Developing Channels of Communication and Collaboration

As the new communications manager for International Gadgets, you have assembled a team of technical communicators with experience in communicating with various audiences in a business setting. Research & Development (R&D) has created a new product that it believes will revolutionize the industry. But the department needs the buy-in of several levels of the corporation to launch the new product. First, upper management needs to understand the product and how it will help the company expand before it will approve the funding needed to mass-produce the product. Sales and Marketing need to understand the product so it can be properly marketed. Technical Support needs to thoroughly know the product in order to support it to the customer base. And all employees need to know as much about the product as possible so that they can build excitement about the proposed launch. The head of R&D has come to you for your help in building excitement and buy-in throughout the company for the new product.

Create a memo to your team that discusses the following:

1) The possible channels of communication that can be used to communicate information about the product to various levels of the company, and how they could be used

2) Your suggestions for which channels will be appropriate for which audiences and why

3) Plans for how your team will communicate and collaborate on this project for the purpose of choosing the best channels of communications for various audiences in the company.

Back up your plans with solid reasoning and research.