The Case: Spree Cruise Lines Revisited, Again Teams of mechanics greeted the Sensation upon its arrival back in NewOrleans.

They were able to repair the ship sufficiently so that the propulsion system would hold up for the next few cruises, which were already fully booked.

As the vessel departed for its next trip, teams of city engineers carried out tests to determine whether the vibrations reported from the last trip were indeed linked to the vessel’s departure from port. They concluded that the vibrations were caused by the vessel: They had nothing to do with the malfunctioning propulsion system that hampered the last cruise, but the vibrations did seem to relate to the frequency set up when the engines were run at a particular power level. The vessel’s captain could easily be directed to reduce power during departures and entries into port.

Even though the vibration and frequency problems could easily be solved, Spree’s vice president of operations decided to accelerate the timetable for the dry dock, which had initially been planned to occur in several months. The vessel would go into dry dock for a multimillion-dollar makeover, including a new purser’s lobby, a new restaurant decor, upgraded passenger rooms, and a complete engine system refurbishment. The dry dock would require about two months, during which time one of Spree’s other ships, the Plentitude, would serve the New Orleans market.

The Assignment Draft a media plan, including the appropriate social media, that announces the dry dock plans for the Sensation. Include any other information you feel should be addressed and be prepared to discuss your reasoning for including specific pieces of information in one medium and not another. For example, what might you say on the corporate Web site or in a blog or Twitter account versus in a press release sent out broadly to the media and the public? As you know from the chapter, any messages to external audiences must be clear, so be very careful with the language you use. Also, remember that all announcements to external audiences, in particular, serve two primary purposes: (1)

They inform the public and (2) they create an image.

For the press release, you should follow these guidelines:

1. Answer the journalist’s questions of who, what, where, when, and why.

2. Place your most important information in the first sentence or two.

3. Since news editors cut press releases from the bottom up, you need to make sure all of the most important information comes as early in the release as possible, leaving the “nice-to-knows” to the end.

4. Place contact information (name and phone number) at the top.

5. Try to limit the release to one page, but if it runs over, type “more” in the center at the bottom of the first page. 6. Leave adequate margins and double-space.

7. Use concise sentences (think in terms of sound bites) and proofread carefully.

8. Use “-30-” to indicate the end of the release.

Releases through other social media will include much of the same information, but you will not be able to provide as much detail in some of them.