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Business Communication
Case Studies
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
The challenges of communicating with
nine previously independent businesses spread across a number of countries and
speaking three different languages (English, Dutch and Papiamento) were
significant. Hamlet had no single tool that would enable her to communicate
across all the different territories. Email servers on the same network were
only operational in the businesses in the English speaking locations (Trinidad
and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica), whereas the businesses in the Dutch
Caribbean (Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba and Sint Maarten) were operating different
email platforms. While Hamlet concluded that there were fewer cultural
differences between the countries than she had anticipated, she found that
employees were more connected to the local business brands they worked for
rather than seeing themselves as members of a larger group. So it was vital to
Hamlet that the solution she implemented gave her the ability to communicate
the group’s new vision, mission and values in a consistent and engaging way.
She also needed to ensure that communications did not come across as
“Trinicentric” (Trinidad being the location of the Head Office of the group) or
come across as imposing to employees. Hamlet’s research into a software solution
that would allow her to communicate more effectively with the distributed
workforce led her to the SnapComms internal communication software and in July
2012 Guardian implemented four of the communication channels — Desktop Alert
Software, Scrolling Desktop Tickers, Employee Newsletter and Internal Staff
Survey tool. Instrumental in her choice was the fact that she could deploy the
internal communication tools immediately and would have no ongoing reliance on
her IT department to administer them. Hamlet has been pleasantly surprised by
the fact that the SnapComms software delivers on its promise and really is as
easy to use as it is claimed.
Answer
the following question.
Q1.
How it was possible to communicate across multiple languages and platforms? Explain.
Q2.
Discuss about SnapComms software.
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
The TelstraClear team wanted the tools
to appear visually interesting and attractive, and to keep the text firstperson
and friendly. The exception to this is in emergency situations when messages
and commands require more immediacy. In these instances popup templates have
been designed that relay the situation using ‘emergency’ colours of oranges and
reds. A series of visual templates have also been developed for specific
audiences, as well as sets of screensavers (customer profiles and staff
benefits, for example) so each has a specific look and feel. TelstraClear
recognized from the start that the tools, particularly the screensavers, need
to be current and change regularly to maintain their impact and interest.
SnapMags are now being adopted by various business groups across the
organization to target specific information and news to their teams, and popup
alerts are also starting to be used by project teams. They can see the value
add the popups provide with instant messaging and fewer emails. Also, there is
added value in being able to track who has – or hasn’t read – the popups. We’ve
now go to the point where teams are coming to us and asking “can we use
SnapComms too…” The bright, fun and colourful screensavers have met with
overwhelming appreciation and staff are enthusiastic about new ones. They are
simple to execute and are immediate and impactful.” Head of Communications,
Diane Robinson
Answer
the following question.
Q1.
Why TelstraClear have found screensavers invaluable? Explain the benefits of
screensavers.
Q2.
Comment on the Head of Communications, statement “They are simple to execute
and are immediate and impactful.”
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
The way in which companies communicate
with stakeholders during a crisis event is rapidly changing with the 24hour
access provided by the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Public
relations practitioners and other communication executives are struggling to
craft messages and maintain control of the flow of messages within this dynamic
landscape. As Schiller (2007) explains, in “times of crisis, while corporate
communication executives are preparing manicured statements, customers are
[simultaneously] blogging, emailing and posting photos out of rage and
desperation because the very people who should be listening to them aren’t”
Bell (2010) asserts that stakeholders become “interpretive communities in
organizational crisis contexts,” capable of cultivating an organization’s reputation
through information they receive in cyberspace. Social media allow stakeholders
to control when, where, and how “reputational meanings are born and
disseminated” as “an organization’s reputation is built on the stories formed
by stakeholders and spread within networks” .Nowhere is this dynamic between
organizations and their publics more apparent than on video sharing sites, such
as YouTube, that encourage citizens and bloggers to be the co producers of
messages.
Answer
the following question.
Q1. How
important is speed of response rate in a digital world, particularly when an
organization is facing a crisis situation?
Q2.
Give an overview of the case.
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
The office of RXL Ltd. wore a deserted
look. The marketing manager ,all six regional managers and product managers
were busy in a brainstorming session at a faraway location in Kerala .The main
reason behind this session was to identify the future course of action for
their products mattresses and pillows marketed under the brand name Dreams. The
issue was to decide the approach for the
six month long promotion drive to be launched next month. The company is one
the largest manufacturers operating at a national level in the market of mattresses.
The retail market of branded products is estimated to be Rs.100 crores, and the
unbranded market is in the tune of Rs.400 crores. The market is growing at the
rate of around 10% per annum in urban areas and 18%in rural areas. At present
there are six branded products in the market and Cure is the market leader with
25% market share.’ Dreams ‘is in the middle of the rung with around 14% market
share. Besides these two brands, several local and regional brands operate in
the market and the market is quite competitive. The company, RXL Ltd,is based
in Chennai and its product range includes mattresses,pillows,carpetinlays, wall
panels,foot mats,and other products. The manufacturing facility is located 30
kilometers from Chennai and boasts of an ultramodern factory and storage set
up. The head office is in Chennai and six regional offices are located in all
major cities, i.e.,Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, Chandigarh, jaipur and Mumbai.
The company sells about 30% of its products to institutions such as hospitals,
hotels and resorts, and government bodies. Large sales volume comes from the
southern and western parts and some comes from the rest of the country. Besides
this ,the mattresses, pillows ,and carpetinlays are sold in retail through
dealers in around sixty cities all over the country. Presently the company has
around 100 dealers who are looked after by the regional offices. The company
began to advertise in print and radio in1987.the advertising theme highlighted
features of the products, both in print and radio. About five years back, the company
had offered a unique feature,i.e.,a guarantee card, which ensured protection
against duplicate products. The company also used sales promotion to augment
the efforts of advertising, and dealer efforts. Some promotional schemes
offered gifts such as, towel, bedsheet, or pillow with mattresses. All these
promotion schemes affected the company’s bottom line and did not find very
enthusiastic response from dealers. The company thus needed a new platform to
highlight its new campaign A six month promotional campaign is to be launched,
with equal mix of print advertising ,consumer sales promotion, and a dealer
promotion scheme. The marketing manager wishes to select a theme to portray the
ads. In the light of common theme, the various options a available to the
company include the lifestyle product theme, the superior quality theme, and
the most healthy product theme. The entire advertising campaign is to be based
on this theme selected and hence it is very important to pick the most
appropriate theme.
Answer
the following question.
Q1.
What are the benefits of the print media as a medium of advertising?
Q2.
What are the disadvantages of print media as a medium of advertising?
Q3.
Do you think that promotional schemes like gifts, discount etc. help anyway to
boost the sales of the company?
Q4.
What were the shortcomings in the company in your view point?
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Project Report and Thesis contact
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