Theme Parks in Japan Discourage Screaming

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, theme parks in Japan ask visitors to wear masks and to try not to scream while on rides.

In a video, two executives on the Fujiyama coaster at Fuji-Q Highland wear masks are stone-faced and don’t scream. According to a spokesperson, the park created the video to prove that keeping quiet is possible:

“We received complaints that the theme park association’s request to not make loud noises was impossible and too strict. That’s why we decided to release the video.”

So far, Disney parks in Florida are requiring masks, but they haven’t requested that visitors keep quiet.

Discussion:

• How effective do you find the executives’ video? Consider principles of persuasion discussed in class: logical argument, emotional appeal, and credibility.

• What, if anything, could improve the park’s messaging?

• Why wouldn’t Disney in Florida follow suit? What cultural, political, and other factors may be at play?

Company Statements About George Floyd's Murder

Business Insider has assembled a list of companies’ statements and promised actions following the killing of George Floyd and the public protests.

TikTok, General Motors, McDonald’s—many brands are jumping into the conversation and posting messages that are both placating and inspiring.

Discussion:

• Read the list of statements and actions. Which sound most meaningful to you?

• Should all brands post a message? Which should, and what is important to convey?

Facebook Responds to Employee Protests

Facebook is in a bind after Twitter’s decision to post qualifiers above President Trump’s recent tweets. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made his position clear—Facebook won’t censor the president’s or others’ posts—but his employees are protesting the decision.

On his Facebook page, Zuckerberg posted his response, including his difficult decision:

“I've been struggling with how to respond to the President's tweets and posts all day. Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric. This moment calls for unity and calmness, and we need empathy for the people and communities who are hurting. We need to come together as a country to pursue justice and break this cycle.

“But I'm responsible for reacting not just in my personal capacity but as the leader of an institution committed to free expression. I know many people are upset that we've left the President's posts up, but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies.”

Separately, Zuckerberg acknowledged employees’ right to disagree:

"We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community. We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership. As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead, we'll continue seeking their honest feedback.”

Image source.

Discussion:

• What are the arguments for and against Zuckerberg changing his position because of employee protests?

• How well is Zuckerberg communicating during this time. Read posts about the pandemic, remote work, the killing of George Floyd, etc.

Colleges React to Racist Posts

George Floyd’s killing has sparked protests around the world as well as backlash. A Chronicle of Higher Education article describes a few colleges acting quickly—within one day—after seeing a current or an admitted student’s racist post.

In a statement, The University of Denver condemned racist posts and announced, “The University has rescinded the student’s admission offer and they will not be attending DU.”

Some pubic universities, such as Missouri State, have published statements but are not expelling students or rescinding admission offers. President Clif Smart explains the university’s stance in a blog post.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Should universities expel students or rescind offers after finding racist posts? If so, under what circumstances?

• Should students know better—both morally and practically—than to post racist comments, memes, videos, etc.?

• Analyze and compare the two university statements. Who are the primary and secondary audiences? How well does each convey the main points, balancing various audience needs?

Atlanta Mayor Speaks to Protests

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms delivered a speech from the heart and from her experience. Mayor Bottoms speaks from her experience as an African-American mother and implores people to protest peacefully.

Discussion:

• Analyze the mayor’s speech: audience, communication objectives, organization, tone, delivery style, and so on. What works well, and what could be improved?

• In what ways does this speech demonstrate authenticity? How does the mayor’s identity play a role in her message and her delivery?

Facebook's Position on Twitter's Labeling

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg weighed in on Twitter’s decision to fact-check and label some of President Trump’s tweets. In response to protests after the death of George Floyd, one tweet promised “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Twitter hid the tweet with a note that it “violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence.”

Another tweet claimed that “mail-in voting will lead to massive fraud and abuse,” and Twitter posted a warning to “get the facts.” Until now, Twitter had not enforced its policies for the president’s tweets.

Facebook is taking a different tack. CEO Mark Zuckerberg described the company’s position:

"I believe strongly that Facebook shouldn't be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online. I think in general, private companies shouldn't be, especially these platform companies, shouldn't be in the position of doing that."

The Wall Street Journal editorial board defended Zuckerberg’s decision: “We wish Facebook would take a lighter touch when it comes to political speech overall.”

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Discussion:

• What’s your view of Twitter’s actions? Why do you think the company began labeling President Trump’s tweets now?

• Should Facebook follow suit? How might each company’s mission play a role in its actions?

New Zealand PM's Conversational Style

In business communication courses, many faculty encourage their students to use a natural, conversational style—to avoid reading from a script or memorizing a speech. A natural style allows speakers to connect with their audience and to demonstrate authenticity.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern posted a video to “check in with everyone.” She is in a sweatshirt and says she just put her toddler to bed. Ardern discuss COVID-19 progress and asks people not to be “disheartened” by numbers, which may lag isolating behaviors.

In early April, PM Ardern declared that the tooth fairy and Easter bunny are considered essential workers.

Discussion:

• Ardern uses fillers when she speaks—in other videos even more so than this one. Is that a problem? Why or why not?

• How do you perceive her natural style: refreshing, inappropriate, or something else?

• How would her style be perceived if she were the president of the U.S.?
  

Aston Martin's New CEO Message

British sports car manufacturer Aston Martin is replacing its CEO with Tobias Moers, currently at Daimler. The current CEO, Andy Palmer, tried to improve sales but hasn’t been successful. A Wall Street Journal article refers to the move as a way “to resuscitate a storied brand that has been on life support.”

The company’s media statement includes the usual quotes from the board chair and the outgoing and incoming CEOs:

Tobias Moers said: “I am truly excited to be joining Aston Martin Lagonda at this point of its development. I have always had a passion for performance cars and relish the chance to work for this iconic brand which I was close to on the technical side at the beginning of the partnership between the two companies. Following the arrival of Lawrence, as Executive Chairman, the significant investment from his Yew Tree Consortium, the completion of the equity raise and the reset, I believe that there is a significant opportunity to harness the strengths of the business to successfully deliver the planned product expansion and brand elevation. I am looking forward to working with Lawrence and the whole Aston Martin team to build a stronger business for our customers, our employees, our partners and our shareholders.”
 
Andy Palmer said: “It has been a privilege to serve Aston Martin Lagonda for almost six years. The launch of many new products including the new DBX demonstrates the dedication and capability of our employees. I would like to thank my management team and all the staff for their hard work and support, particularly during the challenges presented by COVID-19. I am proud of you all and it’s been an honour to work with you.”

Image source.

Discussion:

• In what ways is the Aston Martin CEO announcement typical? How does it differ from similar CEO change announcements?

• Read the statement for writing style. What observations do you make? Do you notice any differences between this statement, for a British company, and those for other companies?

Jenner Pays for Frye Festival Post

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that paid endorsements are not misleading. Celebrities like Kendall Jenner cannot post support on social media for a product or organization without specifying that she is being paid to do so. The FTC publishes Endorsement Guides to clarify responsibilities.

Jenner promoted the 2017 failed Frye Festival, implying that Kanye West might perform. Although she was paid $275,000, she didn’t reveal the sponsorship. She has since been sued and will pay a $90,000 settlement, which may help some of the many associates of the festival who lost money in the venture.

To learn more about what happened to the Frye Festival—a major public relations and communication failing—see documentaries on Hulu and Netflix.

Frye image source.

Discussion:

• What are the ethical implications of celebrities endorsing products?

• When a celebrity endorses a product, are you more likely to buy it?

• If you’re familiar with the festival, describe what went wrong.

Amazon's Email Template

A Reddit poster claims that “Amazon accidentally sent out their email template and it’s hilarious,” but others say it’s fairly standard.

Using a music analogy, the template author encourages varied sentence structures and a strong call to action or CTA.

Discussion:

• Do you believe this is an Amazon original that mistakenly went public? Why or why not?

• What principles do you take away from this example?

• What would you add? (Hint: Something about skim-value?)

Business Writing Advice

Dr. Sharon Cannon at UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler (@smccannon) tweets great articles for business communication faculty and students. This week, she found one by Devon Delfino, “How to Improve Your Business Writing Style.”

Delfino offers nine principles:

1. Identify your primary goal in business communications

2. Focus on your readers’ needs and professional goals

3. Cut to the chase in business writing: Focus on clarity over quantity

4. Streamline structure and organization

5. Fine-tune your tone and business writing style

6. Use an active, human voice

7. Include clear calls to action

8. Aim for brand consistency in your business writing style

9. Do a final check

Image source.

Discussion:

• Read the entire article, which offers more good advice. Which principles most align with what you’re learning in your business communication class? Does the article offer something you haven’t learned?

• I would add one point, particularly, which is to adjust your tone to that of your organization. Every department and company has its own style. What differences have you observed from your experience?

• What advice would you add?

Motion Charts

A New York Times article, “What Does Opportunity Look Like Where You Live?,” includes motion charts depicting life expectancy, commute times, and other variables across the U.S.

Although imperfect, the charts show changes over time. The movement is an effective way to dramatize differences between groups, as Gapminder has done with UN data for years.

Discussion:

• The bubbles move when they are first loaded on the page, but I can’t seem to “interact” with them the way I expect to with an “interactive graphic.” What did you expect? Could these be improved?

• Some charts have a truncated axis; for example, one about life expectancy starts at 60. What are the implications, and should this be avoided?

• What, if anything, surprises you about the data presented?

COVID-19 Crisis Communication for Reopening the U.S.

What comes after we “flatten the curve” of COVID cases? New York Times opinion writer Charlie Warzel warns that, without a clear communication strategy for what’s next, people will distrust leaders.

Warzel cites six communication guidelines from the report of a working group at The University of Minnesota, The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRP).:

• Don’t Over Reassure.

• Proclaim Uncertainty

• Validate Emotions—Your Audience’s and Your Own

• Give People Things to Do

• Admit and Apologize for Errors

• Share Dilemma

Discussion:

• How should U.S. officials communicate now? What do they need to accomplish, and how well are our current leaders meeting the challenge? In other words, do you agree with Warzel that our leaders are falling short?

• Read the entire report. What other principles does the group recommend?

• Analyze the report: the audiences, objectives, writing style, organization, and so on. What are the strengths, and how could it be improved?

Airlines CEOs Criticize Boeing CEO's Prediction

During an interview on the “Today” show, Savannah Guthrie asked Boeing CEO David Calhoun whether a major U.S. airline might not survive because of the pandemic. Calhoun said, “Well, I don’t want to get too predictive on that subject, but yes, most likely. Something will happen when September comes around.” He also said that “we believe we will return to a growth rate similar to the past, but it might take us three, five years to get there.” 

The response angered major airline executives, who are currently negotiating for federal assistance.

Another Boeing executive defended Calhoun’s statement:

“Some weren’t keen on his sobering assessment of industry challenges ahead, but others appreciated him telling it like it is. It’s in his nature to be frank.”

Discussion:

• What’s your view of Calhoun’s comment? One view is that, during a global pandemic, executives might need to be particularly sensitive. Another view is that this is a time for honest, direct talk.

• What are the potential implications of his comment? Should he have avoided it?

• What the entire interview. How did Calhoun do overall? What are his communication objectives and key messages?

A Leader Example in My Book Is Charged With Conspiracy

I was sad to see that Paul Kruse, former CEO of Blue Bell Creamery, has been charged with covering up the listeria breakout in 2015. In my book, Building Leadership Character, Kruse is a positive example of a leader who demonstrates vulnerability. His 2016 video announcing employee layoffs after the breakout was emotional and authentic.

Prosecutors say that Kruse delayed recalling tainted products, instructed employees to tell customers that product delays were caused by mechanical problems, and failed to take other appropriate action.

Blue Bell agreed to pay $19.5 million to the Department of Justice and posted a statement on its website, which focuses more on the future than on the past.

Discussion:

• Can you reconcile both perspectives of Kruse as a leader? Could he be someone who covers up listeria and someone who gets emotional when talking about employee layoffs?

• Assess the company’s statement. Who are the audiences, and what are the communication objectives?

Airbnb Layoff Message

Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky wrote to employees to announce layoffs. Ask we see more and more, the company posted the message publicly on its blog, knowing it would likely go viral anyway.

In his message, Chesky announces the decision to lay off about 25% of the workforce as part of their more targeted business strategy. Airbnb is reducing investments in some services to focus on its core business.

Although he sends a mass email, Chesky tailors the last part to different groups:

To those of you staying, 

One of the most important ways we can honor those who are leaving is for them to know that their contributions mattered, and that they will always be part of Airbnb’s story. I am confident their work will live on, just like this mission will live on.

To those leaving Airbnb, 

I am truly sorry. Please know this is not your fault. The world will never stop seeking the qualities and talents that you brought to Airbnb…that helped make Airbnb. I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing them with us.

Brian

Image source.

Discussion:

• What’s your view of the message? Consider the audiences and objective.

• It’s quite long. Is it too long or just right?

• I wish that people who were staying in their current role could get a message too. It’s unclear whether that’s planned—only that they “will not receive a calendar invite.” Your thoughts?

Google’s XYZ Resume Formula

A Ladders article offers good advice from Google for writing resumes. Some information is basic, such as tailoring resumes for each job and skipping the objective. The company also suggests the XYZ format for bullets to focus on accomplishments: “Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].”

The author provides this example:

• OK: “Won second place in hackathon.”

• Better: “Won second place out of 50 teams in hackathon.”

• Best: “Won second place out of 50 teams in hackathon at NJ Tech by working with two colleagues to develop an app that synchronizes mobile calendars.

Image source.

Discussion:

• Does your resume follow this format? How can you improve the descriptions?

• Check your resume bullets for the start of each. The first words next to the bullet will be read most often. Do they emphasize your main point? How can you reorder text within bullets?

Companies That Returned Federal Funding

Controversy swirls as companies grapple with whether to keep or return federal funding for the COVID-19 crisis. Distributions from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) seem unfair as some small businesses—the intended recipients—can’t get forgivable loans, while some larger businesses received millions of dollars that, at least in some cases, isn’t needed as emergency funding.

As the first and most highly publicized company, Shake Shack returned $10 million. Forbes tallies several others, including Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Sweetgreen, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Store image source. Food image source.

Discussion:

• What’s your view of companies that returned money compared to those that didn’t?

• How should a company decide whether to return the funding?

• Shake Shack doesn’t include a press release on its website or a tweet about the decision. What’s your view of this approach? Should the company promote the decision more boldly? Why or why not?

United Airlines Message

The COVID-19 messages keep coming from airlines and other companies. Here’s one from United Airlines, encouraging us to fly by offering flexibility and promising cleanliness.

Dear Amy,

As we all adjust to this new normal, my thoughts are with you and your families and I hope you're staying safe and healthy. The last several weeks have been emotional and trying for all of us, but I continue to be inspired by the goodness in people and the genuine acts of kindness, large and small, that I see every day. These gestures of warmth, strength and caring give me the confidence that in time, we will emerge more United Together than ever before.

It's in that spirit that I wanted to share with you some good news about what the 100,000 family members of United Airlines have been doing for you as we tackle the biggest and most disruptive crisis we've faced in our 94‑year history.

Good news as you're making travel plans

Life is unpredictable in lots of ways right now. We know many of you started the year planning to fly with us to visit family, go to a game or concert, attend a trade show or just get away. And you might be feeling anxious about what to do about your upcoming travel plans. That's why we've waived the fees to change or cancel any trip with us through the end of 2020, including travel that was already planned as well as trips that you're hoping to take in the future. Every customer now has until May 31 to make changes to current reservations or book new flights that can be changed or canceled without a fee, and you'll be able to reschedule your trip for anytime in the next 12 months. So take the next few weeks and do what's best for you, your family and your work.

Good news for when you choose to fly

Safety has always been our top priority, and because of that, the social distancing and cleaning procedures that have become a way of life for all of us are now staples of the way we run our airline. When you're ready to fly, you'll see that a lot has changed at the airport and on board our aircraft. We're boarding fewer customers at a time and starting from the back of the plane to avoid crowding in the gate area, on the jet bridge and in the aisle. We're automatically blocking middle seats to give you enough space on board, requiring all our employees on board, including our flight attendants, to wear masks and, in early May, making masks available to our customers. Of course, these measures are in addition to our state‑of‑the‑art sanitization procedures like cleaning our aircraft with electrostatic sprayers, and extra precautions like taking our employees' temperatures before they start work to protect the well‑being of our customers and colleagues. Find a complete overview of what's changed at United to adapt to this new normal.

Good news for our communities

While we wait to welcome you back, we've been using our time and resources to do our part and support those on the frontlines of this crisis as well as the millions of families who have been affected by the most dramatic disruption of the labor market since the Great Depression. Leveraging the full power of our airline to do the right thing, we've flown more than 1,000 medical volunteers for free; donated 170,000 pounds of food; and used our fleet to get close to 20,000 stranded people home and medical supplies to the places that need them most. Here are just a few examples of how we're contributing in the fight against COVID‑19: 

I'll end where I started: I hope you and your family continue to be well. This crisis has revealed a great deal about who we are as people and I'm moved by your continued resilience and resolve. We look forward to welcoming you the next time you take to the friendly skies.

Stay safe and be well,

Toby Enqvist
Chief Customer Officer
United Airlines

Discussion:

• What principles of business communication does the United message follow? What could be improved?

• How does this message compare to others you received recently?

• After reading the Morning Consult report about messaging during COVID-19, what recommendations would you make to United?

Similar COVID-19 Ads

Are all COVID-19 ads the same? A digital marketer compiled excerpts from recent ads showing similar images, music, and phrases. He titled his video, “Every Covid-19 Commercial Is Exactly the Same.”

Sean Haney describes why so many ads are the same:

What's the deal? In reality, many companies have found themselves short on cash, almost overnight. They needed to get a message out - and quick. They asked their teams to throw something together. Since they can't film a new ad because of social distancing, they compiled old stock b-roll footage and found the most inoffensive royalty-free piano track they could find. This, combined with a decade of marketing trends dictated by focus groups and design-by-committee, released a tsunami of derivative, cliche ads all within a week of one another. It's not a conspiracy - but perhaps a sign that it's time for something new.

A Morning Consult report offers guidance for companies. From 2,200 Americans at the end of March, we learn how companies should communicate. For example, people say they are more likely to purchase from a company that provides “a public statement about support being given to laid-off employees” compared to other types of statements.

Discussion:

• What’s your view of these company ads? How do you react when you see them? Do you react differently to different companies’ ads?

• Read the report. Analyze the audience, objectives, tone, organization, visuals, and so on. What principles of business communication are followed?

• What else do you learn from the report about how companies should communicate during COVID-19?