Company Examples for Chapter 6: Neutral and Positive Messages

Marriott Communicates Starwood Acquisition (November 2015 - September 2016)

Students can learn about positive messaging from Marriott's announcements about the Starwood acquisition:

• Timing of messages to Starwood associates and the public to illustrate communication planning: PPT slide
• Acquisition announcement press release
• Shareholder update on a new Starwood landing page
• "4 Things to Know" article by Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson
• Email to Starwood associates from Arne Sorenson
  
• Email to Starwood associates from Starwood CEO Tom Mangas
• Email to Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members
• Email to Marriott Rewards members

HomeAway Email Introduces New Leader (September 2016)

Vacation rental site HomeAway sent email to users about a new CEO. The current CEO's approach is rather personal and gives us a good example for a positive or neutral message.

Email to LinkedIn Staff about Microsoft (June 2016)

This example is also about an acquisition, but it's an internal email to LinkedIn staff. In the BizCom story, you'll also find an interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the deal.

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Older Examples

Video Examples:

• Nokia and Microsoft CEOs discuss the companies' partnership.
• Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, accepts an award from the Clinton Global Initiative.
• Ursula Burns, President of Xerox, introduces new color printers.
• Kraft "likes its fans in a fun music video. 
• Amusing snow-day message from a school principal.

Starbucks' Howard Schultz announces the company's new logo in a blog post. Read more here.

Examples of a customer's request and responses from five hotel companies.  

Yahoo's press release announcing (another) new CEO.

Doctor's handwritten note to a former patient's family. Lovely example of a "goodwill" message.

Satya Nadella's long message to employees as Microsoft's new CEO, 2014.

Fascination with Warren Buffet's annual letter, 2015.

Barnum & Bailey news release announcing that the company will stop using Asian elephants in traveling circus performances, 2015.