A Foundation of Diversity

Back again everyone! Today’s entry will be my final one as I have covered practically all of the general areas of public relations for Raytheon. Since originally today’s blog was supposed to be about “Corporate Crisis,” at the moment Raytheon is not experiencing any crises within the company right now. So instead I decided to talk about Raytheon’s approach on building a foundation of diversity throughout the company as well as discuss their non-discrimination policy.

To begin with, Raytheon has what’s called a “diversity wheel.” They work to achieve an inclusive culture through a variety of different subjects such as gender, race, religion, language etc... Both inside and outside of the company, Raytheon continues to seek, embrace and promote diversity as a core company value. Well…here is no surprise, Raytheon continues to promote its company’s positive image and here’s another reason to add to the long reputable list that gives the company its good name, by promoting diversity amongst its employees and clients. Plus, to fulfill Raytheon’s goal of customer success, the more diverse the environment is, the more creative the working atmosphere will be and the more energized and productive the company will be. John Harris, the vice-president of Contracts and Supply Chain and a member of the Executive Diversity Leadership Team, comments about this by stating, “We recognize that in order to be an organization where customer success is our mission, we must transform ourselves to a company that relies on answers from the many, to questions and challenges that our customer present us with. We must be an organization that is based on the key values of passion, diversity and thought, and a safe and supportive environment where everyone understands that they can, and will, be a part of the solution.” Finally, Raytheon has a policy within their company that refrains from discrimination. The policy of the company clearly states that recruiting, hiring, training and promoting for all job classifications will have no regard to race, religion, gender etc… and that they base all employment opportunities upon the individual’s qualifications and ability to perform the work that is assigned to them.

Well, that about wraps up our journey around the world of Raytheon. They are a company that not only specializes in defense mechanisms, but also contributes to the community. They provide educational and fun exhibits for families at theme parks and notable attractions. And, they are a corporation who promotes diversity both in and out of the company, and they care for they employees and shareholders. If you ever want to find more information about the company as well as topics I did not touch upon, check out the website at http://www.raytheon.com/. Thanks for staying updated on my posts and remember that Raytheon is a generous company that heavily depends on customer satisfaction.

John Harris

Investor Relations

So after giving all you viewers the overall synopsis on Raytheon’s “Community Relations” program, today topic will focus on “Investor Relations” at Raytheon.

As I was looking through the 2007 annual report (2008 should be up soon), I noticed that in the 104 page report that they posted on their corporate website, the beginning of the report was more of a slick marketing piece making it easy for anyone to read but once it got into the budget, revenue reports, its annual SEC 10-K filings etc… it got too economical on me and therefore I had a little bit of a difficult time understanding how they manage their money. The goal of Raytheon’s annual report was focusing on key strategic pursuits, Technology and Mission Assurance to protect and grow their position in their four core defense markets: Sensing, Effects, C3I (Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence) and Mission Support. Also, to leverage their domain knowledge in these core defense markets, as well as in Mission Systems Integration, Homeland Security and Information Assurance/Information Operations. Finally, to expand their international business by increasing defense sales, seeking adjacent opportunities and be a customer focused company based on performance, relationships and solutions.

In the latest letter to the shareholders in the 2007 annual report, the messages that CEO William Swanson sends to his shareholders are that they increased sales by 8% as well as operating income by 20%. Also, a number of new technologies were created including the “see-through-wall” which is a mechanism that provides soldiers with situational awareness inside a building. Finally, Swanson stresses the fact at the end that customer satisfaction is their number one mission and he wants his company “to be the most admired defense and aerospace systems supplier through world-class people and technology.” Here, I feel that based on Swanson’s believable facts and his glowing and positive view on the company, investors will have more faith in their shares in Raytheon because it seems as though they have had nothing but success in the past up all the way through today. Lastly, as I began to read the company’s latest news release on its earnings (January, 2009), I simply just stopped reading after the first few pages because of the technical language used that I could not understand. However, CEO Swanson stated in the release, “Raytheon had a successful 2008 with strong bookings, a record backlog and solid growth in sales and operating income, Our advanced technologies, program performance and diverse portfolio of products and services are uniquely suited to meet customer requirements and position us well for the future.” This statement said by Swanson is well-written, believable and absolutely creditable. It shows his sincerity to the company and plus it instills confidence within its investors.

So, I hope my explanation of Raytheon’s “Investor Relations” gives everyone a better idea on how the company earns and manages their money and what shareholders and investors are looking for within a company. Unfortunately, my next week’s entry will be my last and it will focus on “Corporate Crisis” and how the PR people at Raytheon handle this kind of situations. Sayonara!

Raytheon's Leadership Team

Community Relations

So the last time I left off with you viewers out there I talked about the importance of “Corporate Brand and PR” and what Raytheon tries to convey with its brand image. Today, I will discuss “Community Relations” and how Raytheon has reached out to the community in several different ways and to whom they have showed community support to.

Raytheon has a focus of being committed to their people and their communities. They focus of three key areas that are important to their people and to the company that they take a strategic approach to practice philanthropy. The three key areas are math and science education, armed services, and their local communities.

Through math and science education, Raytheon has always focused on helping students and the next generation to generate an interest in math and science. I know for me math was not always my favorite subject growing up. They have a MathMovesU program which I have talked about in past entries that encourages middle school students to engage in these math and science programs that are helpful and at the same time fun for all. Also, Raytheon has also shown community support to the students of America by providing tutoring and mentoring as well as scholarship opportunities for when students go to college and want to pursue a career in the field of engineering, math or a science technology.

The second community that Raytheon is fully committed to is the armed services. Raytheon has developed the “The Fund in Support of Our Troops” which is a fund put together that helps eight organizations and covers all five of the armed forces. In addition, the employees at Raytheon are always creating care packages, writing letters to the troops, welcoming troop’s home from their course of duty and also supporting families while they are on active duty. Raytheon does this to show support to the people of our armed forces for what they do for us every day and what they sacrifice for us.

Finally, Raytheon is committed to serving communities where we live and work. Every year, the company supports many community organization as well as local chapter of national non-profits. They stay involved with local schools, local organizations and volunteering in the communities.

Next, Raytheon’s community relations program supports Raytheon’s mission of customer success around the globe because with the programs and the different communities they continue to support, they are always putting smiles on people’s faces for the work they have done with everyone. It is great public relations for the company because it consistently gives the company a positive image and does not hurt them in any way. Behind all the missile and rocket factories and other defense mechanisms that are being developed by the company, they are constantly reaching out to be a beloved company. As far as what else they could be doing…beats me. They have pretty much covered all the areas I have been thinking of to maintain success in the community. One idea however that does come to mind that I was a little disappointed about was that Raytheon doesn’t seem to provide many internship opportunities for college students. Recently I have been looking for a summer internship and I figured where could be a better place than to work at Raytheon’s headquarters located in my great hometown of Waltham, Massachusetts. As I called to find information as well as go on their corporate website, they were not a whole lot of options for a summer internship available, especially in the field of public relations where Raytheon has achieved a lot of its fame from. So, my one idea for the community relations program would be to provide more internship opportunities for college students.

So that about wraps up “Community Relations” for Raytheon. Next week’s entry will cover Investor Relations so get your pencils and calculators ready…Peace!

Corporate Brand and PR

Hey everyone! Sorry I’ve been out the past few weeks, I guess I am still in the spring break mode. But anyways, the last time I updated you all about Raytheon, I focused on the company’s “Media Relations.” Today, I will be talking to you about Raytheon’s “Corporate Brand and PR.”

The message that Raytheon is trying to get out to everyone about their brand image is that, even though they are looked at as a company who specializes in defense systems and commercial electronics for the United States Department of Defense as well as other U.S. government departments, they provide math and science programs for children as well as other attractions that reaches out to the younger crowds. So, Raytheon carries an overall image that tries to involve everyone including children of all ages.

One product that is geared towards defining part of Raytheon’s brand image is the “standard missile.” The standard missile is the traditional missile that is a part of Raytheon’s “Missile Systems,” the world leader in design, development and production of missile systems. The “standard missile,” is described as, “the world's choice for air defense and theater ballistic missile defense.” There are 4 different versions of the “standard missile.” The SM-1 was developed in 1967 and is used mostly by many international navies. The SM-2 has a purpose to provide area defense against enemy aircraft as well as snit-ship cruise missiles. The SM-3 is used on Aegis cruisers and destroyers to defend against short range ballistic missile threats in the midcourse phase of a flight. Finally, the SM-6 is an “Extended Range Active Missile.” It is being developed to meet the Navy's requirement for an extended range anti-air warfare missile. The standard missile family is just one of many families within Raytheon’s Missile Systems. “Raytheon’s Missile Systems” are located in Tucson, Arizona and currently employs more than 12, 500 people. O by the way, their revenue is only $5.4 billion. It seems as though Taylor Lawrence, the President of “Raytheon’s Missile System’s” knows how to do his job quite well.

Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ

Finally, a PR campaign that is in the works to help enhance Raytheon’s image as a company is the new exhibit at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World called “The Sum of All Thrills.” This brand new attraction that Raytheon is sponsoring and designing is set to open up in the fall of 2009. It is geared towards allowing children to have a fun, entertaining and an informative experience, that will help them pursue a lifelong passion for math, science and technology. http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1187

Before I sign off, I hope you viewers out there have a better idea of what “corporate brand image” is. It basically creates a face for the company, so when people see Raytheon they don’t just think of missiles and two-way radios and explosions etc… It’s a company that represents the defense for the United States as well as a company that provides several attractions and programs that have fostered nearly a million students since 2005 to help them enjoy and have a better sense of math, science and technology.

So once again, stayed tuned as next week’s topic will cover community relations. Peace!

Dr. Taylor Lawrence

President of Raytheon Missile Systems

Media Relations

Hey Everyone! Last time I talked about “New Media” associated with Raytheon and what their website has to offer as far as, displaying press releases, podcasts, quarterly earnings etc… Today, I am going to talk to you all about “Media Relations” at Raytheon, and one specific corporate event that JUMPED out at me (not literally), while I was browsing their corporate website.

Back on February 13th, Raytheon celebrated the grand opening of The Family Technology Center at the “Shades of Green” Resort at Walt Disney World that they donated. At this new center, guests of the resort can relax in this lounging room on comfortable plush couches, with plasma screen televisions, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox, and desktop computers to keep occupied. Wow! Seems like quite the place to spend a few hours before checking into the hotel room, or possibly to miss the flight home. The “Shades of Green” Resort is a resort is leased by the Department of Defense, and is an Armed Forces Recreation Center for current or retired military personnel as well as their families.
http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/feature/rtn09_shdgreen/index.html

The company seems to be very successful to not only be launching this new feature at the resort, but we can also tell that Raytheon has a solid, up and coming relationship with the Walt Disney World Inc. Raytheon is also sponsoring an exhibit at Epcot called, “The Sum of All Thrills,” which is a experience for children of all ages to, “instill a lifelong passion with math, science and technology.” Raytheon has done an excellent job bringing forth a new relationship with Walt Disney World Inc. to unleash these two new exhibits for the enjoyment of the Walt Disney World community and its guests. Their press releases online gave a great sense of what is expected with the new Tech Center that just opened up and the Math exhibit which plans to open in the fall.
http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/feature/rtn09_disney/index.html

Even though Raytheon did a great job letting the public know about these events through press releases, I don’t really think there is much else they could have done better. The only thing that comes to mind is a video posting of CEO Bill Swanson cutting the ribbon for the unveiling of the new Family Tech Center as well as an interview prior to it. But once again Raytheon does it again! Who would have thought a company who produces missiles and rockets and other types of self defense mechanisms would be contributing to the nice, subtle fun at Walt Disney World. That’s why they are a success. Because they reach out to the community and give a positive image of the company that shows they are caring and willing to always give back. Gotta love those people in PR! Well, that about sums up “Media Relations” with Raytheon. Again stayed tuned, as next time I will be talking to you about “Corporate Brand and PR,” should be a dandy!

New Media

Ok, so the last time I left off, I introduced you all to Raytheon and who they are, what they specialize in, their history, yadda yadda yadda. Today, I am going to talk to you about Raytheon's impact with "New Media" on their corporate website.
As I have observed Raytheon's website over the past few weeks I have noticed tremendously that they keep a very up to date website as far as publishing their press releases, podcasts, as well as conference calls regarding quarterly earnings throughout the year. This is great way to keep the listeners interested or people who might have invested stocks with Raytheon to see what direction they are headed in. Especially with the way the economy is in today, it wouldn't be a bad idea for investors to take a few minutes to review the company's earnings for the quarter.
http://investor.raytheon.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=84193&p=irol-podcasts

Even though the company has some informative links on their website for viewers to keep on track with what's new with Raytheon, the company could be doing more as far as creating a Facebook profile that some company's do, to get their name out to the world. Even though their is obviously email, Facebook has become a good networking tool to keep employees in contact with each other. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a virtual tour of the corporate headquarters of Raytheon. Unless the inside is absolutley boring and not worth posting a quick 5 minute video of the headquarters online, then they ought to consider. It might be informatve for someone considering looking for a job their and it adds a little in depth, and behind the scenes of what goes on inside.

If i were the Public Relations Practitioner for Raytheon, I would be putting these ideas to work, as far as a Facebook profile, and a virtual tour of the behind the scenes action at Raytheon's Headquarters. Another idea that could be put to good use is posting a blog on the website. Here, people can voice their thoughts about a daily topic posted on the website. It could be a good idea, but then in turn it might be a bad idea. I mean, we wouldn't want competitors talking down about Raytheon on their own website...

So, I hope you all have a better understanding on Raytheon's impact with "New Media." I mean its obviously working because they are a fortune 500 company. Next week i will talk about Media Relations with Raytheon, so stay tuned everyone...Peace!

Raytheon CEO William Swanson

Introduction to the Raytheon Company

Now I am sure most of you reading this have no idea who Raytheon is and what they do. Well, they specialize in defense technologies, homeland security and other government markets throughout the entire world. I chose Raytheon because not only are their corporate headquarters located in my hometown of Waltham, Massachusetts, but I feel that not a lot of people know who they are, what they do, and what they are famous for...Soooooo why not get their name out?

Raytheon was first discovered in 1922 in Cambridge, Massachusetts as the The American Appliance Company and have achieved much success in their near 90 year history. Some discoveries and inventions that Rayhteon is credited with include: Shipboard Radar, the discovery of microwave cooking as well as the first microwave, guided missiles, transitors and NASA communication systems.


Although Raytheon has had a successful corporation throughout its storied history, they have had to deal with some issues that have stood out regarding their reputation. The most recent incident which occurred almost 3 years ago in April of 2006 was when the current CEO of Raytheon Bill Swanson admitted to Plagiarism in his book, "Swanson's Unwritten Rules of Management," which he wrote. as far as the public relations people and the board of trustees handling the situation, it was only a matter of days before they ordered that the book be not published anymore and they took the action of not giving CEO Swanson a raise for the following year. "I mean honestly...he's the C-E-O of RAYTHEON, i think he'll be alright without a raise." However, the people in PR as well as the board handled the situation perfectly. Two other incidents that involved contract disputes both occurred within a 13 month span of each other in October of 1993 and October of 1994 when Raytheon had to pay settlements to the U.S. Government and U.S. Defense Department involving an inflated defense contract for antimissile radar and overpriced labor costs involving the production of Patriot missiles.


In order to communicate to maintain a positive reputation, Raytheon has had a reputable stewardship which includes its involvement in the community, employee safety (because after all they are working with explosives, and chemicals and some high powered machinery), and appreciation for the environment as far the disposal of toxic waste and pollution.

Finally, as finishing this brief (or not brief...) introduction of Raytheon, the challenges and opportunities that exist for the people in public relations for improving the company's reputation will include mainly just getting the name out obviously in a positive way through promotions, the continuation of community involvement, and sponsorships for example, Raytheon just yesterday, released a statement that they will unveil the new interactive experience in Walt Disney World at Epcot's "Innoventions." The name of the attraction is "The Sum of All Thrills" that will be opening this fall. This is a subject that I will expand more upon later on for future blog postings. Now that you have an idea of who Raytheon is and what they do, stay tuned for upcoming posts on the company. Peace!

Corporate Headquaters in Waltham, MA


Sources:
http://www.raytheon.com/ourcompany/

http://www.raytheon.com/ourcompany/history/leadership/index.html

http://www.raytheon.com/stewardship/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raytheon#Corporate_stewardship