19 June 2023
A signing at the chancellery, on prime-time news the same day
Intel and the German government signed a revised letter of intent in Berlin, raising its planned investment in a new chip plant in Magdeburg to more than €30 billion. The CEO flew in from the US. Nothing about the signing was public beforehand, and the terms were settled only late the night before.
Markus Weingartner wrote the announcement jointly with the federal press office and Intel's US headquarters. He set up the CEO's interview for Tagesschau, Germany's main evening news, with the chancellery as the backdrop, and prepared him for it.
Tagesschau ran excerpts of the interview that evening, with the CEO delivering the agreed messaging. The full interview was published online.
2022 to 2025
A greenfield chip plant, from announcement through pause and wind-down
Intel's project in Magdeburg was set to be the largest foreign investment in Germany's history. Markus Weingartner led EMEA communications for it in every phase, as regional lead and as one of the company's spokespeople on the ground.
The public acceptance built during those years underpinned a €10 billion federal incentive commitment.
Through the pause and the wind-down that followed, active crisis communications kept the coverage factual.
2022
A pan-European launch, rebuilt in hours
Intel was ready to announce its European investment program in six countries, with teams standing by in Brussels, Paris, Milan, Rome and Berlin. Overnight, only hours before the launch, the war in Ukraine began.
The communications teams at headquarters and in the five cities reset the launch together in the time that was left, with Markus Weingartner leading the EMEA side. The format moved to video and press release, and the tone became more measured.
The announcement went ahead with a video message from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the story landed.
From 2022
More than €80 billion, one consistent story
Intel's European investment program spread over several countries and more than seven separate projects. Markus Weingartner built the messaging architecture that kept what was said consistent between the markets and at EU level, and in line with the company's commitments in the US.
Within six months, manufacturing-related coverage in EMEA doubled.
