Video Examples for Chapter 3: Interpersonal Communication Skills

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5 Ways to Listen Better, Julian Treasure.

The Power of Listening, William Ury.

Radical Candor, an approach for giving feedback, Kim Scott.

Tom Peters' discussion of the importance of listening. An expert in leadership, Tom Peters uses an example from healthcare to illustrate this skill. 

Introduction of Dell's "Social Media Listening Command Center." Illustrates the business link between listening and social media.

Go to videos for Chapter 4.

Company Examples for Chapter 12: Employment Communication

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Professor Posts "CV of Failures" (May 2016) CV of Failures

What a great lesson for students: We all fail sometimes. This CV example could start an interesting discussion about how we present ourselves during the job search process.

 

Canva Offers Resume Design Suggestions

For our creative students, design site Canva shows how to set a resume apart.  

 

Resume Heat Map Demonstrates Recruiters' Time (December 2015) Heat map

See how recruiters spend their six seconds on resumes with this heat map created with eye tracking technology. This video may help students determine resume design and organization.

 

Older Examples

See a collection of online resumes at VisualCV.com

About.com has a good collection of cover letters and resumes, if you're looking for more than your school's career center has to offer.

Creative Amazon-like resume by Philippe Dubost.

Student's bold cover letter gets surprising results.

Boastful cover letter by an NYU student. Background information.

Creative LEGO resume. Background information.

Company Examples for Chapter 11: Oral Presentation

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Wells Fargo CEO Gets Grilled (September 2016)

Must see TV: Senator Elizabeth Warren questioning John Stumpf about the Wells Fargo scandal during the Banking Committee Hearing.

 

Prime Minister Cameron Resigns After Brexit (June 2016)

Having campaigned for the UK to stay part of the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron had little choice but to resign when the vote was for "Brexit." (See full text.)

 

Maria Sharapova Delivers News Conference (March 2016)

Russian Tennis star Maria Sharapova admitted failing a drug test and took "full responsibility" for it during this news conference.

 

Older Examples

Ted Talks are great examples of engaging delivery styles and more. This spreadsheet ranks "engagement data" for Ted Talks and includes links to videos.

Presentation by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Useful to demonstrate a conversational style with minimal visuals.

Queen Latifah on 30 Rock. Funny illustration of delivery skills without content from the TV show 30 Rock.

Borat's failed attempt at humor ("not joke") from the movie Borat.

Celebrity news clips are useful to demonstrate exaggerated voice inflection: Access Hollywood and  Showbiz Tonight.

Jim Cramer has his own brand of delivery. Useful for demonstrating emphasis, pauses, and variation in tone and speed.

Oprah Winfrey's beautiful tribute to Rosa Parks. Useful to discuss a natural delivery style when reading from a script. Also useful to demonstrate pace, pauses, humor, rhetorical devices, and more.

Dutchess Kate Middleton's first speech, 2012.

Apple CEO at the Worldwide Developers Conference, 2012.

Jamie Dimon, CEO, JPMorgan Chase, testifies about trading losses, 2012.

New York Mayor Bloomberg's news conference after Hurricane Sandy, 2012.

Miss Utah struggles with a question at the Miss USA Pageant, 2013.

Twitter CEO at University of Michigan commencement, 2013.

President Obama at White House Correspondents' Dinner, 2013.

Jodie Foster's emotional speech at the Golden Globes Awards, 2013.

Senator Marco Rubio's odd reach for water during the State of the Union Address response, 2013.

More than 300 commencement speeches.

GM CEO Mary Barra addresses employees and answers tough questions about the company's failure to recall defective cars.

Ellen Page comes out.

CVS CEO announces that stores will stop selling cigarette products.

Employee advocacy group criticizes McDonald's low pay, and an employee questions the USA president at a dinner event.

NFL Commissioner's discussion of the Ray Rice situation, 2014.

NBA's Adam Smith's news conference about Don Sterling LA Clippers controversy, 2014.

NY Governor Cuomo addresses prison break in a news conference, 2015.

President Obama's news conference about the Charleston, SC, shootings, 2015.

Popular commencement speeches, 2015.

President Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, 2015.

Following Clinton's announcement, Marco Rubio announces his run for president, 2015.

In a non-traditional commercial, Hillary Clinton announces her run for president, 2015.

Ranked Oscar speeches, 2015.

 

Company Examples for Chapters 9 and 10: Data,Visuals, and Reports

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United Airlines Reports on Incident When Man Is Dragged Out the Plane (April 2017) United report

Most air travelers have seen the video of Dr. Dao being removed from his seat and dragged down the aisle of a United flight. In response, the airline published a report, changed its policies, and disseminated messages by email, video, Twitter, and its website. The report has many headings and bullets, so it's a good example for organization, although it's far from perfect. Additional links are in this post, and students may find it interesting to compare the email, web statement, videos, and reports. United did a good job distinguishing each of these.

Melania Trump's Plagiarizes Michelle Obama's Speech (July 2016)

I can't resist this one from the Republican National Convention to illustrate plagiarism. This post includes a transcript comparison, and here's the video comparison.

This is an example from Trump Institute, but these may be too much to discuss in one class.

 

Penn State Analyzes Airbnb Data (May 2016)PSU report 

A Penn State University report shows the "other side" of Airbnb. The report uses simple graphics and makes a simple argument. You may want to contrast the Penn State report with a government report like this one: The World Economic Forum's report on Global Competitiveness.

 

FDA Changes the Nutrition Label (May 2016)

FDA LabelFor the first time since the early 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration  updated the nutrition label that appears on packaged foods. The agency is proud of the change, calling it a "major step." Michelle Obama was part of the process and is quoted in the FDA's press release: "This is going to make a real difference in providing families across the country the information they need to make healthy choices." I'm skeptical.

 

Law Schools Inflate Placement Data (March 2016)

The spin on law school data is a bit depressing but is relevant to students who plan to apply. I have very few students who go on to law school, but I could see using the data in a scenario where students choose a school and develop a slide or two for recruiting purposes. Where do they draw the ethical lines?

 

Gapminder Uses Creative Visuals

Gapminder is my favorite site for showing the beauty of data. The interactive bubble charts and "Dollar Street" images give students ideas for visualizing information in new ways. Also explore Hans Rosling's TedTalks on YouTube.

 

Older Examples

Financial snapshot and downloaded data for Sara Lee. Useful to discuss converting data into an annual report.

The Fair Trade Almanac is packed with interesting data and charts. (Select "Fair Trade Almanac.)

Terrible example of an infographice: Does Texting Hurt Your Grammar?

Good example of an infographic, by PETA: PETA Saves.

Taco Bell's visual describing their beef.

Google's data-filled response to anti-trust charges, 2015.

Columbia University's report about Rolling Stone's article about campus rape, the article author's apology, and the University of Virginia's statement. 2014. 

Gates Foundation Next Generation request for proposal. Read more about the program here.

Comcast request for proposal for research/design. Simple PowerPoint format.

British Columbia Lottery Corporation request for proposal to change gambling incentives. Traditional report format.

Expedia's innovative report format sent within an email.

Collection of sustainability reports.

Two versions of Walmart's 2011 annual report: PDF format and website. Also, here's Walmart's "Global Responsibility Report." Useful to compare the three for different formats and audiences. 

Sara Lee's annual report.

Report about engaged brands using social media (referenced in Chapter 3).

Sharp announces job cuts and plans in two reports: First-quarter 2012 release and presentation.

Apple's 2012 supplier responsibility report.

PR/Communications best practices report.

Government 2014 climate change report.

Facebook's creative annual report.

Leaked New York Times report about the company's innovation.

Investor PPT report about Darden Restaurants, 2014.

The Pope encyclical on the environment, 2015.

Educause research on students' use of technology.

Fabulous Ted Talk by David McCandless on different ways of visualizing data.

Comparing cup sizes in the movie Super Size Me (download).  Useful for discussing data analysis and creating charts (Scene 7, 19:48 – 21:12).

Video demonstration of Gapminder World by Hans Rosling. Useful to show interactive displays of data. Here is Rosling's Ted Talk.

Sloppy charts that students can analyze and perhaps redraw.

Terrible infographic that students can analyze and perhaps redraw.

Another cute infographic with no clear audience or point.

 

 

Company Examples for Chapter 6: Neutral and Positive Messages

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Marriott Communicates Starwood Acquisition (November 2015 - September 2016) Marriott Comms

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

 

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.

 

Older Examples

Video Examples:

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.

Company Examples for Chapter 7: Persuasive Messages

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Google Memo Argues Against Their Diversity Programs (August 2017)

Also a good example for Chapter 2 and others, the memo written by a Google software engineer illustrates controversy about diversity programs. The author argues that more women aren't in technology positions partly because of biological differences. He was fired, which conservatives say exemplifies Google's "cult-like" culture on the issue.

 

Marriott CEO Writes an Open Letter to President-Elect Donald Trump (November 2016)

Arne Sorenson Letter to Donald TrumpArne Sorenson's letter to President-elect Trump illustrates principles of persuasion (Chapter 7) and can be used to discuss medium choice (Chapter 1). How does the letter reflect Marriott's business interests? Why did Sorenson choose LinkedIn? 

 

Verizon and Union Battle Over Worker Pay and Taxes (April 2016) CWA press release

I used these two examples in class for students to compare. I asked students to work in two separate groups and analyze either Verizon's or the union's messages to identify persuasive strategies. These are great examples to discuss which strategies work best and why. They also present an interesting window into union negotiations.

 

Starboard Value Tries to Replace Yahoo Board (March 2016)

The activist investment firm Starboard Value tried to overthrow the Yahoo board of directors as it has ousted Darden's board in 2014-with aggressive language and a persuasive presentation.  Students can analyze persuasive strategies in the letter to shareholders.

 

SeaWorld Tries to Restore Its Image (March 2016 and earlier)

In addition to the SeaWorld messages in Chapter 7 of the tenth edition, students can analyze the company's communications to end its orca breeding program.

You are also welcome to use this case study. I have found students to be highly engaged by the situation, and I have used this assignment as a complement to the case study.

 

Older Examples and Videos

Written Messages

Several customer response letters from Turning Stone Casino.

Internal company update message from John Chambers to all Cisco employees.

AIG resignation letter from an EVP at American International Group (AIG) following the financial crisis. Useful to discuss persuasive strategies and to compare arguments. Published in the New York Times.

American Airlines message to flight attendants. Useful to discuss audience analysis, communication objectives, structure, tone, and medium choice.

Email from Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, to his management team about the "commoditization" of the brand.

Many examples of fraud emails. Useful to discuss principles of persuasion and ethics.

Activity for students to analyze three customer service letters (written by students). I use this early in the semester partly to discuss my grading criteria.

Verizon CEO's letter to employees explaining his perspective of the union strike, August 2011.

Barnes and Noble's pitch to former Borders customers.

Consumer group's complaint letter about carcinogens in J&J's Baby Shampoo and J&J's response statement.

Cruise lines reassure customers after the Costa Concordia disaster:

Victoria's Secret responds to child labor allegations.

In-N-Out Burger's response to the shutdown of its meat supplier.

Beef Products Inc.'s response to the "pink slime" controversy.

Two cease-and-desist letters to compare: the Olympics Committee's (formal, legal) and Jack Daniel's (nicer, conversational).

Hedge fund CEO's letter requests that the Yahoo Board terminate the CEO for having misleading information on his resume.

Nordstrom email to employees supporting same-sex marriage.

Fresh Direct letter updates customers after Hurricane Sandy.

Asiana Airlines' press releases  after the 2013 crash. 

PETA article PETA's article criticizing "no-kill" policies after controversy at their own shelter. Read more about the situation here.

Carnival's email to past guests after several ship problems. Read more here.

H&R Block defends itself after criticism from TurboTax. Read the email to employees and open letter to clients.

Target's statement announcing the CEO's departure.

Heartbleed emails to compare (companies informing customers of the computer security issue).

Mozilla board chair's announcement that the CEO resigned over the same-sex marriage controversy.

Head of job bank's harsh email and apology.

HP's email asking remote employees to work at the office.

Starbucks' open letter to customers about not bringing firearms into stores.

NRA's statement to gun owners: "Good Citizens and Good Neighbors: The Gun Owners' Role."

Target's email to customers about security breach. 

Strong letter from Starboard to Yahoo about performance and the future of the company, 2014.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon's statement about a racist chant at the University of Oklahoma and the university president's expulsion letter, 2015.

Alex Rodriguez hand-written letter apologizing-again, 2015.

TurboTax apologizes for system changes and issues, 2015. 

Videos

Giovanni Ribisi (Seth) in the movie Boiler Room sells stock to an unsuspecting buyer. Useful to show examples of logos, pathos, and ethos. Download the handout and possible answers.

Taco Bell CEO responds to criticism of the company's taco meat. Useful to discuss persuasion to restore image. Read more here. Here are two ads that accompanied the campaign:

Bob Eckert of Mattel discusses toy recalls as people rate "believability." Useful to discuss how people are persuaded with logos, pathos, and ethos.

Domino's president responds to the YouTube video posted by two employees. Useful to discuss persuasion to restore image. Watch an overview of the story and employee video. 

AOL doesn't allow a customer to cancel his account. Here is AOL's apology/response. What is interesting about the story is that it isn't the first time AOL was cited for failing to cancel accounts on request.

British Petrolum's commercial after the oil spill, rated by the public. Useful to show the public's reaction to the ad. Read more here.

Netflix CEO apologizes for lack of communication and introduces Quickster.

FedEx senior VP apologizes for the viral video of a PC monitor tossed over a fence.

Royal Caribbean reassures customers after the Costa Concordia accident.

Apple CEO Tim Cook responds to tax criticsm.

Carnival Cruise CEO holds a news conference to explain the Triumph ship situation.

The NRA's press conference after the Newtown, CT, school shooting, 2013. Read more here. 

GM CEO Mary Barra answers tough questions about product safety, 2014.

GM CEO Mary Barra's video message to employees, 2014.

McDonald's "Our Food, Your Questions" campaign, 2014.

Procter & Gamble's "Like a Girl" video, 2014.

Bill Cosby's discussion with AP about sexual assault allegations, 2014.

Dr. Oz's video response to criticism about his TV show and product promotion.

UK Cancer Research shows clever commercial about failing to detect cancer lumps, 2015.

Ober's false-cause fallacy, 2015.

Conan O'Brien pokes fun at Taco Bell (paid commercial), 2015.

JetBlue's video about plane etiquette, 2015.

Company Examples for Chapter 8: Bad-News Messages

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Medium CEO Announces Layoffs and a New Company Direction (March 2017) Medium post image

If you're looking for emotional appeal in a layoff announcement, Ev Williams' post on Medium about Medium is a good example. He uses plenty of emotional language and balances the bad news with optimism for the company going forward. He's also forthcoming about past failures.

Ralph Lauren CEO Leaves the Company (February 2017)

In a clear, honest press release, Ralph Lauren announces the departure of a CEO. Stefan Larsson was hired from Old Navy, but he and the company company founder couldn't agree on a way to boost revenue and stave off declining sales. The statement is a refreshing change from other announcements that give no reason or invent reasons for a CEO departure, for example, "to pursue other interests."

 

Ten Thousand Villages Announces Store Closings (January 2017)

Non-profit fair trade organization Ten Thousand Villages sent an email to announce store closings and downsizing at the corporate office. The message covers the basics, but the main point is in the second paragraph, and I wonder how enthusiastic people will feel about the organization's future.  

 

Nestlé Recalls Drumsticks (October 2016)

This is a typical recall notice-one of many each year. 

 ITT

The Secretary of Education Tells Students  About ITT Closing (September 2016)

Sadly, students can relate to this situation. When ITT decided to close its campuses, the secretary of education sent this message to affected students.

 

Data Breach Affects Hotel Properties (August 2016)

Here's a typical data breach notification-also one of many each year. This one affected hotels owned and operated by HEI. 

I have distributed several security breach emails and asked students to compare them. They notice subtle differences based on the situation and company culture.

 

Carrier Announces Layoffs (February 2016)

A painful, but important video showing Carrier executives telling employees their jobs are moving to Mexico. The situation became politicized when President Trump negotiated with the company to save some of the jobs, although the number is in question.

 

Older Examples

Written Messages

Layoff memo and email examples:

Emails to customers about email security breach.  Download 14 versions of this communication. Useful to show different companies' approaches to the same message (e.g., formatting, differences in tone, to what extent each is customized to the audience, level of detail, whether "Epsilon" is mentioned and how the company is described, etc.). I have asked students to work in small groups to compare three examples that I assign. 

Sprint termination letter. Read more here: "Sprint breaks up with high-maintenance customers."

Fresh Direct explains service delivery failures following a snow storm.

Charles Trywhitt (British retailer) apologizes for a late order.

Agatha Christie refuses a request to speak. Background information here.

Three responses to an employee suggestion (written by students). Useful to discuss tone.

Messages from former UBS CEO: about the $2.3B loss and his subsequent resignation.

American Airlines communicates bankruptcy in a press release, memo to employees, and email to AAdvantage club members.

Lacoste responds to false coupon code issue.

World's longest rejection letter. Background information here. 

Best Buy press release announcing CEO resignation.

Hostess bankruptcy letter.

Asiana Press Releases about the July 2013 crash.

Daily Voice email scheduling a conference call where layoffs would be announced. Great example of a style that is too indirect. Read more here.

Groupon CEO's farewell email to employees.

Yahoo's controversial email calling remote employees to the office.

Malaysia Airlines' statement about missing flight.

Emails about Heartbleed virus, 2014

Sears explains store closings, 2014.

More company responses to data breaches, 2015.

Blue Bell Creameries' news release about product recalls and news release about layoff decisions, 2015. (See also the CEO's video message.) 

Video Examples

Opening scene from the movie Up in the Air (download). Useful to demonstrate the challenges of communicating bad news (layoffs).  Beware of obscene language.

Another scene from Up in the Air: Ryan Bingham discusses his philosophy of communicating layoffs (download).

Geico commercial demonstrating a deceptive buffer.

Videos from the "United Breaks Guitars" incident, United Airlines' refusal to pay for a broken guitar and the disgruntled passenger's response: 

News conference about Ebola in NYC, 2014.

Virgin Galactic news conference about the SpaceShip Two crash, 2014.

New McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbook admits performance issues, and the stock loses ground, 2015.

A French investigator discusses the Germanwings flight crash in a news conference, 2015.

AirAsia CEO apologizes to families of lost flight, 2015.

Blue Bell Creameries CEO announces layoff decision after recall, 2015.

Company Examples for Chapter 2: Intercultural and Team Communication

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Google Memo Divides People on Diversity Issues (August 2017)

Also a good example of persuasive writing, the memo written by a Google software engineer illustrates controversy about diversity programs. The author argues that more women aren't in technology positions partly because of biological differences. He was fired, which conservatives say exemplifies Google's "cult-like" culture on the issue.

Ryan Getzlaf Calls Ref a Bad Name  (May 2017) Temp

Hockey player Ryan Getzlaf apologized for muttering a offensive remark. He apologized in writing and in a video statement. How did he do?

 

Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendall Jenner Is Criticized (April 2017) Temp

Pepsi and Jenner took a lot of heat for a commercial that seems to minimize racism and mock the Black Lives Matter movement.

 

Uber Reveals Diversity Stats (March 2017)

Uber reports on its diversity in light of criticism. Charts compare technology companies and make for an interesting discussion.

 

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Argues with a Drive (March 2017)

Not his most proud moment (although better than the 2013 "Miami Letter" discovered in 2017 in which he offers sex advice for employees before a company event). Kalanick had an altercation with a driver, which led to his promising to change his management approach.

Hyatt Regency Apologizes for Commenting on a Name (December 2016) Karim Abouelnaga

A former student of mine, Karim Aboulenaga, faced insensitive comments about his name when checking into a Hyatt Regency. He posted the situation on LinkedIn and received an apology note, a fruit-and-cheese platter, and bottled water from the hotel front office manager. This is a good example of turning a situation around, and a class discussion would be interesting: did the recovery undo the damage? His update post on LinkedIn received almost 66,000 likes as of December 20.

 

USHG CEO Sends Email to Employees After the Election (November 2016)

USHGLike former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, encouraged his employees to listen to each other after the contentious presidential election. His email was published on Eater.com.  He refers to "enlightened hospitality" and gives examples of eye contact, smiling, and so on.

This is a good example of a CEO showing some vulnerability, but this in-class discussion USHGcan be tricky because it's a political topic. Freshmen and sophomores in my class handled it well. 

 

Student's Blog Post About Racism Gets Attention (October 2016)

Suffolk blog postAnother controversial one: A Suffolk University student was accused of plagiarism, and she wrote a blog post that went viral. According to the student, her professor returned a paper to her in front of the classroom and said, "This is not your language." She then reviewed her comments with her.

This example would contribute to an open discussion about racism and touches topics from Chapter 5 (word choice). The situation includes a response from the university, which is fairly well done, in my opinion.

 

Toyota Executives Show Cultural Differences in Email (January 2010)

Toyota emailsThis is from 2010, but I still use these emails in classes to illustrate cultural differences (and ethics and problems with email). The messages were made public when Toyota was charged with not disclosing accelerator issues that caused several accidents.

 

 

 

 

 

Older Examples

Male PWC employees in Dublin rate female employees via email. Read more about the situation here.

Apple CEO Tim Cook confirms that he's gay in a BloombergBusiness opinion letter, 2014.

Facebook's apology to the LGBT community, 2014.

Examples of racist emails circulated by officials in Ferguson, MO, 2015.

Company Examples for Chaptes 4 and 5: Writing Process and Style

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NBA Responds to "Take a Knee Controversy" (October 2017)

The NBA commissioner held a news conference, and the deputy commissioner wrote a memo addressing issues around players kneeling during the national anthem at games. The memo is unclear, and the organization can be improved. Background and communications are posted here.

LinkedIn Announces New Terms (April 2017)

LinkedIn's attorney sent an email to announce new Terms of Service. The email does the job and the organization works well, but the writing style could be improved. LinkedIn terms

Sears Remains Optimistic Despite Probable Hopelessness (December 2016)Annoying phrases infographic

Although analysts say Sears is "set to sink," the CFO remains optimistic. After identifying the audiences and objectives for Sears' communications, students can analyze several comments in this Yahoo article.

 

Business Clichés and Jargon (September 2016) 

This infographic summarizes the latest business clichés and jargon to avoid.

 

Time's Jargony Layoff Announcement (August 2016)

Companies can't seem to resist "realignment," "leverage," and "content creation" in their layoff announcements, and Time doesn't disappoint:

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been realigning our organizational structure to better leverage our content creation, sales and marketing and brand development operations. Our primary objective has been to better position ourselves to operate with greater agility and optimize the growth areas of our operation. As a result, there will be some job eliminations. That is always painful but an unfortunate reality in today's business climate."

 

Geek Squad's Confusing Email (May 2016)Geek Squad

Few people read privacy notices, and I think I know why: this one from Geek Squad is a confusing mess. You can have some fun in class analyzing the audience and objectives and having students rewrite the message.

 

Video Examples Just for Fun

Older Examples

Printed email (scanned) from Lutnick (CEO) and Weiss to all Cantor Fitzgerald employees. A friend found this on September 12, 2001, at Ground Zero. The singed edges show where the paper was burned.  As he says, "There were many papers flying through the air that day." Cantor lost 658 employees on 9/11 (about two-thirds of its staff).  Read more on Wikipedia.

List of best company blogs, by Mashable.

25,000 pages of Sarah Palin's emails released June 10, 2011. This site may have a more searchable archive. See related story.

Lawfirm emails that revealed overbilling. Good lessons here about what not to write in emails.

Letterown to the management of Cinemark from families of children killed in Aurora, CO. The letter responds to an invitation that the families didn't appreciate. Read more here.

New York Times CEO sends email to staff with his observations. Read more here.

Conde Nast email by CEO Chuck Townsend filled with "buzzy techno jargon," according to one employee.  The memo is on page two of this article, and you can read more about the situation here.

Entertaining email exchange between Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) and a journalism student. She could use a lesson in tone and audience analysis. Read more about the situation here.

A few over-the-top emails: Business Wire message about clearing email inboxes, Oxford University rant about expense reports, and Cerner CEO's tirade to his management team. Here's a business case study and more background about the Cerner situation. Useful to discuss the value of revising and the potential negative consequences of email.

A few miscommunication examples just for fun:

The Obama campaign's fundraising emails, criticized for their casual tone.

Jargon-filled Citigroup news release announcing 11,000 employee layoffs.

Amazon's service recovery email

Google executive Eric Schmidt's advice for managing email, 2014.

Blunt emails sent between Hillary Clinton's aid and Gawker, 2015.

Company Examples for Chapter 3: Interpersonal Communication Skills

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Uber CEO Responds to Culture Questions (February 2017)

After a female engineer blasted Uber for its failure to address sexual harassment incidents, CEO Travis Kalanick wrote a message to employees. He has a big job in repairing the company's image at this point: a New York Times article called the culture "aggressive" and "unrestrained."

Wells Fargo's Failed Response (October 2106) Wells Fargo email to customers

By most counts, Wells Fargo handled the scandal about opening accounts for people without their permission badly. One big problem is how management ignored employee complaints about sales pressure and reports of wrongdoing. This email to customers lacks any real promise of change, and the TV commercial isn't much better.

 

Listening in Social Media (August 2016) Skyscannar

What a great example of humor and listening online: Skyscanner travel app suggested a 47-year itinerary for a customer. He jokingly asked what he could do during the layover. Jen, the customer service rep didn't miss a beat: she's quick and fun, and includes her promise in the P.S. The post vent viral and Skyscanner won big points.

 

 

 

 

Older Examples

PowerPoint presentation showing the timeline of Kenneth Cole's Twitter gaffe. Adapted from Advertising Age. Useful to demonstrate listening through social media.

Transcript of a phone call between Wisconsin Governor and someone he believes is a donor. Read more about the prank call here.

 

Company Examples for Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication

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Princess Cruises Apologizes (December 2016)

Princess Cruises, owned by Carnival, published several messages to apologize for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste into the ocean. The company's communications certainly are prolific, but how honestly do they admit wrongdoing, and how well do they rebuild the brand?

Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises

A comment posted on YouTube under the president's video sums up one perspective: "[T]his video needs taking down and a new one with someone who looks sorry is put up. [H]er reading of this is terrible, like watching a 12yr old at a school play." (The writer needs to take one of our courses! But students might agree with his assessment.)

These examples can be used to discuss persuasive strategies (Chapter 7), oral presentations (Chapter 11), and ethics (Chapter 1):

Marriott CEO Writes an Open Letter to President-Elect Donald Trump (November 2019)

Arne Sorenson Letter to Donald Trump
Arne Sorenson Letter to Donald Trump

Arne Sorenson's letter to President-elect Trump illustrates principles of persuasion (Chapter 7) and can be used to discuss medium choice (Chapter 1). How does the letter reflect Marriott's business interests? Why did Sorenson choose LinkedIn? 

OLDER EXAMPLES

Collection of companies' social media policies.

Apple's (leaked) social media policy.

Great email exchange by two lawyers (discussed in Chapter 1). Useful to discuss ethics, tone, and more. Here's a PowerPoint file to reveal the messages, and you can read more about the situation here.

Excerpts of Goldman Sachs emails (topic in Chapter 1) collected by the Wall Street Journal. As the WSJ reporter says, "The [Senate] committee will likely use many of the emails to illustrate Goldman's sometimes contradictory and unflattering statements about its role in the mortgage meltdown." Read more here.

National Labor Relations Board's memo about social media policies, 2012.

General Mills statement reverting back to its original legal terms.

A general's emailabout the value of reading. Read more about the situation.

Ellen Pao's controversial resignation from Reddit, 2015.

Facebook communications: Communicating Our Community Standards and Guidelines, 2015.

Former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo's posts taking responsibility for cyberbullying on the site, 2015.

Go to examples for Chapter 2.

Company Examples to Use in Your Classes

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Videos for Chapter 11: Oral Presentations

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Ted Talks are great examples of engaging delivery styles and more. This spreadsheet ranks "engagement data" for Ted Talks and includes links to videos.

Presentation by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Useful to demonstrate a conversational style with minimal visuals.

Queen Latifah on 30 Rock. Funny illustration of delivery skills without content from the TV show 30 Rock.

Borat's failed "not joke."

Celebrity news clips are useful to demonstrate exaggerated voice inflection: Access Hollywood and  Showbiz Tonight.

Jim Cramer has his own brand of delivery. Useful for demonstrating emphasis, pauses, and variation in tone and speed.

Oprah Winfrey's tribute to Rosa Parks. Useful to discuss a natural delivery style when reading from a script. Also useful to demonstrate pace, pauses, humor, rhetorical devices, and more.

Dutchess Kate Middleton's first speech, 2012.

Apple CEO at the Worldwide Developers Conference, 2012.

Jamie Dimon, CEO, JPMorgan Chase, testifies about trading losses, 2012.

New York Mayor Bloomberg's news conference after Hurricane Sandy, 2012.

Miss Utah struggles with a question at the Miss USA Pageant, 2013.

Twitter CEO at University of Michigan commencement, 2013.

President Obama at White House Correspondents' Dinner, 2013.

Jodie Foster's emotional speech at the Golden Globes Awards, 2013.

Senator Marco Rubio's odd reach for water during the State of the Union Address response, 2013.

More than 300 commencement speeches.

NBA's Adam Smith NBA's Adam Smith responding to questions about Don Sterling LA Clippers controversy, 2014.

GM CEO Mary Barra addresses employees and answers tough questions about the company's failure to recall defective cars.

Ellen Page comes out.

CVS CEO announces that stores will stop selling cigarette products.

Employee advocacy group criticizes McDonald's low pay, and an employee questions the USA president at a dinner event.

NFL Commissioner's discussion of the Ray Rice situation, 2014.

NY Governor Cuomo addresses prison break in a news conference, 2015.

President Obama's news conference about the Charleston, SC, shootings, 2015.

Popular commencement speeches, 2015.

President Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, 2015.

Following Clinton's announcement, Marco Rubio announces his run for president, 2015.

In a non-traditional commercial, Hillary Clinton announces her run for president, 2015.

Ranked Oscar speeches, 2015.

Go to videos for Chapter 12.

Videos by Chapter

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On these pages, you'll find several videos suggested for each chapter. Many of these are related to concepts or stories discussed in the book. Of course, additional videos are included in news stories posted each week.

I welcome suggestions for new videos and would appreciate knowing about any broken links. If you find these useful, I would like to hear how you're using them in your class. You may email me at anewman[at]bizcominthenews.com.

Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication

Chapter 2: Intercultural and Team Communication

Chapter 3: Interpersonal Communication Skills

Chapter 4: The Writing Process

Chapter 5: Improving Your Writing Style

Chapter 6: Neutral and Positive Messages

Chapter 7: Persuasive Messages

Chapter 8: Bad-News Messages

Chapter 9: Planning the Report and Managing Data

Chapter 10: Writing the Report

Chapter 11: Oral Presentations

Chapter 12: Employment Communication

Videos for Chapter 9: Planning the Report and Managing Data

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Fabulous Ted Talk by David McCandless on different ways of visualizing data.

Comparing cup sizes in the movie Super Size Me (download).  Useful for discussing data analysis and creating charts (Scene 7, 19:48 – 21:12).

Video demonstration of Gapminder World by Hans Rosling. Useful to show interactive displays of data. Here is Rosling's Ted Talk.

Go to videos for Chapter 10.