Contents

• This report is based on the following questions -
• Question 1 (60 marks)
• Read the following case and complete the tasks that follow.
• Amanda Lee, aged 47, is the Head of Public Relations of Gammon Properties, a top-tier and expanding property developer in Hong Kong and mainland China. She is a very efficient person and expects her subordinates to be as efficient as she is. What she cares most about is the result of each public relations project — how widely positive news has been covered by the media.
• Terri Cheung, who has a Master’s degree in Communication and New Media from the City University of Hong Kong, has just joined Gammon Properties as the Senior Public Relations Executive. Terri, who is in her early 30s, has five year of solid working experience in the media as an editor. She has recently learned about the Hong Kong Government’s initiative in supporting local agricultural development. Further development of the local agriculture could diversify the food supply in Hong Kong and reduce the reliance on imported food. It could also provide job opportunities for less skilled workers. What’s more, the recycling of waste and trapping of carbon in agricultural production is conducive to the sustainable development of the New Territories as a whole. She wishes that Gammon Properties would sponsor the setting up of a social enterprise operating a farm.
• Gammon Properties, like many other property developers in Hong Kong, has been accused of reaping obscene profits at the expense of the environment. Nevertheless, if this campaign attracts media attention, the company will be able to show to the public how Gammon Properties is putting an effort into minimizing environmental impacts.
• As the expense incurred is three times the yearly budget for the Public Relations Department, and the Department is working at the moment on some other projects, Terri knows she needs to be very persuasive to make Amanda accept her idea and propose it to the senior management.
• Terri decides to talk to Amanda about her idea.
• Assume you are Terri. Use the business communication strategies that you have learned from BUS B104 in your meeting with Amanda.
• a Set a communication objective for your meeting with Amanda. (no more than 50 words)
• b Choose your communication style for the meeting and provide a justification. (no more than 200 words)
• 14 BUS B104 English and Communications for Business II
• c With clear explanations, show how you could apply the five motivation techniques (discussed in Unit 1) to motivate Amanda in your meeting. (no more than 550 words)
• Question 2 (40 marks)
• Read the following case and complete the tasks that follow.
• Mary Jane Vinci is the Director of Sales & Marketing of HMG Sportswear Ltd. She has worked in the company for ten years. She seems to be interested in competing to be the next CEO of the company. The current CEO likes her because she is outspoken. She is also a cautious person who attends to detail. Once she has come to a conclusion, it is very unlikely you can change her mind.
• Dave Tin is the Assistant Marketing Manager of HMG Sportswear Ltd. He joined the company three years ago when he moved to Hong Kong from the United States. He is efficient and result-oriented. However, he does not pay too much attention to rules and procedures.
• The sales of HMG Sportswear Ltd have remained more or less the same since 2010. Dave would like to propose something new this year — sponsoring a local basketball team. This marketing strategy will raise awareness of the brand HMG. The cost would be around one million Hong Kong dollars per year. The publicity will provide the brand with exposure to the potential customers.
• Mary believes sponsoring celebrities to wear HMG products is the most effective way to promote the brand and its products. Although there was no increase in sales in the last five years, there was no drop either. Spending the budget on other strategies will mean a cut in the number of celebrities receiving sponsorship.
• Dave knows he needs to be very persuasive so that Mary will accept his idea and propose it to the Managing Director and the Board of Directors.
• Near the end of a departmental meeting, Dave and Mary discussed the idea.
• Mary: Any other business?
• Dave: Have you read my proposal? Do you think we can sponsor a local basketball team?
• Mary: Oh yes, I have. That’s an interesting idea. But not all our customers play basketball. And not many young people are following the local basketball league. Dave, it’s not the NBA*.
• 
• Assignment File 15
• Dave: I understand your concern. But if you read the proposal in greater detail, you will know the sponsorship can generate a lot of brand’s exposure — on TV, papers, magazines and social media. It will reach a lot of potential customers, probably more than you can imagine.
• Mary: Dave, do you mean we are not doing the same thing by sponsoring celebrities?
• Dave: (Impatiently) Sponsoring sportsmen is a lot different, Mary. When people see our brand in the basketball courts, they will relate HMG to health, excitement, fast reactions, concentration, endurance, professionalism ... .
• Mary: (interrupting abruptly) I know you have spent countless hours researching and writing up the proposal. But it doesn’t mean what you are proposing necessarily fits our needs.
• Dave: Our needs? Neither does sponsoring celebrities fit our needs. We have been doing so for years but it hasn’t helped our sales much..
• Mary: I don’t want to argue with you. But listen: our primary need is to defend our business share while we are trying to expand the total market size. You need to stay rational. I adjourn today’s meeting.
• Mary stood up. When she was leaving the meeting room,
• Dave: (in a low and teasing voice) We’ll lose our share for sure, under this almighty lady’s leadership.
• * NBA stands for the National Basketball Association in the United States. It is often used to refer to the games organized by the NBA .
• a Was there a conflict in the situation? Justify your answer. (no more than 200 words)
• b Analyse the disagreement/conflict. (no more than 200 words)
• c Suggest, with clear explanations, how the disagreement/conflict could be resolved. (no more than 400 words)

Description

NA