INTRODUCTION

The world inside the so-called New Economy is a world that never stand still. Competition between companies is furious. The winner is increasingly chosen not just because it has the best products but is judged on many other things.

In short, you are no longer just selling a product, you are selling a way of life. That's where the phrase Lifestyle Products come from.

The winners must have excellent cosmetic design, marketing etc. In short, these winners must construct for their various "audiences" an excellent corporate communication package in addition to mere marketing. These initiatives must contain some of the following:

1. The product MUST appeal to the lifestyle of the users.

2. The product Must be seen as essential to consumers image.

3. The company is there to CO-DEVELOP the product line with the consumers.

4. The company is an INTEGRAL member of the society that is ever ready to sponsor social events, raise emergency relief funds for disaster, support social causes.

5. The company MUST be seen as an ETHICAL member of the society it does business in.

Your job for this assignment is to analyse how corporate communication is no longer separable from mere product development if a company wish to be successful.


==================================
[INTRODUCTION][PROCESS][TASK][RESOURCES][MARKING SCHEME][CONCLUSION]

PROCESS

1. The FIRST thing is to organise yourselves into groups of 4-5. Read up on Unit One and Two of your Course Package so that you can understand why Corporate Mission, Vision and Values are important.

http://www.altham.com/assets/duplicate1/Sports_Group_.jpg

The SECOND stage is to select a lifestyle product company whose products your group is familiar with. This company will be the one that you will investigating.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To make your investigation easier, you might want to select a brand or a company which has an existing web-site. If the company chosen has no website, you must have easy access to its printed annual reports. DO NOT INVESTIGATE THE SAME COMPANY AS THE OTHER AGENTS.

The THIRD stage is to analyse the company’s corporate communication initiatives either through interviews, news research, the company website or its annual reports. Refer to the questions in the TASK to help you carry out your mission

The FOURTH and final stage is the creative oral presentation to your class.

Now proceed to read the DETAILS of your mission in the TASK section of this web-page.

==================================
[INTRODUCTION][PROCESS][TASK][RESOURCES][MARKING SCHEME][CONCLUSION]

TASK

Here is what you should do:

===================================

1. Select a company from the following list:

Sony


http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Sony

===============================================

Apple


http://www.apple.com/
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Apple_Computer

===============================


Microsoft



http://www.xbox.com/zh-SG/
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/mission/
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Microsoft


==================================

Nokia



http://www.culture.nokia.com/music/
http://www.nokia.com.sg/
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Nokia


=======================================

Motorola



http://www.motorola.com/about.jsp
http://www.motorola.com/sg
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Motorola
========================================

Nintendo



http://www.nintendo.com/home
http://www.nintendo.com/corp/mission.jsp
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Nintendo

==============================================
Osim



http://www.osim.biz/home/index.asp
==================================


2. Visit its website and analyse how the company construct its own identity and the products they sell. (Clue – Check out the “About Us” webpage):

• What is the main selling point of the company?
• What is the mission, vision and values of the company?
• Does it live up to its words?

3. Consumer Outreach:

• Interview friends on their experience with its products and find out what is they like about the company.
• Compare this to what YOU and YOUR group members like about the brand.
• Think about why the company has successfully or unsuccessfully reach out to you.

4. Look for criticism of the company in the web and how the company deals with such negative publicity.


5. In the company literature or web-site, pick TWO segments that cater to different audiences (see RESOURCES for the definitions of the different categories of audiences).

• Compare the difference in the way the materials are written. (CLUE: pick a segment for Consumers/Customers and another segment for Investors, the differences will be more pronounced.)

==================================
[INTRODUCTION][PROCESS][TASK][RESOURCES][MARKING SCHEME][CONCLUSION]

RESOURCES

http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/taglance/tag97spr/titanic.gif

CLUES: You need to understand the corporate communication strategies employed by the company that you have selected. The people who are important to the companies are known in the corporate communication world as "audiences". You as a customer of the company is a Consumer. Consumers form one “audience” that a company must establish a relationship with. Below are examples of “important audiences” that a company must deal with:

1. Consumers 2. Investors

3. Government 4. Media

5. Employees 6. Social Activists

You can find out more by clicking on the words in the next section OR refer to Unit One and Two of your Corporate Communications handbook either in hardcopy or in MeL.

Corporate Mission, Vision and Values Statements:

This site gives you a good overview:
http://www.birnbaumassociates.com/mission-vision-values.htm

You can lick on the links below to have an idea on how to write a good Mission and Vision statements etc:

MISSION STATEMENT CORPORATE VISION


=========================================

OTHER USEFUL ON-LINE RESOURCES FOR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS:

Institute for Public Relations This website provides a good resource for looking up definitions of PR and Corporate Relations terms. It also provides additional description of what is a public etc. URL: http://www.instituteforpr.com/pdf/Dictionary.pdf


This is another web-based resource from Marketing.Com. It defines mainly marketing terms but appropriate for corporate strategy definitions eg Vision Mission, Values, Goals. URL: http://www.marketingpower.com/mg-dictionary.php

Yet another web-based PR/Corporate Relations dictionary that is useful in helping you to define certain terms. The Public Relations Academy helps you understand how PR works. URL: http://www.learnpr.com/Refer_pages/pr_glossary.htm

Here are a few more web-sites thrown up by the weird and wonderful world of wikipedia!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

PR Watch a publication of the Center for Media & Democracy, specializes in exposing deceptive and manipulative public relations campaigns. URL: http://www.prwatch.org

About Public Relations by the Public Relations Society of America. URL : (http://www.prsa.org/_Resources/Profession/index.asp?ident=prof1)

Here is a web-tutorial to teach you on how to construct an efficient Powerpoint presentation. Just click on the link for the tutorial. Web Tutorial

==================================
[INTRODUCTION][PROCESS][TASK][RESOURCES][MARKING SCHEME][CONCLUSION]

MARKING SCHEME (GRADING MATRIX)

http://www.glasbergen.com/images/g200.gif

Hi Team,

This is how your mission activities will be scored by your tutor.

Total Marks : 30 %

Group Number: __________________________

Group Members and Number in Register:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

==================================
[INTRODUCTION][PROCESS][TASK][RESOURCES][MARKING SCHEME][CONCLUSION]

CONCLUSION

Well done and congratulations.

http://www.offthemarkcartoons.com/cartoons/1996-04-09.gif

You have successfully completed your assignment. You would have a better understanding of what a company needs to do in order to succeed as a good, profitable one. All good companies have a STRONG CORPORATE IDENTITY. These companies are still around as profit generation centres because they have a good relationship with their consumers or other audiences.

A strong corporate identity must first start with MISSION STATEMENT and a CORPORATE VISION. In this aspect, you have also learnt much about the importance of a Mission Statement and a Corporate Vision for a company.

You learnt that to be a good company does not mean simply dramatic words or fancy advertising as companies will have to fulfill whatever corporate promises they make to their various audiences. The Mission and Vision of a company is the soul of a company and is not to be taken lightly.

Congratulations and Well DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.after16.org.uk/images/1_7spare.gif

==================================
[INTRODUCTION][PROCESS][TASK][RESOURCES][MARKING SCHEME][CONCLUSION]