Corporate Communications and Public Relations - Term Paper Example

«Corporate Communications and Public Relations» Table of Contents 1. Situational Analysis 3 1.1 Current relevance 3 1.2 SWOT Analysis 3 2. Target Publics 4 2.1 Primary target publics 4 2.2 Secondary target publics 5 3. Research 5 3.1 Research on primary target public 5 3.2 Research on secondary target public 6 4. Proposed Approaches 7 4.1 Elaboration-Likelihood Model 7 4.1.1 Peripheral 7 4.1.2 Central 9 4.2 Persuasion Tactic 9 4.2.1 Facts 9 4.2.2 Emotions 10 4.2.3 Personalising 11 4.3 Influence Public Opinion 12 4.3.1 Primary spokesman 12 4.3.3 Print and Electronic Communications 13 4.3.4 Proposed budget 14 Reference 15 Bibliography 16 Appendix 17 1. Survey questions for primary target public 17 2. Sample questions for interview of primary target public 19 3. Questionnaire for the secondary target public 20 4. Sample questions for secondary target customers 22 5. The newspaper article sample 23 6. Tactics for Implementing Communication Strategies 23 7. Concluding Thoughts 24 1. Situational Analysis 1.1 Current relevance The media, for a few days, was bursting with reports about BSE, popularly known as Mad Cow’s Disease. Though this disease is common in countries like UK, Germany and Canada, it is for the first time in history of Hypothetico that this pathogen has infected its country people. This disease is reported to be one of the most contagious of animal diseases, the pathogen of which spreads through contaminated beef. Consequently, the beef industry is under severe threat as people have stopped beef consumption. To bring the condition under control, it is quite essential that the government of Hypothetico incorporates an effective public crisis management plan. 1.2 SWOT Analysis Strengths The country possesses Quarantine processes and facilities are of world class standards. It has been reported that that neither the domestic food supply and nor the export stock was contaminated with pathogen. Since the disease has not originated from the country; it will be convenient to overcome it. The people of Hypothetico always support the government as and when the need arise. The government has healthy tie-ups with neighbouring nations, hence if required the government can arrange for additional medical facilities for these nations. Opportunities Since the required data pertaining to this disease is available with other nations like UK, Germany and Canada, it will assist the medical department to take the required action. This experience will help it to gather relevant knowledge regarding Mad cow’s disease. If this disease again breaks in near future, it will be quite easy for the country to manage the situation. In future, the country can share this knowledge and expertise with other nations facing similar consequences. Weaknesses It is the first time that this disease has affected this country, so no past record is available. Neither the medical professionals nor the people of Hypothetico have the required experience regarding this disease. The media is exaggerating the news and negative sentiment is spreading at a fast rate. The concerned authorities are not yet sure, how the disease entered the country. This may delay the task of prevention and cure. Threats Media, instead of being responsible is spreading unwarranted information, often resulting in panic among the mass. Consumer confidence is declining, posing a serious threat to the beef industry. The quantity of export may also decline. The people who are directly or indirectly associated with the beef industry may face trouble in earning their livelihood. All this will have a negative impact on the GDP of the country. 2. Target Publics The victims of the situation are referred to as the Target publics. Depending on the impact of the situation, these people can be segregated as primary and secondary. 2.1 Primary target publics Consumers can be further segregated into local consumers and international consumers. Both these consumers are exposed to the threat of central nervous system malfunctioning. The local consumers are more dependent on the beef industry and hence run the greater risk. On the other side, negative sentiment among international consumers may severely affect the export. 2.2 Secondary target publics The news of outbreak of ‘Mad cow’s disease’ is resulting in serious consequences for the local beef industry. People have already stopped beef consumption and thus the farmers and the butchers are at a loss. Poor demand has resulted in low price of beef and thus the secondary target group has to bear with the financial crisis. Death of cows has further aggravated the financial problem of the farmers as well as of those workers who are engaged with this industry. 3. Research To understand the public opinion, it is necessary to conduct proper research. Separate research will be conducted for both the target groups. 3.1 Research on primary target public Survey will be conducted to gather information regarding the attitude and opinion of the consumers with the help of a questionnaire. To make the process time efficient, almost all the questions will be closed ended where the respondent is just required to click on the suitable answers. This will make the process simple and time effective (Church, et al., 2001, p.68). Sample questions are provided in the appendix section (Appendix 1). To convert the qualitative data into quantitative one, Likert five point scale will be used and quantitative analysis will be conducted to analyse the research question (hypothesis) (Cooper, 2006, p.339). Interview will be conducted to facilitate a better understanding of the target group’s opinion. The interviewees will be asked certain questions and the answers provided by them will be recorded for conducting qualitative research. The sample questions are given in the appendix section (Appendix 2). International customers also play a vital role in the beef industry of Hypothetico; hence few of the international customers will be interview over telephone. 3.2 Research on secondary target public It is necessary to understand the opinion and attitude of the secondary target public. Therefore, a survey, with the help of a questionnaire, will also be conducted to gather information about these people. However, many participants may not possess the required understanding of the matter, so instead of distributing the questionnaire, the survey conducting people will explain the questions and the available options. The answer selected by them will be ticked. The main motto of this questionnaire will be to identify the steps taken by other countries to overcome the situation of crisis. Few of the sample questions are provided at the end of this project (Appendix 3). For gathering more information, interview will be conducted with those people who are somehow related with the beef industry. Some of the sample questions are provided as an attachment with the project. 4. Proposed Approaches To approach the target public (both the primary as well as the secondary), it is necessary to develop a well balanced plan. While developing the plan, ‘Elaboration-Likelihood Model’ will be taken into account. 4.1 Elaboration-Likelihood Model This model advocates that two main routes can be used for persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. The central route should be used for those who are motivated and possess an in-depth understanding of the topic; whereas, the peripheral route is more effective for those who are not actively involved with it. Therefore, depending on the nature and degree of motivation, different routs should be selected. 4.1.1 Peripheral The main motto will be to provide relevant information to the public so that the situation of panic can be controlled. First of all, the people should be made aware that this disease can be controlled with effective measures. People should be motivated to participate with the government authority in preventive measures that are taken to stop further spread of the pathogen. All this is possible with proper use of print media. People can be educated though newspaper article. These articles should be precise and reflect the main idea in a simple manner. Many a time, advertisements done in electronic media such as television attract the attention of the audience. Use of hoardings with a one liner message is also influential. The general public should be encouraged to develop a positive attitude which will assist in minimising the negative influence prevailing among the people. The more the people will come across the advertisement, the more they will talk about the topic among each other and thus the people will become aware of the situation. While developing the advertisement some basic information regarding the disease should be provided. As for example: The disease is quite rare; it infects one person among one million people per year. This disease is not transmitted through air, touch and direct contact with the person suffering from the disease. Hence the family members of the patient run no major risk of infecting it. However, direct exposure to brain tissue and spinal code fluid should be avoided. Elderly people are the ones who are most prone to this disease; however young and even teenagers can also be affected. Early stage symptoms of this disease are: failing memory, lack of coordination, change in behaviour, visual disturbance (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n.d.). Such basic information will not just make the people more aware, but it will also help them to take the required preventive actions. 4.1.2 Central Those people who possess the motivation to actively participate should be entailed for central route of persuasion. These people have the urge to gather in-depth facts and figures. Many a time they search on the required websites to collect relevant information and news. Government of Hypothetico should mention all the relevant facts and figures about the disease in its website. If required certain modification should be made so that the problem associated with navigation of web pages can be rectified. Through the website, necessary information can also be provided about the latest development taking place for preventing this disease. 4.2 Persuasion Tactic 4.2.1 Facts It is necessary for the government to follow a proper tactic so as to convey the message to the target audience. One of the most reliable models of conveying information to the target audience is through facts. When the facts are from some reliable source, people accept them quite easily. Few facts regarding the ‘Mad cow’s disease’ are as follows: In the year 2006, about 200 people were diagnosed with this disease. Among them, 164 were from UK, 21from France and the remaining from countries like Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, US, Canada, Japan, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Portugal. About 10 to 15 percent of the patients get this disease because of gene mutation and only small numbers of patients get infected through direct exposure to brain tissues. This disease is not caused by any bacteria or virus, but by a protein agent, hence it is not contagious (United States Department of Agriculture, n.d.). The pathogen responsible for Mad cow’s disease is only found in the brain of spinal tissues. Hence consumption of beef steaks and roasts are quite safe. Even ‘hamburger ground’ from labeled cuts is safe to be consumed. Consumption of processed beef products can be riskier as they are manufactured with different kinds of tissues. Hence, the chance of getting the infection increases (Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals, 2008). These are some of the factors that can be used for making the people aware. Apart from them, the website may also reflect specific information related to Hypothetico. This include the ratio of infect animals to the healthy one, the number of cases registered till date and the number of quarantine facilities available. However, care should be taken to ensure that the news and facts are presented in a positive manner. 4.2.2 Emotions Use of emotion will assist in further motivating the people to participate in the process of eradicating and controlling the disease. Some common slogans (messages) that can be used while making advertisement are as follows: The beef industry is a vital contributor to the GDP of the country. More than 25 percent of the population is engaged in this industry. Beef is one of the vital food components in the daily diet Hypothetico. Apart from domestic market, the beef industry also plays a vital role in the export sector. It contributes 50 percent of the total share of export made from Hypothetico. In last few years, the government made handsome investment for developing the beef industry. After the news of outbreak of Mad cow’s disease, the revenue of beef has declined almost to 60 percent. The condition is expected to deteriorate further. The history of beef industry can also be discussed in this context. It will also include the role played by general public in improving the performance of the beef industry and how proud they feel regarding the progress made by one of the well know industry of Hypothetico. 4.2.3 Personalising The massages will be more effective if they are directly related to the issue. Therefore, the advertisement should include the voice of those people who are directly related with the beef industry, for example, the message of those farmers whose livelihood is directly related to the beef industry. Few of such examples can be as follows: In the last 3 years, business was increasing at a good rate due to high demand. The industry was also performing quite well because of the high demand of beef in the international market. Some patriotic messages can also be conveyed that reflects how farmers correlate their patriotism with their profession. 4.3 Influence Public Opinion People should be encouraged to participate in different chat shows where they can share their opinions and view with each others. This is a good way to gather information about the response of the public and the progress in research. To conduct the research, participants of the chat show can be asked to fill some questionnaires. Even, survey can be done where sample participants are selected at random basis. Using the data gathered, analysis should be done to determine the change in attitude of people because of the aggressive campaign done by government. 4.3.1 Primary spokesman A message becomes more influential when some well known public personality makes a comment on it. The minister of health along with the minister of agriculture and agri-food should publish their interview where they will provide information regarding the progress taking place. Picture of the concerned minister along and the message conveyed can be displayed in the bill board. Help line should be provided where the people can address their queries. 4.3.2 Secondary spokesman The beef industry being a vital contributor in the total export of Hypothetico, the minister of international trade should also participate hand in hand with the health and agriculture ministers. During the campaign, he can throw some light on the role of the beef industry as a major contributor to international trade. 4.3.3 Print and Electronic Communications To make the whole campaign process successful, it is necessary that the available media is used in a proper manner. This will enhance the effectiveness of the campaign. Different media and its proper use are being discussed below: Newspaper: Till date majority of the people prefer to go through the newspapers on a regular basis. Hence, government should rely more on newspaper articles. An example of a newspaper article is provided in the appendix section. Television: The electronic media can be used for spreading awareness and recommending preventive measures to be taken by the public. Word-of-mouth: This is one of the effective ways of spreading awareness and minimising the state of panic. People should be motivated to participate in spreading awareness by making other aware. 4.3.4 Proposed budget The government has planned to invest around $50 million. The major chunk of it will be invested in developing the facilities; the rest will be used for spreading awareness through different forms of media. Reference Cooper. 2006. Business research methods. McGraw-Hill. Church, A. H., Waclawski, J. & Kraut, A. I. 2001. Designing and using organizational surveys: a seven-step process. John Wiley and Sons. Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals. January 11, 2008. Questions about mad cow disease and beef. Available at: http://gohsep.la.gov/factsheets/questionstmadcowdisease.htm [Accessed on October 7, 2010]. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. No date. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cjd/detail_cjd.htm [Accessed on October 6, 2010]. United States Department of Agriculture. No date. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - "Mad Cow Disease". Fact Sheet. [Online]. Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/bovine_spongiform_encephalopathy_mad_cow_disease/index.asp [Accessed on October 6, 2010]. Bibliography Berkowitz, L. 1985. Advances in experimental social psychology, Volume 19. Elsevier. Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. July 09, 2009. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). [Online]. Available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/bse/index.htm. TN.gov Services. No date. The NAIS in Tennessee – The Facts. Available at: http://www.tennessee.gov/agriculture/publications/factfiction.pdf. United States Government Accountability Office. February 2005. Mad Cow Disease. [Pdf]. Available at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05101.pdf. Appendix 1. Survey questions for primary target public 1. Do you feel the government possesses the ability to get quick hold on the disease? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 2. Do you think the existing medical facilities and expertise is competent enough to handle the situation? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 3. Do you agree that Hypothetico will face the same fate as faced by other nations like UK, Germany and Canada? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 4. Do you think one should stop the consumption of beef? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 2. Sample questions for interview of primary target public 1. How the general public should participate with the government for preventing further spread of the disease? 2. How the government can overcome such a drastic situation? 3. How this disease will affect the local beef industry of Hypothetico in terms of revenue? 4. How the hash effect on export as well as GDP can be minimised? 3. Questionnaire for the secondary target public 1. Do you think the local government should approach other nations to gather information about the steps they took when Mad cow’s disease started spreading in their nation? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 2. Do you agree that that if the local government follows the same step, it will be easy to bring the condition under control? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 3. Do you feel other nations will agree to share their expertise with government of Hypothetico? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 4. Do you think the preventive measures taken by the local government to assist those people who are directly related with the beef industry are satisfactory? Strongly disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Strongly agree 4. Sample questions for secondary target customers 1. Which type of assistance the local government can ask from UK, Germany and Canada to overcome the state of crisis? 2. What major differences you find in the condition prevailing in Hypothetico and the condition faced by other nations when the same disease started spreading in other nations? 3. As per your opinion, how the government can bring the condition under control? 5. The newspaper article sample In last few days certain cases of Mad cow’s disease has been reported, but according to the experts the pathogen got transmitted from outside. This reduces the possibility of the disease turning into an epidemic. It is the first time that this disease has been reported, yet the government has taken required steps to gather information from countries like UK, Germany and Canada. These nations have prior experience in handling the crisis. At present, the country has adequate number of quarantine processes and facilities. Hence, things can be brought under control soon. However, the general public is also required to participate actively in controlling the condition. All the required information and facts are published in government’s website. Interested people can check them. There are several helpline through which people can clear all their doubts and gather the required information. This is a high time for the public and government to act hand in hand to overcome the state of crisis. 6. Tactics for Implementing Communication Strategies The campaign should be well co-related where the same massage is conveyed through different forms of media. The speaker should possess quality of a good orator; hence charismatic leadership style should be implemented. The government should make the website more user-friendly so that people can easily navigate and can find out the required information. The website should be updated on a regular basis. 7. Concluding Thoughts The government should analyse the risk associated with different target publics. This will help in developing the risk management plan. The government should act proactively and arm itself for any contingencies that might arise in future. Read More