The first item impacts external communication strategies. A new bicycle model that was part of a prerelease trial recently received many poor reviews on a prominent online marketplace website. One of the most-read reviews was from a customer with a high user following. The review read: 

"I'm an avid biker, and I was all for the automatic downhill braking feature on this bike, but ten minutes into my first ride, the automatic braking kicked in while I was still on a flat stretch and threw me over the handlebars directly into the road. Thankfully, there was no traffic and I walked away with just some nasty scrapes and bruises. This could have been a lot worse if I were riding on a busy road. If you're riding in any kind of high-traffic area or intend to go faster than 5 mph, do NOT get this bike!"

There was a problem with the prerelease braking sensor, but it was fixed before it was released to the general public. You need to explain to your team how you can work together to rebrand the product and use multiple mass-media channels to reach various audiences to increase sales, despite the poor reviews.

The second item impacts internal communication. It has come to the CEO's attention that employees aren't reading the monthly newsletter, a lengthy but helpful print publication that addresses everything from birthday shoutouts to organizational announcements. Recently, employees have been chatting about an upcoming reorganization of staff and getting anxious, but aren't reading the newsletter that has accurate information. It is important for employees to read the publication so they can get accurate information at appropriate times, avoid spreading misinformation and speculation, and keep everyone informed. You'll need to create a few key strategies that can help increase the efficacy of information sharing with employees.

 

Use the provided Communication Plan Template to address the following, and make sure to support your responses with course resources:

1. Role of Communication Team: Briefly explain the role and responsibilities of a communication department within a larger organization.
2. Business Problem Identification: Define each problem the business faces in the Part I Scenario and the communication theory or theories that most appropriately explain the cause or the problems.
3. Proposed Communication-based Solutions: Provide an overview of formats, channels, and strategies that the organization will be implementing to address each identified problem.
   • External: Identify appropriate media channels, strategies, and tools the organization will use to remedy the poor review and continue to build brand awareness.
   • Internal: Identify appropriate media channels, strategies, and tools the organization will use to improve internal organizational and group communication.
4. Theory:
   • Explain how communication theory was taken into consideration when evaluating potential solutions.
   • Describe how the specific changes you are proposing are supported by communication theory or theories.