Videos for Chapter 11: Oral Presentations
Ted Talks are great examples of engaging delivery styles and more. This spreadsheet ranks "engagement data" for Ted Talks and includes links to videos.
Presentation by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Useful to demonstrate a conversational style with minimal visuals.
Queen Latifah on 30 Rock. Funny illustration of delivery skills without content from the TV show 30 Rock.
Borat's failed "not joke."
Celebrity news clips are useful to demonstrate exaggerated voice inflection: Access Hollywood and Showbiz Tonight.
Jim Cramer has his own brand of delivery. Useful for demonstrating emphasis, pauses, and variation in tone and speed.
Oprah Winfrey's tribute to Rosa Parks. Useful to discuss a natural delivery style when reading from a script. Also useful to demonstrate pace, pauses, humor, rhetorical devices, and more.
Dutchess Kate Middleton's first speech, 2012.
Apple CEO at the Worldwide Developers Conference, 2012.
Jamie Dimon, CEO, JPMorgan Chase, testifies about trading losses, 2012.
New York Mayor Bloomberg's news conference after Hurricane Sandy, 2012.
Miss Utah struggles with a question at the Miss USA Pageant, 2013.
Twitter CEO at University of Michigan commencement, 2013.
President Obama at White House Correspondents' Dinner, 2013.
Jodie Foster's emotional speech at the Golden Globes Awards, 2013.
Senator Marco Rubio's odd reach for water during the State of the Union Address response, 2013.
More than 300 commencement speeches.
NBA's Adam Smith NBA's Adam Smith responding to questions about Don Sterling LA Clippers controversy, 2014.
GM CEO Mary Barra addresses employees and answers tough questions about the company's failure to recall defective cars.
CVS CEO announces that stores will stop selling cigarette products.
Employee advocacy group criticizes McDonald's low pay, and an employee questions the USA president at a dinner event.
NFL Commissioner's discussion of the Ray Rice situation, 2014.
NY Governor Cuomo addresses prison break in a news conference, 2015.
President Obama's news conference about the Charleston, SC, shootings, 2015.
Popular commencement speeches, 2015.
President Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, 2015.
Following Clinton's announcement, Marco Rubio announces his run for president, 2015.
In a non-traditional commercial, Hillary Clinton announces her run for president, 2015.
Ranked Oscar speeches, 2015.
Videos by Chapter
On these pages, you'll find several videos suggested for each chapter. Many of these are related to concepts or stories discussed in the book. Of course, additional videos are included in news stories posted each week.
I welcome suggestions for new videos and would appreciate knowing about any broken links. If you find these useful, I would like to hear how you're using them in your class. You may email me at anewman[at]bizcominthenews.com.
Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication
Chapter 2: Intercultural and Team Communication
Chapter 3: Interpersonal Communication Skills
Chapter 4: The Writing Process
Chapter 5: Improving Your Writing Style
Chapter 6: Neutral and Positive Messages
Chapter 7: Persuasive Messages
Chapter 9: Planning the Report and Managing Data
Chapter 10: Writing the Report
Videos for Chapter 9: Planning the Report and Managing Data
Fabulous Ted Talk by David McCandless on different ways of visualizing data.
Comparing cup sizes in the movie Super Size Me (download). Useful for discussing data analysis and creating charts (Scene 7, 19:48 – 21:12).
Video demonstration of Gapminder World by Hans Rosling. Useful to show interactive displays of data. Here is Rosling's Ted Talk.
Videos for Chapter 7: Persuasive Messages
Giovanni Ribisi (Seth) in the movie Boiler Room sells stock to an unsuspecting buyer. Useful to show examples of logos, pathos, and ethos. Download the handout and possible answers.
Taco Bell CEO responds to criticism of the company's taco meat. Useful to discuss persuasion to restore image. Read more here. Here are two ads that accompanied the campaign.
Domino's president responds to the YouTube video posted by two employees. Useful to discuss persuasion to restore image. Watch an overview of the story and employee video.
AOL doesn't allow a customer to cancel his account. Here is AOL's apology/response. What is interesting about the story is that it isn't the first time AOL was cited for failing to cancel accounts on request.
British Petrolum's commercial after the oil spill, rated by the public. Useful to show the public's reaction to the ad. Read more here.
FedEx senior VP apologizes for the viral video of a PC monitor tossed over a fence.
Royal Caribbean reassures customers after the Costa Concordia accident.
Apple CEO Tim Cook responds to tax criticism.
Carnival Cruise CEO holds a news conference to explain the Triumph ship situation.
The NRA's press conference after the Newtown, CT, school shooting, 2013. Read more here.
GM CEO Mary Barra answers tough questions about product safety, 2014.
GM CEO Mary Barra's video message to employees, 2014.
McDonald's "Our Food, Your Questions" campaign, 2014.
Procter & Gamble's "Like a Girl" video, 2014.
Bill Cosby's discussion with AP about sexual assault allegations, 2014.
Dr. Oz's video response to criticism about his TV show and product promotion.
UK Cancer Research shows clever commercial about failing to detect cancer lumps, 2015.
Ober's false-cause fallacy, 2015.
Conan O'Brien pokes fun at Taco Bell (paid commercial), 2015.
JetBlue's video about plane etiquette, 2015.
Videos for Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication
Mylan CEO defends 400% drug price hike.
Princess Cruises CEO apologizes for illegal dumping.
Stanford University study about multitasking. Useful to discuss noise and distractions that interfere with communication.
Scene from the movie Up in the Air where Natalie Keener and Ryan Bingham debate using videoconferencing to communicate layoffs: 20:07 – 25:48. (I can send the clip by email; it's too large to post here.)
"Flair" scene (13) from the movie Office Space (download). Useful to discuss barriers to communication. Referenced in Exercise 5.
Aggressive customer service at Aggresshop.
Video from the Deloitte Film Festival (example of using social media internally).
Kevin Smith discusses the "too fat to fly" incident on Southwest Airlines (example of using social networking to connect with customers).
Analyst from Southwest Airlines discusses the company's social media strategy.
Brian Williams interview with Matt Lauer about his questionable NBC reporting, 2105.
Sepp Blatter resigns from FIFA after corruption scandal, 2015.
Hillary Clinton discusses the controversy over her personal emails, 2015.
Videos for Chapter 8: Bad-News Messages
Opening scene from the movie Up in the Air (download). Useful to demonstrate the challenges of communicating bad news (layoffs). Beware of obscene language.
Another scene from Up in the Air: Ryan Bingham discusses his philosophy of communicating layoffs (download).
Geico commercial demonstrating a deceptive buffer.
Videos from the "United Breaks Guitars" incident, United Airlines' refusal to pay for a broken guitar and the disgruntled passenger's response:
- Overview of an HBS case
- Dave Carroll's first song
- Dave Carroll's second song
- Dave Carroll's statement
- Dave Carroll's website
News conference about Ebola in NYC, 2014.
Virgin Galactic news conference about the SpaceShip Two crash, 2014.
A French investigator discusses the Germanwings flight crash in a news conference, 2015.
AirAsia CEO apologizes to families of lost flight, 2015.
Blue Bell Creameries CEO announces layoff decision after recall, 2015.
Videos for Chapter 2: Intercultural and Team Communication
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's altercation with a driver, 2017.
Pepsi's Commercial starring Kendall Jenner, 2017.
Hockey player Ryan Getzlaf apologizes for muttering a offensive remark, 2017
Toyota recalls:
- President Akio Toyoda in front of Congress, February 24, 2010.
- PBS News Hour discussion about Toyoda's apology (analysis of cultural differences).
President Obama's gaffe about the Special Olympics on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Read more about the situation here.
Scene from the movie Up in the Air about stereotyping.
Simple explanation of a wiki.
Overview and tutorial of the wiki Wiggio (wiggio.com).
Seven hotel CEOs talk about the importance of diversity.
Chef and TV personality Paula Deen's apology video. Read more about the situation here.
NBA Don Sterling's interview with Anderson Cooper about racial slurs, 2014.
Jonah Hill's apology for a homophobic slur, 2014.
Ferguson, MO, police chief apologizes to the family of Michael Brown, 2014.
Google video about unconscious bias, 2014.
Rachel Dolezal, president of Spokane, WA, NAACP chapter, talks about her racial identity, 2015.
ABA Responds to Critics of High Calorie Sports Drinks
A new study found negative effects of high calorie sports drinks on children. Study authors say that children don't need the calories, caffeine, and other stimulants. This shouldn't come as a big surprise but has warranted this response from the American Beverage Association.
This isn't the first time that a study has put the American Beverage Association on the defense. A study on diet soda was highly criticized by the ABA on Good Morning America:
Source: Putting Health Before Headlines from American Beverage Association on Vimeo.
Discussion Starters:
- Considering the recent study about high calorie sports drinks, in what ways does the ABA's response meet criteria for persuasive communication? In what ways was their response effective and ineffective?
- Looking at the video above, how do you assess the ABA's approach about the diet soda controversy? Do you buy their argument and criticism of the study?
Assignment Idea:
- On the ABA's website, you'll find several articles defending beverage makers and explaining new initiatives that support health, for example, their "Clear on Calories" section. What parts of the ABA's messages do you find most convincing? Least?
Obama Writes 2008 Instead of 2011: Could It Happen to Any of Us?
In a guestbook at the Westminster Abbey in London, President Obama wrote a lovely sentiment -- and then signed the date: 24 May 2008. The format (day, then month) is standard in Europe, but the date is three years off. Perhaps the President was thinking about more wistful times?
Discussion Starter:
- To what extent should this error reflect on the President? A post on New York Magazine's website reads, "President Obama Has No Idea What Year It Is." What do you think of the criticism?
Apple and Foxconn Respond to Explosion at Foxconn Plant
More bad news today at Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer of electrical components and maker of Apple's iPod, iPhone, and iPad. An explosion at an assembly plant in China caused the death of two employees and left 16 more injured.
Apple was quick to offer condolences: "We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn's plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families."
Foxconn also offered this statement to All Things Digital:
"We can confirm that at approximately 7 pm on May 20, there was an explosion at our Chengdu campus. At this point, we can also confirm that there were two fatalities with injuries to 16 other employees. We are working with medical officials to provide treatment to the injured employees and we are working with government and law enforcement officials to contact the families of all employees affected by this tragedy.
"The situation has been brought under control by the fire department and the cause of this explosion is being investigated by local police officials. Foxconn is cooperating fully with that investigation. Production has been suspended at the site of the explosion until the completion of the investigation. The safety of our employees is our highest priority and we will do whatever is required to determine and address the cause of this tragic accident."
Foxconn was in the news in late 2010 when employee suicides called the company's labor practices into question. In June 2010, Apple's Steve Jobs defended working conditions, saying, "Foxconn is not a sweatshop." With this latest incident, Foxconn and Apple have had more than their share of communication challenges.
Fixing Typos in Online Reviews May Improve Sales
The Story
New research shows that well-written online reviews -- even if they are negative -- may increase sales. At first, this may seem counter-intuitive. But the research proves an interesting point for business communicators: posts that are grammatically correct have more credibility. The discovery also has raised an ethical issue: should companies change online reviews, even if they edit them only for accuracy without changing the content of the review? By one estimate, Zappos, for example, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars looking at 5 million reviews and has seen possibly millions in revenue increases as a result. Read more.
Discussion Starters
- How are you influenced by online reviews? Do you find well-written reviews more credible? Why or why not? Although the above (fabricated) example is poorly written, the customer rated the product with five stars. Would you find it helpful?
- Do you consider Zappos' corrections ethical? Use the ethical decision-making guidelines in Chapter 1 as your guide.
Assignment Ideas
- For quick editing practice, correct the above (fabricated) review. Perfect it so that, according to the research, more people will find it helpful.
- Do a few searches online for reviews of products you may consider buying. Which reviews do you find most helpful? Does the quality of the writing affect your perspective?
Beware of Document Leaks
The Story
The Wall Street Journal has created a website, SafeHouse, to solicit documents and databases. Billed as a way for the public to help the WSJ "uncover fraud, abuse, and other wrongdoing," the publisher is taking a WikiLeaks-like strategy to attract whistleblowers. Leaked documents make good news stories -- and create big headaches for corporate communicators.
Source: Disclose.tv - Wall Street Journal Opens A Wikileaks Type Site Video
Discussion Starters
- What do you see as the potential impact of SafeHouse (and other newspapers getting into the game) on corporations?
- How would you advise managers to avoid sensitive communications from getting leaked?
- If you uncovered wrongdoing at work, what avenues would you take to report the issue? What resources may be available within your company? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these internal channels first?
Assignment Ideas
- Go to the SafeHouse website. How easy is it to upload information?
- On the new website, how are users assured anonymity? Explore the website to see the extent to which whistleblowers are protected.
- Imagine that you were the chief legal officer of a major company. Write an email to all employees to reinforce your communications policy. Using guidelines in Chapter 1 of the text, how can you remind people to protect their email and other communications?
Low-Salt Diet Study Stirs Up Debate
The Story
Contradicting previous research, a new study found that consuming less salt increased the likelihood that people die of heart disease. The study drew criticism from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with one official saying, "At the moment, this study should be taken with a grain of salt." Ha.
Discussion Starters
- According to critics, the study was flawed, partly because of the small sample size and relatively young subjects, who, at an average age of 40, "did not have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease." In what ways do you see these issues affecting study results?
- If you were a doctor, would you change your previous advice to patients and now encourage them to stop their low-salt diet? Why or why not? If not, what else would convince you that people should change their diet?
Assignment Ideas
- Working independently, find the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on May 4, 2011, through your school library. In class, be prepared to discuss your search process: what tools did you use to find the article? As a group, discuss the search approaches that proved to be most successful.
- Read the full study. Identify what, if any, caveats the authors provide to temper their conclusions.
- Write a letter to the authors of the study to describe criteria for identifying subjects for primary research. What recommendations do you have for their future research?
Aflac Duck Returns
The Story
Aflac Insurance has a new voice of the duck. After firing Gilbert Gottfried for inappropriate tweets about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Aflac recruited a new voice. During the situation with Gottfried, Aflac made good use of the duck's Facebook page: apology, recruitment, and annoucement. The company made a splash with a new commercial. Watch below for the Dancing Duck with "new voice revealed."
Discussion Starters
- How do you assess the company's Facebook communication during Gottfried's termination and the new voice? What are the strengths of this approach, and what, if any, are the weaknesses?
Assignment Ideas
- In small groups, discuss Aflac's handling of the incident with Gilbert Gottfried and the recovery through Facebook. In what ways was FB an appropriate medium for the company's message?
- Consider the differences between the duck's FB page and Aflac's corporate FB page. Which is more effective and why?
Local Chamber of Commerce CEO Hides to Avoid Questions
The Story
Taking a page from former Alberta Health Services CEO's approach to media interviews, Dick Fleming avoided a reporter's questions by hiding in a hallway. Fleming, the president and CEO of a local Chamber of Commerce in St. Louis, refused to respond to repeated questions about his compensation package.
Discussion Starters
- In this article, we hear only one side of the story -- the reporter's perspective. However, based on this information, do you think the reporter's line of questioning is reasonable or not?
- Now consider the situation from Fleming's perspective. What justification does he have for avoiding this line of questioning?
- What are the consequences of the way Fleming handled the situation? How does this reflect on the Chamber of Commerce and on Fleming personally?
Assignment Ideas
- Write an email to Fleming recommending a different way for him to address similar situations in the future.
- Research possible responses for Fleming about his salary and bonuses. In other words, try to understand his perspective about the reporter's inquiry. With this information, role play a media interview with a partner in class. Try to address the reporter's questions more directly.
RIM CEO Stops Media Interview on Tough Question
The Story
If you don't like the question, just stop the interview. That seems to be the approach taken by Research in Motion (RIM) CEO Mike Lazaridis during a BBC interview. When the interviewer asked Lazaridis about BlackBerry security issues in India, Lazaridis seemed angry and said, "That's just not fair" and "Turn that off." He stopped the interview abruptly.
Discussion Starters
- A Yahoo! News article refers to the incident as "a textbook case on how not to act during an on-camera interview." What is your reaction to the video? Do you think the BBC reporter crossed a line with his questionning? Did Lazaridis act in RIM's best interest?
- How could Lazaridis have handled the situation differently?
Assignment Ideas
- In small groups, analyze the BBC interviewer's line of questionning. Given Lazaridis' reaction, how well do you think he handled the situation?
- In pairs, role play the interview. As Lazaridis, try to address the interviewer's questions differently. What can you say that might show RIM in a better light?
Department of Homeland Security Scraps Beloved Five-Color Terror Alerts
The Story
The federal government is finally scrapping its five-level, color-coded terror alert system in favor of a simpler, friendlier approach. The previous system, often mocked, as in the example below, will be replaced by a National Terrorist Advisory System. Through the new system, "alerts will include a clear statement that there is an 'imminent threat' or 'elevated threat'" and will be communicated through the Department of Homeland Security website and through social channels, such as the DHS Facebook page and Twitter. (The Twitter page had no tweets as of this writing, which, I suppose, is a good thing.) Mocking continues, for example, in the PC World article, "Tweet if you see Osama." This article refers to a 2009 April Fools' joke at Info World, which said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would start allowing people to report emergencies through Twitter. Although not quite the same as this announcement of reports from the government on Twitter, the article is close enough to be funny.
Discussion Starters
- What has been your view of the previous five-color system? How does this system compare to other visual approaches, such as those discussed in Chapter 9 of the book?
- In what ways is the new system an improvement?
- Assess the government's use of social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Would you visit the new sites to find emergency information? Why or why not?
Assignment Ideas
- Write a report assessing the successes and failures of the previous five-color system. Read about the original intent of the previous system here. Also research articles about the system to get a comprehensive perspective of what has worked and what hasn't. In your report, recommend a new approach for the Department of Homeland Security, which may include the new plan as well as other ideas you have for communicating important information about threats.
- Imagine that you work for the Department of Homeland Security and have identified a threat: a potential terrorist attack in your hometown. Write a tweet (140 characters or less) to convey the threat to the public. You can invent whatever details about the situation you would like. Just be sure to balance seriousness with reassurance -- you certainly don't want people to panic unnecessarily.
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.
Fiesta Bowl Responds to Accusations
The Story
The Fiesta Bowl, a college football game, is charged with reimbursing employees for political contributions totaling more than $46,000. These employee donations -- and political fundraisers hosted at Fiesta Bowl facilities -- apparently violate federal election laws. A watchdog group has encouraged the Federal Election Commission to investigate the situation. CEO John Junker was terminated in light of other improper expenditures and reimbursements, including this example: "In March 2010, the bowl paid for $75 worth of flowers sent to an admissions official at University of Texas-Austin where Junker's daughter was accepted into the honors program." Read more.
Discussion Starters
- From your understanding of ethical decision making and gift giving, how do you assess the examples of impropriety at the Fiesta Bowl?
- What are the consequences of this situation for brands associated with the Fiesta Bowl: Tostitos and Frito-Lay? See the Bowl's sponsor page.
- Read the Fiesta Bowl's press release about the situation. What do you consider the most and least convincing arguments of this company's message?
Assignment Ideas
- Write a policy for giving gifts for Fiesta Bowl employees. Draft your own version first, and then search online for similar policies. Revise yours to include topics you may have missed.
- Write a shorter version of the Fiesta Bowl's press release for employees. How can you adapt this message for an internal audience?
- Review the full report and analyze the features, organization, and writing style. Write a memo to the authors with your analysis. What do you see as strengths of the report, and how can it be improved?
FTC Fines Company for Fake Reviews
The Story
The Federal Trade Commission has fined Legacy Learning, maker of instructional DVDs, $250,000. Legacy's affiliates are paid commission when consumers buy Legacy products. The complaint accuses these affiliates of writing misleading reviews to encourage consumers to buy the products. In these reviews, the affiliates failed to state that they were paid by Legacy. The ruling follows FTC Guides, updated in 2009 to apply to testimonial advertisements and bloggers, particularly for social media outlets.
- To what extent do you currently rely on reviews and other online posts when deciding whether to buy a product?
- How do you decide whether an online post is credible?
- Read the above summary of the FTC complaint (posted by the Bureau of Consumer Protection blog, a government website). After reading the sample reviews in the summary of the complaint, do you believe the FTC Guides are appropriate? Is the fine fair? Why or why not?
Assignment Ideas
- Write a letter to small businesses in your community to warn them about this issue. How will you explain the FTC ruling and encourage business owners to operate within the Guides?
- Working in small groups, identify criteria to determine the credibility of an online review. How can you assess objectivity? Or, what clues might tell you that a review is not objective?