May 6, 2008

Annual Report: Cox Arizona

WINNER: COX ARIZONA'S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT REPORT

Cable operators and their satellite and telco competitors sometimes battle to a standstill when it comes to services and rates — they all offer ESPN and MTV and CNN and Disney Channel (never mind that satellite doesn't offer its own high-speed Internet, phone services or VOD — that's another story). But cable has always had an indisputable edge when it comes to investing in local communities. Cable systems plant roots, and the smartest ones know how to use them to create positive public profiles. Cox Arizona's annual Community Involvement Report speaks directly to local community leaders and conveys the company's commitment to the welfare of its customers and its 3,000 employees. In the past, Cox Arizona has produced two separate pieces: a small booklet for the report and a desk calendar. In 2007, wanting to impart a more professional feel, Cox used a larger format with bigger pictures, more white space and business-report-style graphs. To keep costs down, one spiral-bound piece was produced, with the report up front and the calendar in the back. Included was a gift demonstrating Cox's commitment to the green movement — a medallion of seed paper. The meat of the report is its colorful graphs, charts and short articles detailing the lineup of community initiatives: Cox Charities; the company's homegrown green plans; the Cox Votes program; diversity awareness programs; investments in Cox employees and in its local origination channel; and support for members of the armed forces. The orientation of the piece switches from portrait to landscape once one reaches the calendar section, which is studded with local events — tangible evidence that Cox is such a good corporate citizen that it built more than one function into its annual report.

Fast Facts

• The report was mailed to nearly 2,000 elected officials, business leaders and other notable members of the community.

• All Cox Arizona employees received a copy of the report.

Honorable Mentions:

Cable Positive's 2005-2006 Annual Report — Cable Positive turned to creative firm The Watsons' to produce its "We Have Work to Do" report, designed to let the organization's key stakeholders know that there is still much to be done to further AIDS awareness. The report, animated by black-and-white photography and bold red text, was nominated for a Service Industry Advertising Award.

Cox New Orleans' 2005-2006 Community Report — Cox's annual report told the story of the devastation and massive rebuilding effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, making it a historical document of Cox employees' personal struggles as well as a look back at the company's 25 years of service in the area.

The Cable Center's 2006 Annual Report — The Cable Center's first annual report presented the nonprofit's redefined mission to past donors and key constituents, who were shown that cable's educational arm and repository of history is highly active and fiscally prudent.

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