Week 3 Activity: News Release Case Study

In order to be an effective communicator in a business environment, you must be able to work in conjunction with the other members of your team to prepare written materials that can positively reflect upon your company. To aid you in this goal, the following case study will require the group to collaborate and decide upon the best message and method of delivery to meet the contract requirements.

This case study should complement the printed materials and audio explanation segments that came with the class study guide. Use those materials as a guide when working to solve the case study.

Case
Your group runs the PR department for Presentation Arts. Your company has just landed a large account: a $5 million dollar contract to produce training and sales motivational modules for Kawasaki Motors Corp. Your job is to encourage the local media to publish this news.

Assignment
Using the information below, write a two-page news release announcing this news. You may need to do some research to find out more about Kawasaki Motors Corp. at http://www.kawasaki.com/content.asp?url=/ourcompany.asp.

As described in the printed materials in the study guide, develop and include a “boilerplate” paragraph at the end. Use your group name as the contact.

Purpose
To generate free publicity for Presentation Arts, educate the public about Presentation Arts, and to begin to generate interest in Kawasaki Motors.

Audience
Editors of local media – local newspaper or magazines.

Format
Print news release format on company letterhead with all appropriate information, page numbering, and end marks.

Suggested Content

• Will be hiring ten local videographers and designers to create the modules and produce the event in Las Vegas.
• Will be shooting footage of Kawasaki products in studios and on locations throughout the U.S.
• Landed $5 million account yesterday.
• To produce a series of sales training and motivational videos for dealerships across the U.S.
• Kawasaki will be introducing its 2007 product line at the event
  
• Models will be shown at national sales meeting in Las Vegas on March 23-24, 2006 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
• Over 500 Kawasaki staff expected to attend
• A free Kawasaki KLR650 will be awarded at the event to the highest grossing salesperson of 2005
• Annual event serves to motivate sales staff to meet company sales goals
• Presentation Arts, a Santa Barbara, CA based company, 123 W. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, www.presentationarts.com, (805) 888-2266
• Presentation Arts has served clients such as Taco Bell, Lexus, and CBS Entertainment
• For immediate release
• Presentation Arts is owned by Nelson Perry who is also the company’s creative director.
  
• Perry said, “Landing this account required designing a creative concept that appealed to a very discerning client. I am proud that my team was able to convince Kawasaki that our team had the talent and attitude that reflected their products.”
  

News Release Learning Objectives

Teaching the news release reinforces many of the objectives stressed in a business communications course:

1. Create audience-centered documents targeted to a specific trade or consumer news media outlet (digital, print, or broadcast.)
2. Define a company’s purpose, or main message, for the news release and reflect that purpose in both the headline and the lead.
3. Write a lead (first paragraph) that contains as many of the news values as can be used.
4. Compose documents in the “inverted pyramid” used by journalists.
5. Design documents in standard news release format that contain all the required elements.
6. Practice using quotations and attributions in body of article.
7. Create a company “boilerplate” paragraph that reflects business’ mission and basic identifying information.
8. Reinforce the principles of good business writing practices.
   

Suggested Rubric for News Release

Meets news release objective 50 points

• Focuses on newsworthiness
• Gives company prominent placement
• Tailors news to local media
• Makes sure headline is newsworthy
• Covers most important facts in lead
• Provides adequate company overview in boilerplate
  

Uses standard release design 25 points

• Uses complete information in letterhead
• Follows guidelines for headline/subhead
• Uses proper spacing
• Provides complete contact information
• Provides release date
• Uses more/end mark
• Uses dateline correctly
  

Content/Mechanics show professionalism 25 points

• Focuses on newsworthiness and Five Ws in lead
• Uses inverted pyramid to provide information
• Organizes ideas appropriately
• Uses quotations adequately, provides attribution
• Provides research for Kawasaki Motors Corp.
• Varies sentences
• Avoids wordiness, typos, spelling/punctuation/grammatical errors