ENG 204-002

Maegan B, Seth L, Evan H, Louis E
ENG 204 Tirrell
September 29, 2009

Peanut Corporation of America
Proposal Report

Press Release
Due to the discovered contamination of peanut butter from Georgia facilities on the 13th of January, Peanut Butter Corporation of America (PCA) will react first and foremost with a press release for news media outlets. The audience of this press release will be peanut butter consumers of the general public whose health is of the utmost concern. The context in which our communication will reach its intended audience is greatly varied. Individuals may come across this information in their homes, at work, or in traffic as they watch, read or listen to their preferred news source in the morning, afternoon or evening. The context will differ for each individual peanut butter consumer. The purpose of our press release is simple. We are letting any potential consumers of PCA produced peanut butter know that peanut butter, recently produced, from our Georgia facilities is a hazard to their health and that steps are underway to correct the situation. The medium our corporation will employ for this press release is a crafted, print document that will be distributed to appropriate news media outlets for release. Our strategy for this press release is significantly important. Our corporation intends to adopt a tone of regret as well as supreme control and confidence. This strategy has been concluded as the best, in terms of keeping relations stable with companies that depend on our peanut butter product, to keep eventual consumers of that end product calm and distant from panic, and to express sympathy for those affected by our error. The press release will be arranged as follows: First a tone of regret will help us explain the unfortunate circumstances that have arose surrounding our Georgia processing plant as well as sympathy for those immediately affected. Secondly we will continue with a firm tone of control and confidence in reassuring investors and consumers that steps are underway to contain the contaminated products and ensure the drastic mistake is not to happen again.

Recorded message for customers
After releasing a notice to the press, PCA will then continue to produce a more personalized, recorded message for the customers of our corporation. This being said, the audience of this message will be companies that are dependent on our bulk peanut butter in order to produce their product for consumers. The context in which these companies will receive the communication will be mostly similar. The head of each company will receive either an e-mail or phone message alerting them to a recently posted video addressing the on our website. Those in control of this company will view this video either in their office or in a conference room. The context will vary by each individual company. The purpose of this video recording is to ensure that dedicated customers of our bulk peanut butter know that a drastic mistake has been made and the integrity of their product is affected due to our negligence. Our purpose also includes reassuring these customers that the situation is under control, and while recalls will have to be made, it is only a short matter of time before normal operations will resume. Thus the overall purpose of this communication is to maintain business associations with these customers. The medium of this communication will be a recorded video posted through our corporation’s website. Our strategy for this video is rather straight forward. We want to set a tone that lets customers know that, yes we are regretful for allowing this crisis to occur, and we recognize that we have disrupted the business of ourselves and dependant others. This being said, our tone will then switch to one of absolute confidence and control so as to preserve relations with these customers and to ensure them that we will all recover from this crisis. The script of this video will be meticulously crafted so as to avoid contradictions and the thought of panic. The video itself will attempt to come off as personal and professional as possible. The arrangement of this video will be straight to the point. First we will confirm reports in the news and reveal the extent of the contamination. Next we will suggest a voluntary recall of products produced on or after July 1, 2008. From there we plan to ensure customers that immediate actions are being taken to decontaminate the Georgia facility and that normal operations will resume shortly.

Internal Memo
Once external affairs have been dealt with properly, and internal memo will be released for PCA employees. More specifically, the audience of this memo will be upper level management of all of our peanut processing plants, the Georgia plant included. The context of this memo will first be in the form of a fax to upper level management at all plants that they will receive in the morning at their offices. The memo will instruct management to hold an assembly of all plant workers in order to ensure that the information contained in the memo is relayed to all PCA employees. The purpose of this memo will be let each employee know that the corporation is currently dealing with a crisis and detail exactly what the crisis includes. The purpose is to also let employees know what they can expect in the near future. The medium for this memo will be a print document that will than transition to a verbatim oration by management. The strategy for this memo is uncomplicated. We will make sure, with a firm and hasty tone, that employees of all levels understand the gravity of the situation and what is to be expected of all in the near future. The memo will not go as far as to be condescending, but will be sure to clearly state the consequences of the mistakes made by all. The final tone employed by the memo will be a brief sense of optimism to let employees know that like any problem, there is a solution. The memo will be arranged as follows: first we will explain the situation and what it entails for our corporations employees. From there the planned actions will be detailed and changes to come will be made known and that cooperation is required from all to right the course of our corporation.