Effective Communication Strategies for Sustainability-focused Businesses

Scenario 1: Keep it Green Landscaping

Scenario:
You own Keep it Green, a landscaping company that prides itself on environmentallysustainable practices.You won the contract to do the original landscaping for a newly developed commercial building owned by a local developer, Sam Smith. The contract is fixed price, meaning that you agreed to a fixed plan of work for a set cost. You hope that if this contract goes well, you will be able to get additional work from this developer.
Unfortunately, the project has run into problems. The project is running over budget as exchange rates have increased the costs of plants from your US supplier. You are also having issues with your crew. One person has quit unexpectedly and another broke her arm while biking. In addition, the client continues to revise the scope of the project, wanting to add and change elements of the design, potentially adding a lot of extra work and cost. Finally, delays in receiving building materials from a local supplier has put the project behind its planned completion date.
You are excited about this project because the develop is committed to landscaping design that is suitable for the climate and environmentally friendly, not requiring chemicals for maintenance. The innovative design could make you and the client a contender for a local urban development award. The developer is currently bidding on 2 more commercial development projects in the city.
Instructions:
1. Write a short paragraph or two explaining your Goal for the letter, and analyzing both Audience Need and Barriers facing this communication.

2. Write a formal letter. You should include letterhead and other features to make the letter as professional and ‘real’ as possible.

B – Persuasive memo: Making a Case

Scenario:
You recently took on a summer internship with Tourism Kamloops. You have noticed that the marketing strategy for Kamloops as a destination is heavily focused on travelers associated with sports and sporting events. However, you think that the marketing material is not well-suited for this target audience. Sports and sporting event visitors tend to be under-50 and often bring family. This group is environmentally-conscious, interested in local organic food, conservation, and health. In contrast, the marketing material aimed at this group emphasizes the city’s conference centers, local restaurants and bars, as well as evening activities. Little is said of the area’s extensive outdoor trails, local farms and markets, and cultural and historical activities. You have recently completed two years of study at TRU. You are excited about what you have been learning in your marketing classes. In addition, you have been developing your skills in writing for online platforms and graphic design. Your manager, Julie Brown, designed the original material and is quite committed to its value, adopting the position that whatever worked in the past is sure to work in the future. But you know that times are changing and younger people need to see a different side of Kamloops that is not just a highway with hotels and conference centers.Write a memo to your manager proposing what you think might be some effective changes to the focus of the marketing material. Outline the problem, present your solutions and think about audience and barriers.
Instructions:
1. Write a short paragraph or two explaining your Goal for the memo, and analyzing bothAudience Need and Barriers facing this communication.

2. Write in memo form and aim to make the document as professional as possible.