Companies Send Email about Security Breach
The Story
Did you receive an email about a security breach? Epsilon, an email marketing firm, has reported that their contact list has been stolen. Epsilon sends emails on behalf of several large companies. Companies are responding in force, contacting customers to disclose what happened and to allay fears. According to these messages and Epsilon's press release, the impact on consumers is minimal.
Here are several emails sent by affected companies:
- What differences do you see among these emails, and why do you believe companies took these different approaches?
- Which version do you find most effective? Consider the type of company and its customer demographic as you decide which email works best; for example, what's the difference between Chase and JPMorgan Chase?
Assignment Ideas
- With a partner, choose two of these examples and compare them. Which do you think is most effective and why?
- Write your own version of an email for customers of a company. Choose a company and tailor the email to its customers.
- Research one of the companies that wrote an email. In a short written report, complete an audience analysis of the company's customer base. Given your analysis, recommend an approach for the company when communicating with these customers about the situation.
Bank of America Stops Foreclosure Sales
The Story
Bank of America has stopped foreclosure sales nationwide under criticism about documentation. Legislators and state prosecutors expressed concerns about "robo-signers," "employees who sign hundreds of documents a day, without carefully reviewing their contents, when foreclosing on homes," according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Read more and watch a video report from PBS here.
Discussion Starters
- What are the ethics of signing documents without reading them? What are the potential consequences for homeowners?
- Homeowners complain that loan officers assigned to their case are unresponsive. Why is this happening, and what is the responsibility of banks to communicate with homeowners in danger of foreclosing?
Assignment Ideas
- Review Bank of America's statement about halting foreclosure sales (below). Rewrite the statement to use clearer, simpler language.
"Bank of America has extended our review of foreclosure documents to all fifty states. We will stop foreclosure sales until our assessment has been satisfactorily completed. Our ongoing assessment shows the basis for our past foreclosure decisions is accurate. We continue to serve the interests of our customers, investors and communities. Providing solutions for distressed homeowners remains our primary focus." - Write a letter to homeowners explaining the situation. For many homeowners this is good news: they may have more time in their home before it's foreclosed. However, from the bank's perspective, this is not good news. Balance these messages in your letter.
Department of Defense Memo Tries to Fix "Lax," "Sloppy" Media Relations
The Story
Last week, Defense Secretary Gates issued a memo with new rules for how the military should deal with the media. Although Gates denies a connection between this memo and the recent Rolling Stone article that got General Stanley McChrystal fired, Gates says openly that the military has "become too lax, disorganized and in some cases flat-out sloppy in the way we engage with the press..."
Click on the image to download the PDF.
Discussion Starters
- Do you believe this memo is unrelated to the McChrystal situation? Why or why not?
- What impact might this memo have on the news media? How do you think the press might react to this?
- Why would Gates choose a memo instead of another medium for his message? Was this the best choice?
Assignment Ideas
- Analyze Gates' memo according to the principles in Chapters 4 and 5. To what extent does this memo measure up to business writing guidelines?
- Rewrite Gates' memo to reflect the business writing principles in Chapters 4 and 5. What improvements can you make?