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.
New American CEO Brings Good News for BP
The Story
Bob Dudley finally replaces Tony Hayward, the former CEO of BP. Hayward has been held responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf -- and for a host of public relations failures, which added embarrassment to the company. BP shares rose 3% on Friday as Dudley took the company lead and suggested that shareholder dividends, which had been suspended, may be reinstated.
Read more here and here. Image source.
Discussion Starters
- What is the significance of Dudley, as BP's first American CEO, taking the lead at this point? How do you think this move might be received by people in the Gulf? How might people within BP react?
- What are Dudley's challenges in rebuilding BP's image?
- How can Dudley use the positive news of dividends to fuel (sorry) his positive messages?
Assignment Ideas
- Analyze a segment of Dudley's interview on BCC News. As a media consultant, provide your feedback: what did Dudley do well, and what changes do you suggest? Write a memo summarizing your feedback to him directly.
- Write an article for BP's website announcing Bob Dudley's new role. How will you position him and address Tony Hayward's departure? After you finish a draft of your article, review BP's version of the announcement. How does yours compare? What, if any, changes would you make to your draft after seeing the official announcement?
- Write an email to employees about the 3% increase in share price. How can you promote this as a first step in BP's recovery?
- Imagine that you're Dudley. Start a CEO blog and write your first entry. How will you introduce yourself to the customers, investors, and the public?
Steve Jobs' Email: "Please Leave Us Alone"
The Story
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, is known for responding to emails personally. Although typically short, his responses are often unexpected and appreciated. But this week, a journalism student at Long Island University received a disappointing reply. For a school project, she wanted to understand how iPads could be used in academic settings. After leaving six unanswered voice mails for Apple's PR department, she emailed Steve Jobs. In a series of emails (download), he explained why he couldn't answer her question individually, ending with, "Please leave us alone."
Read more here. Image source.
Discussion Starters
- The student's voice mail messages and original email were neutral, but the result didn't turn out too well. What were Apple's missteps in this communication? In what ways was the company's response understandable?
- What are other ways the company -- and Steve Jobs personally -- could have handled the situation?
Assignment Ideas
- Imagine that you're Steve Jobs in this situation. You want to reply to emails personally (this is a good idea!), but you can't address the student's question individually. Instead of Jobs' first email response ("Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry."), what could you write instead?
- Review several examples of Steve Jobs' emails on this website. In small groups, discuss his approach to email. In what ways is his approach effective and ineffective? How does his approach differ from principles discussed in the Chapter 4 of the book?
Today is National Punctuation Day!
The Story
Try to control your enthusiasm. Today is the day you've waited for all year. Sharpen your pencils, turn on Microsoft Word's grammar check, and let's have some fun!
Discussion Starters
- What's the purpose of punctuation?
- How important do you consider punctuation for business writing?
- Is punctuation more important for some media than others? Why or why not?
Assignment Ideas
- Take a fresh look at a previous assignment for class. Edit it carefully for punctuation errors. Now, switch papers with a partner. Can you catch additional errors?
- Choose one punctuation mark that you would like to understand better. Prepare a short presentation to class to explain the mark. Provide at least three examples of the punctuation mark used correctly in a sentence.
- Practice punctuation with these interactive quizzes: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/marks.htm
University Blocks Access to Social Media
The Story
Could you live without Facebook for a week? Students at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology couldn't. To encourage students, faculty, and staff to think about the role social media plays in their lives, the university blocked access to several social media sites from the campus network. University officials estimate about 10% of the students went "cold turkey." The rest used their smartphones or other wireless networks to stay connected.
Read more here. Image source: blog.theduffyagency.com.
Discussion Starters
- Why would the university block access to social media sites? Ideally, what was the administration hoping would happen?
- What are the downsides of the university's move? What were the possible repercussions for students, staff, faculty, and the university as a whole?
- Overall, do you think this was a good strategy for the university? How would you react if your school blocked access to sites for a week?
Assignment Ideas
- In small groups, discuss how you use social networking as a distraction. How does your online activity prevent you from doing your work and from participating in other types of communication?
- Give it a try! Take a break from Facebook and your other favorite social networking sites for a week (or how about a day?). After the break, write a brief memo to your instructor to discuss what you missed out on and what you gained from the experience.
Strong Earnings at Best Buy
The Story
Happy days (may be) here again. Best Buy's second-quarter earnings are up a remarkable 61%. This is good news the company can brag about, but some remain wary about consumer spending.
Read more here. Image source: laughingsquid.com.
Discussion Starters
- How can Best Buy capitalize on this good news in its communication with customers, analysts, investors, and employees?
- What are the potential downsides of Best Buy presenting a picture that's overly optimistic? How can company communicators temper their messages?
Assignment Ideas
- As the VP of sales and marketing at Best Buy, write a memo to all employees reporting the quarterly results and congratulating the group on a job well done.
- As the VP of the television division, one of the laggard groups at Best Buy, write a memo to employees in your division to share the results and help boost morale.
- As the director of the notebook computer division, write a handwritten note to one of your employees who has done an exceptional job in the past three months. How can you, in a personal way, show your appreciation for his or her hard work? You may add your own details and examples.
Craigslist De-lists Adult Services Ads
The Story
Big news this week about Craigslist's decision to censor its adult services ads. Craigslist has been under fire for allowing not-so-subtle ads for prostitution -- ads that people claim have facilitated human trafficking and assaults against women. Before this decision, a CNN reporter asked Craig Newmark, the company founder, blunt questions about the ads. Newmark didn't handle the situation very well, and the company has been criticized for its lack of communication around the censorship decision.
Read more here.
Discussion Starters
- From the company's perspective, what are the arguments for and against excluding adult services ads on Craigslist? Do you think the company made the best decision? Why or why not? Read more from the Wall Street Journal here.
- On Craigslist's website, the company posted the word "censored" with a black background over the former adult services category. Why did the company choose this way to communicate the decision (with no news statement or press release, at the same time)?
Assignment Ideas
- Watch the CNN video with Craig Newmark and evaluate his response to the reporter's questions. In small groups, first discuss Newmark's approach. Why did he react this way and resist her questions? Second, discuss alternatives. What could Newmark have done to come across more positively?
- Craigslist has not yet issued a news statement, but is expected to do so. Before you look at the statement, write your own. How would you represent the decision to the media? After the company's statement is issued, compare it to your version. What differences do you observe?
Get Your Inbox in Order
The Story
Google just released a beta version of Priority Inbox, a tool to help you manage your Gmail. Priority Inbox categorizes messages, so you see the most important first. This may be a good way to manage some of your email overload.
Discussion Starters
- What are the effects of email overload? What challenges do you face in managing your own email?
- What alternatives to email are discussed in Chapter 1 and elsewhere in the book?
- In what ways do you think Gmail Priority Inbox might be useful for you? What new problems could it cause?
Assignment Ideas
- In small groups, discuss ways you manage email messages today (e.g., filters, rules, folders). On your own, try one or two of the ideas you heard from other students. See what works for you.
- If you use Gmail, install Priority Inbox and give it a try. If you haven't used Gmail, sign up for a free account and see how email is managed through conversations. Try it for a week to compare it to your current program.
Egg Recall Scares Some, Brings Opportunities to Others
The Story
Millions of eggs have been recalled since a salmonella outbreak sickened over 1,000 people. The egg industry is on the defensive, but some local farmers have seen increased interest in their eggs. Both groups can use communication to their advantage.
Discussion Starters
- What is the best approach for the industry to repair its image and rebuild consumer trust?
- What are the communication objectives of the egg industry during the recall?
- How should egg producers communicate their messages? What communication medium would be best in this situation?
- How can independent farmers capitalize on the situation to promote locally produced eggs? What could be some of their key messages?
Asssignment Ideas
- In small groups, discuss a press release about one of the recalls. What principles of persuasion and communicating bad news are used in the announcement?
- Imagine that you're the owner of Morning Fresh Farms, a local egg producer in Colorado. Write a letter to consumers promoting your eggs. Use the opportunity of current egg recalls to educate the public about your products. Assume that this letter will be published as a full-page ad in the local newspaper. Read this article for background information.
- In small groups, review the website http://www.eggsafety.org/. What are the group's most convincing and least convincing arguments? Why do these arguments work well or fail to work?
NYT Article: In Serious Company Crisis, "P.R. May Only 'Get People to Hate Them Less.'"
The Story
The New York Times reported quite the story about the recent P.R. failings of BP, Toyota, and Goldman Sachs, citing both missteps and what sounds like hopelessness. Some crises, the article concludes, may be beyond repair through communication. This paints a dim picture of corporations' attempts to recapture trust and rebuild a brand.
Discussion Starters
- Do you agree with the conclusions drawn in the article? Why or why not?
- If these companies-BP, Toyota, and Goldman-hadn't made mistakes in their communication, would public perception be different?
- Thinking as a customer or client of each business, what, if anything could each company have done differently to win you over?
- What principles of persuasion (from Chapter 7) did each company use? Which could it have used more or less?
Assignment Ideas
- As a group, watch viewers' perceptions of CEO Akio Toyoda, as he discusses Toyota's issues. Why do you think the viewers gave him mixed reviews, with "skepticism" their most common reaction? At what points did viewers' ratings decrease and increase? What do you think caused these changes?
- After reading the NY Times article, choose one of the three companies and do your own research about how it handled the crisis. Write a report to the CEO with your analysis and recommendations for communicating during a crisis in the future.
- Find a speech or commercial from one of these companies about its crisis. You'll find several on MediaCurves.com, on YouTube, and on each company's website. Analyze the video in terms of persuasion techniques discussed in Chapter 7. Write a memo summarizing your analysis.
What Do Dr. Laura and Jennifer Aniston Have in Common?
The Story
Answer: They both used offensive language this week. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the radio talk-show host, used the "n-word" an astonishing 11 times. Granted, she didn't direct it at anyone in particular, but many people found it offensive. She has since announced that she won't renew her contract as radio host.
Meanwhile, on the Live with Regis and Kelly show, actress Jennifer Aniston used the "r-word," also not appropriate for primetime media.
Read more about Dr. Laura and Jennifer Aniston.
Discussion Starters
- What other examples were in the news lately of people using these or similarly offensive words? How did the public react in these cases?
- Is this a big deal? What are your own views of "politically correct" language?
- What, if any, differences do you see in using this language among your friends and using this language in a workplace?
Assignment Ideas
- In small groups, discuss your own use of potentially offensive language. In what ways do you adapt your language at work?
- With a partner, role play a situation where you, as a business professional, explain to either Dr. Laura or Jennifer Aniston why the use of the term is offensive.
- As either Dr. Laura or Jennifer Aniston, write a letter of apology for using the offensive word. Imagine that you would post this message on your website.
GM Issues Recall for Safety Belts
The Story
Right on the heels of communicating good news (profits for a second quarter) and a big management change, General Motors gives us the bad news: 243,000 crossover vehicles are being recalled for a safety belt inspection.
Read more here.
Discussion Starters
- What are the potential consequences -- financial and non-financial -- of this recall to GM?
- What are the potential consequences of not communicating this message well?
- What considerations should GM take in communicating this bad news? What can it learn from Toyota's recent experience?
Assignment Ideas
- Analyze GM's recall message. Does the statement use the direct or indirect style of communication? Why do you think the company chose this approach? What other principles of communicating bad news do you see used in this message? Discuss your ideas with a partner.
- In small groups, search online for other recall messages. Have each person review one other recall message. Then, as a group, compare these messages to GM's. Which work best and why?
- Imagine that a business associate works for a bicycle manufacturer and has to recall 12,000 bikes because of faulty tires. Write a memo to your associate with your advice for writing an effective recall statement.
- Now imagine that you have to write the recall statement for the bicycle manufacturer. Draft and revise your statement until it's ready for publication.
JetBlue Finally Comments on Flight Attendant's Dramatic Exit
The Story
If you watched any news this week, you heard about Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant who, after cursing passengers over the intercom, grabbed two beers, inflated the emergency chute, and slid off the plane. He was arrested but has since been released from jail. JetBlue, normally a chatty social media participant, has been suspiciously quiet during the past few days (possibly on advice from the legal department). But on Wednesday, they finally addressed the situation, with a light-hearted blog post that included a link to the movie trailer for Office Space.
Discussion Starters
- Reading about the situation, do you empathize with Slater? Some call him a "folk hero," while others refer to him as the "Bag Nazi." Which camp are you in?
- What other avenues could Slater have taken? Surely he had other choices.
- How do you interpret JetBlue's initial silence and then the company's blog post? Was this a good approach?
Assignment Ideas
- Imagine that you're Steven Slater, working for the airlines for 20 years. After reading the story (and perhaps from your own air travel experience), write an email from Slater to the management team at JetBlue. Of course, you can be honest, but try to control your comments and tone better than Slater did on the plane. From Slater's perspective, what recommendations would you make for the industry to change its practices? Write a persuasive email.
- Write an email to JetBlue's legal department, trying to persuade them to allow you to blog more (and earlier) about the incident. Explain the importance of online relationships and why being silent isn't a good approach. You might want to acknowledge the obvious objections, too.
New Study: Ninety Percent of Teens Drive While Distracted
The Story
A survey published this week by AAA and Seventeen magazine reported that teenagers understand the dangers of distractions while driving, but they multitask anyway. Read the full story here.
Discussion Starters
- In Chapter 1, we talked about distractions as a barrier to communication. Which other communication barriers could affect driving ability?
- What data presented in the article would most influence you to stop texting while driving? Why do you find this statistic most persuasive?
Assignment Ideas
- Convert the following paragraph from the article into one or more charts. How can you turn the numbers into graphs that are easier to read?
"Aware of the dangers, 73 percent of teens admit they have adjusted their radio/CD/MP3 player, 61 percent have eaten food, and 60 percent said they've talked on a cell phone while driving. Teen drivers justified their actions and said they think it's okay to engage in these distractions because: 41 percent think their action will only take a split second; 35 percent don't think they'll get hurt; 34 percent said they're used to multitasking; and 32 percent don't think anything bad will happen to them." - Write an email to convince a teenager you know well-your little brother or sister or another relative-not to drive while texting. Knowing this teen, which data from the survey would most likely encourage him or her to stop driving while texting? See more data here. What other principles of persuasion (from Chapter 7) will you use in your message?
- Write a report to your local PTA or PTO that includes the survey data. The purpose of your report is to encourage parents and teachers to create a new promotional campaign against driving while distracted.
Black Employee Gets Unfairly Clipped
The Story
This week, the White House forced the resignation of Shirley Sherrod, a Department of Agriculture employee. Her termination was based on a 39-second video clip of her at a NAACP meeting. The White House believed her comments were racist. Later, the entire presentation was released, which showed -- rather than her discrimination -- how she learned from an interaction with a white farmer way back in 1986. The White House apologized and offered Sherrod her job back.
Watch the full video here. Read more here.
Discussion Starters
- What does this incident tell us about race relations in the U.S.?
- Why would someone take Sherrod's comments out of context and publicize just a small segment of her speech? Read the original post here.
- How does this situation relate to race relations in business?
Assignment Ideas
- Think about a time when you may have unfairly prejudged someone because of his or her race. Talk with 2 or 3 other students about the situation and what you learned from the experience.
- Review a presentation you gave recently. Identify a small part that -- if taken out of context -- would have distorted your message. How could you have reinforced your main message more often throughout the presentation? Consider what you could have said and what you could have written on visuals to support your key points and possibly avoid this situation.
BP Doctors a Press Photo
The Story
BP needs better PR advice. A company spokesperson admitted to altering a photo of their Houston crisis center. Photos were added where video feeds were blank.
Read more here. Image source.
Discussion Starters
- BP denies any sinister intent and blames a photographer. What do you think? No harm done?
- What about other altered photos? Here's a fun tour of altered photos through history. Take a look a few recent ones. What about this President Obama photo-turned-Economist cover? Or this model, whose altered image was banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority?
- This Dove video became viral on YouTube very quickly. Why would a company like Dove post a video like this? How does this help their "Campaign for Real Beauty"?
Assignment Ideas
- Use Photoshop or another program to edit graphics and try to alter an image. See if you can do a more professional job than BP's photographer.
- Look at photos in your favorite magazine. How do you think they may have been altered? Discuss with a partner how changing a photo for a cover, article, or advertisement may affect your perspective.
- As you plan your next presentation with visual support, think about what photos or other graphics you can alter to enhance your message. What alterations could be misleading for your audience?
"Refudiate" This!
The Story
Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska and U.S. vice presidential nominee, creates a new word. A blend of refute and repudiate, "refudiate" seems to fit the bill. After making headline news, here's her response in a tweet.
Discussion Starters
- Sarah Palin's gaffe has caused quite a stir in the media. Is this fair? Sure, she may run for U.S. President in 2012, but we all make mistakes, right?
- Sarah Palin's first response to the media attention was to remove her tweet. Then, she posted her short explanation. Was this the best approach for her? Why or why not?
- What's the danger of using malapropisms? Do you see a downside?
- Why does language evolve? What are other examples of recent additions to the English language? Could "refudiate" be the latest addition? Why or why not?
Assignment Ideas
- Advise Sarah Palin on a better editing process for Twitter. Write an email with your recommendations using guidelines from Chapter 5 and your own thinking about Twitter.
- Debate with a partner Sarah Palin's use of "Got to" instead of "Gotta" in her tweet. Have one of you argue that "Got to" is more appropriate and the other support "Gotta." Which is the better argument?
Best Buy Employee Insults Apple and Customers
The Story
Brian Maupin, a Best Buy employee, was reprimanded after posting videos about the company on YouTube. His first cartoon video, which has amassed over 4.7 million views, mocked a customer of "Phone Mart," desperate for the latest version of the iPhone. Apparently, Best Buy planned to fire Maupin, but management changed its mind after the media attention.
Read more about the situation here on TechCrunch.
Watch the first video here (warning: very rude and lots of cursing, so you may want to skip this one) and the interaction with the corporate executive here.
Discussion Starters
- Was Maupin's behavior ethical? Was Best Buy right to suspend him? Should the company have fired him?
- If Maupin was frustrated by Best Buy's sales policies (which he addressed in another video that was removed), how could he have handled the situation differently? What internal channels may have been more appropriate for him?
- If you were the CEO of Best Buy or another company, how could you deter employees from going public with negative information? Think about communication and management practices as well as internal, online media that may prevent a situation like this.
Assignment Ideas
- Imagine you're Brian Maupin's manager at Best Buy. If you had a chance to speak with him about the situation, what would you say? What questions would you ask him to learn more about his mindset? Role play the scenario with a classmate.
- Search online for a company's social media policy. You'll find several here. Write a memo to the chief ethics officer with your analysis of the policy. What works well in communicating guidelines to employees, and what could be improved?
- Write a statement on behalf of Best Buy in response to the situation. What would you say in a news release to give your perspective of the videos and repair the company's reputation?
Kagan Downplays Intelligence for the Masses
The Story
Elena Kagan, the Supreme Court nominee is no dummy, but she's intentionally simplifying her language to avoid an "egghead" stereotype, according to a New York Times article. Apparently, most Americans don't value intelligence in their political candidates and may perceive the super-bright as just plain arrogant.
Discussion Starters
- Watch part of Kagan's opening statement. How successful do you think she was in coming across as a "regular person"?
- How is Kagan's attempt at simple, clear language similar to business writing principles discussed in Chapter 5? How is this example different? (Hint: How do Kagan's audiences differ from business audiences?)
Assignment Ideas
- Find a business report (e.g., an annual report) or presentation (e.g., an investor presentation) online. How appropriate is the communication for the intended audience? Write a memo to the writer or presenter with your assessment about the level of communication.
- Take a fresh look at a report you wrote recently. Imagine you need to send the report to a new audience who is less familiar with the topic. What adjustments would you make in writing style to adapt to this audience?
About / Contact
About BizCom in the News
I started this blog in 2010 because I was spending a lot of time searching for company examples to bring into my classes and wanted to make it easier for other business communication instructors. Students are more engaged and see the relevance of what we teach with real messages from real companies in real time.
About Amy Newman
Since 2004, Amy Newman has been a senior lecturer at Cornell University, College of Business, in the School in Hotel Administration. Prior to her academic experience, Amy worked as an internal manager and external consultant in major corporations, such as Canon, Reuters, Scholastic, and The New York Times. At Cornell, she teaches courses in business writing, persuasive written and oral communication, and corporate communication, including crisis communication. Amy teaches both undergraduate and graduate students at Cornell.
Amy is author of Business Communication, In Person, In Print, Online, 10e, with Cengage Learning. Since 2010, she has maintained a blog, BizCom in the News, to chronicle stories and company examples for instructors to use in their classes. Amy has developed online content in the form of multimedia simulations, video screen captures, self-assessments, and video-based assignments. She also has developed tools for students and industry managers, for example, "How to Feel Confident for a Presentation," to help people manage speech anxiety, and "Communication Planning: A Template for Organizational Change."
Amy has a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies and a master's degree in Human Resources Management from Milano, The New School for Management and Urban Policy in New York City. She is a director-at-large for the Association for Business Communication, for which she is an annual presenter. In 2015, she won the organization's Meada Gibbs Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award. In addition, she has won six faculty teaching awards since joining Cornell.
Email: amynewman@cornell.edu