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To: Richard Saunders who wrote (9627)	2/25/2003 8:57:35 AM
From: kingfisher	Respond to of 24898

Duke Energy. To: Senior Leadership Team Fortune magazine will announce in the March 3rd, 2003 issue that Duke Energy has earned the #1 position in the Energy category of its annual survey of "America's Most Admired Companies." The ratings are based on a survey conducted in the 4th quarter of 2002. Across all 50+ industries over 10,000 executives, directors and analysts participated. Our industry and company have been adversely affected by a long and continuing stream of negative announcements and news stories. This is a critical issue because, over time, it can erode the core of the brand's foundation -- its trust relationship with its stakeholders. Unanswered, unresolved, the negative stream of communication creates doubt about who we are and how we do business. Perhaps more than ever before, reputation and brand matters. Being named the "Most Admired" company again in 2002 is not just "good news." This is precisely the kind of message needed at this time. This recognition is not just our view. This is an independent assessment of the company from an important constituency -- business executives and financial analysts. We have repeated an overall #1 performance score in the Energy category after a tumultuous year for the industry. Not just a "corporate beauty contest," the composite score is based on ratings in the following criteria: social responsibility, long-term investment value, employee talent, quality of products/services, innovation, use of corporate assets, financial soundness, and quality of management. This is an important message that needs to be heard by a broad set of stakeholders. And it needs to be heard now. It has relevance internally and externally, across various audiences, and at the executive and middle management levels. Please support carrying the message to the following key stakeholders: Employees Customers and potential customers Communities where we do business Financial analysts Investors and potential investors Policy makers. The Market & Brand Strategy and Public Affairs teams have developed an integrated communication strategy and tool set. Our primary objective is to thank stakeholders and customers for their support and contribution toward our ability to be viewed in this leadership position within our industry. The following vehicles and tools will be used to support broad communication to key stakeholders: Press Release: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 Headline and link: Duke-Energy.com & My Duke Energy.com Headline and link: Employee Portal Sales deployment kit containing article reprints and mailing tools Customer event support tools As we accept this award, we should do so with open eyes and take the opportunity to learn from the findings contained in this year's research (summary below). Duke Energy's Scorecard 2003 Fortune's Eight Key Attributes of Reputation Score Rank Innovativeness 5.33 2 Employee Talent 6.56 1 Use of Corporate Assets 5.94 1 Social Responsibility 6.41 1 Quality of Management 6.89 1 Financial Soundness 6.89 1 Long-Term Investment Value 6.50 1 Quality of Products & Service 6.94 1 Duke Energy ranks in the top position in 7 out of 8 categories surveyed within our industry. However, the Energy industry as a whole experienced a significant decline. Our absolute scores also declined year over year in every category from an overall average of 7.47 in 2002 to an average of 6.43 in 2003. The results of this survey are not a surprise given the difficult year our industry has endured. These results do underscore the importance of rebuilding our brand and reputation as key priorities in the months ahead.