest
competitive U.S. power generator,
with approximately 35,000
megawatts of owned capacity
 Constellation business unit provides
energy products and services to
approximately 100,000 business
and public sector customers and
approximately 1 million residential
customers

3. Company Website
 Self-Proclaimed Commitment to the
Environment and Good Corporate
Citizen
 Investing $5 billion in Exelon 2020
 Focus on performance, thought
leadership, innovation and a diverse
work force
 Values and Mission
Safety
Integrity
Diversity
Respect
Corporate citizenship
Accountability
Continuous improvement

4. Exelon Focus on CSR
 Corporate citizenship is one of Exelon’s
values
 Education, environment, arts, culture and
neighborhood development
 Over the past six years, it has raised $139
billion
 In 2011, over 2,400 employees served
over 61,000 hours
 Senior team and other employees serve
on more than 350 non-profit organizations
in Chicago and Philadelphia

5. SEC Filings
 10-K: Exelon is sponsoring
energy efficiency programs
and mitigating
environmental risks
 Proxy Statements: 20
directors represent financial,
banking, utilities, nuclear
energy, legal, political and
science industries, but light
on technology and no
marketing

6. Exelon Perception
 Exelon perceives itself to be a good corporate citizen, striking a balance
between shareholder value, the community and customers
 Feels that it is truly concerned and supportive of sustainability
 Exelon has invested quite a bit of time and money on planning and
executing against their 2020 initiative

7. Magazine Rankings of
Reputation, Brand and CSR
 According to the Reputation
Institute, the energy industry
has a weak reputation, scoring
57.97 in 2012, a decrease from
59.41 in 2011
 According to Harris Interactive,
energy companies are
midrange for reputation ratings
with 35% ranking the industry
as positive, 23% ranking the
industry as neutral, and 38%
ranking the industry as negative

8. Exelon’s Rankings
 5th in Gas and Electric Industry
in FORTUNE’S America's Most
Admired Companies
 2006-2011 FORTUNE’S
America's Most Admired
Companies
 Weak reputation reflects the
industry’s reputation as a whole
rather than Exelon’s individual
reputation

9. Competitors

10. Media
Elite and National Media Localized Media
 Focus on Exelon’s $33 billion merger with Constellation  Local stories where Exelon has
Energy
 Exelon often quoted or discussed in stories about primary markets that focus on Exelon’s
nuclear regulation, safety, homeland security and CSR initiatives, nuclear safety,
environmental issues.
business operations, or fighting with
 New York Times, AP, Reuters, Wall Street Journal
 Covered extensively as a large public company with a
competitors over shares of the energy
large market cap relative to other industry competitors, market.
as well as for maintaining a diverse energy portfolio
 Baltimore focused on acquisition of
 Extensive coverage of Exelon’s support for federal
climate change legislation Constellation Energy, in Chicago focus
 Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, The Economist, on Exelon WHQ.
Fortune, Investor’s Business Daily, Wall Street Journal
 Financial websites and blogs including Yahoo Finance,
CNBC and CNN
 Local stories where Exelon has primary markets that
focus on Exelon’s CSR initiatives, nuclear safety,
business operations, or fighting with competitors over
shares of the energy market.
 Baltimore focused on acquisition of Constellation
Energy, in Chicago focus on Exelon WHQ.

11. Social Media
 Subsidiaries have varying
degrees of social media
presence
 Exelon has highest share of
voice in social media news
sources but not Twitter.

12. Actionable Recommendations
 Beef up IR function
 Place a director with marketing expertise on the Board of
Directors
 Establish clear corporate policies around the use of social
media for all subsidiary companies
 Highlight accomplishments
 Create an award/scholarship for a science or environmental
studies student(s)
 Establish new leadership as the thought leader on nuclear
energy