13-25. Managers are often the most difficult group for the public relations department to reach. To entice employees to reach departmental goals, managers often communicate using memos or verbal messages.

These messages may conflict with the IMC theme. For example, in an effort to trim costs, a manager may send a memo to all employees, telling them to only use standard production procedures. Through verbal communications, employees learn that anyone caught violating or even bending the policy to satisfy a customer will be immediately reprimanded. The manager’s action suggests that even though he wants employees to provide customer service, in actuality, they had better not do anything that is not authorized.

Employees soon get the message that management only cares about costs, not customers. Any advertising message about customer service will be perceived by employees as a big joke. Write a memo to employees that will support the IMC goal of high customer service, yet alert them to the need to follow standard operating procedures. Is there anything else you would do to ensure that this is not a conflicting message being sent to employees?