Unit VIII Mini Project: Communication Strategy At General Motors For Change And Innovation (Research Paper Sample)

Communication Strategy at General Motors
In communicating change and innovation in a company, the focus should be on creating corporate identity, redesigning the product and creating new and better business models (Law & Verville, 2011). An important component of any communication process in a company is persuasion. Neal (2010) reports that persuasive communication can have a huge impact in meeting the objectives set by the company. Remaking culture is also a critical value that must be nurtured by the company communication process. At General Motors the more than 120 deaths resulting from ignition switches were enough to collapse the company. An effective communication strategy that fosters change and innovation is necessary.
The overall objective of the communication model at General Motors is to communicate change and innovation happening at the company. Essentially, the communication model will be keen on communicating disruptive innovation and changes in motor electrification, mergers and acquisitions. This communication will be intended in communicating value to both the existing and potential customers and creating confidence to the investors and the government. Electrification will be communicated in a manner that alleys the fears of mechanical failures like in the 2014 ignition switch scandal. The mergers and acquisitions will create confidence to the investors that there is value in investing with General Motors.
The mergers, electrification and acquisitions will be a 10-year plan, and will be communicated first to the stakeholders during the annual general meeting. It will then be spread out to the customers and the general public through social media; especially Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the website and through press statements. Posters and brochures will be availed in the company’s information desks and notice boards in all branches, as well as availed in soft copy in the website. The CEO will launch a major media communication process where she will avail herself in major media outlets through paid advertisements.
The messages will be crafted and delivered differently to different audiences. The communication to the government will detail all the necessary considerations; for example, financial, ethical, moral, legal and business implications of the merger, acquisition and innovation. The general public will be informed of new vehicle models featuring the innovating components, while the communication to the investors will detail measures taken to take care of their interests. However, there will be communication mix modeled on need-basis; for example, in live interview of the CEO, she will be able to answer to questions that target the investors and customers. Tailoring of messages to different audiences is strategic. Different audiences have different understanding capabilities. For example, the general audience may not be able to decode financial reporting; which is a preserve of the investors and the government. Their messages therefore, will be simple, clear and objective. It is expected that there will be optimal resistance to the messages, especially if...