Draft Proposal Report
Audience: Our target Audience would be consumers because we must show them that we still make reliable products. Some characteristics of our audience would be: Americans, all classes, family oriented. We must also address the media because they will be the ones who can do a lot of our PR repair for us if they think our image is reformed. We also must not forget to address our employees. A lot of them have lost their jobs because of the company going bankrupt. Those that are with us must be reassured that we are not planning on letting them go and we are doing everything in our power to make this a successful company once again.
Context: Our communication will take place in several different situations. For our employees we would send out a private memo to each one reassuring them of their position within the company. A copy of this memo (depending on employee reaction) might be released to the press for extra PR support. We should also hold a press conference with the media after we have already taken steps to show that we are trying to get GM back on its feet. We must make a public statement very shortly after our declaration of bankruptcy to show the public and our consumers that we are willing to admit to making mistakes because we know that we can overcome them.
Purpose: The purpose of our communication is to rebuild our public image and once again get consumers interested in the American auto market. We must regain the trust and support of our employees. Those who are working for us should not be afraid of being let go by the hundreds. Most importantly we must obtain the support of the media. They have the most control over public opinion and can substantially boost our PR.
Media: Television should be our main median. It is the easiest way to send a mass communication message. We must also use private memo documents within the company to address all of our employees needs and show that we can support all of them. We also need a speech to release to the press discussing our plans for the future of the company.
Strategy: We must have a plan of where we are going with the future of our company before we can do anything. We do not want to be caught with our pants down at a press conference because we have no idea where to g after the bail out. We need to place a demanding guarantee on all of our vehicles to show how much we stand behind them. We must gain the trust of our employees perhaps with benefits or a guarantee that they will not lose their jobs without compensation.
Arrangement: The first thing we should do is contact and inform our employees of our economic situation and what we have in store for the future of this company, because without our employees trust we cannot gain the trust of the consumers or the media. Next we must have a press conference to show the media that we are back on our feet and that we have much planned for GM. We must quickly gain the support of the media because it will make gaining the support of the consumer that much easier. For the consumers we must offer deals and guarantees that make them believe we are the reliable automobile makers we once were.
RE: Draft Proposal Report
The main change to make as you revise is to compile this information into a single narrative document. You can start by establishing the situation (context), who has been affected and how (audience), and what needs to be done to correct the problem (purpose). Then you can move on to the particulars of the press release, the recorded message, and the internal memo. Break down how these texts will be constructed—what points they will hit, how they will create a particular tone through specific language, repetition of key phrases, or visuals, where and how the texts will be circulated, etc.—to achieve the effects you want. It looks like you've got much of the raw material now, so flesh it out and put it into a clear, comprehensible narrative.