Communication plays an essential role in the business world. The modern communication and IT networks have revolutionized the industry in a plethora of ways. There is a need to have a comprehensive communication strategy to remain competitive.
A) STRATEGY FOR ENSURING CLEAR AND PRECISE MESSAGING IN FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS OF HARLEY DAVIDSON FOR BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDIENCES.
Effective communication and interaction strategy is vital for the development of the entity. A well-devised message is an integral and vital part of the overall communication strategy of any organization. The proposed framework covers the requirements of both external and internal audiences. Within the organization, it helps business managers and leaders to perform the basic functions of management planning, motivating, organizing, and controlling. The recommended two-way communication of messages in Harley Davidson will play a critical role in the understanding of viewpoints of both the management and employees. Experts call for the two-way communication because it results in improved performance and innovation (Richards, 2018; Rajapathirana & Hui, 2018). In order to ensure clear and precise messaging, the company should keep in mind its audience, invest enough time and efforts to construct the message, and select an appropriate medium for communication.
Harley Davidson should employ communication experts with the ability to compile messages after assessing the peculiar needs of the internal and external stakeholders. For example, when announcing the periodical accounting and financial results, the company should clearly mention the payout to shareholders and bonuses to employees. The clarity about financial gains may satisfy both internal and external audiences. Similarly, the department managers of the entity should take care of the content of the message. According to some experts, carelessly designed content may seriously damage the credibility of the sender (Soto, 2017). The company should also comply with the relevant corporate regulations when devising and implementing its messaging strategy. The agility is the key to success in a dynamic business environment.
B) STRATEGY THAT WILL ALLOW HARLEY DAVIDSON TO DEVELOP COMMUNICATIONS THAT RAPIDLY RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDIENCES.
The organization should strengthen its communication department through close liaison with academia and industry so that the benefits of the latest research and international best practices may be reaped. In the modern business world, the pace of development and corporate happenings is very fast, and a conventional communication strategy may not be helpful in securing goals. The best way, in this case, is to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) that may reduce the time of response in case of certain happenings. The executive management of the entity should set up a committee under a senior member of the board of directors that will set the direction of the communication plan. The proposed group should cater to the requirements of both external and internal stakeholders. It must be noted that stakeholders may change their positions. For example, an employee from the company and become the supplier after some time. Therefore, the company should be fair and honest while dealing with all kinds of audiences. There are many instances where the ex-employees of the companies have unearthed fraudulent communications of various firms. Harley Davidson enjoys good repute in the motorcycle industry; therefore, it should work diligently to come up to expectations of both internal and external audiences. The communications transmitted by the company should always be true and fair, and it should never try to deceive any party.
C) RECOMMENDATIONS SUPPORTED BY COMMUNICATION THEORY AND BEST PRACTICES TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE WRITTEN AND VERBAL DELIVERY OF HARLEY DAVIDSON’S COMMUNICATION IN REACHING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDIENCES.
The experts of communication have coined various theories to explain the process of coding and decoding of messages. The detailed review of available information about the organization reveals that no specific theory covers all aspects of communication by the entity. The communication by the entity may be analyzed in the framework of Cultivation Theory that suggests that electronic and print media shapes an individual’s sense of reality (“Communication Theories,” 2018). Because internal and external audience acquires info with the help of arbitrated bases despite of the direct exposure. Resultantly, their view of world turn out to be more predisposed by these resources. For instance, Cultivation Theory proposes that girls who could watch people shopping on TV may consider the general public as more extravagant than they actually are. The company should take advantage of the influence of media on people through a comprehensive communication strategy as discussed in various sections of this paper. The company should continue to focus on the reliability of its products through a media campaign. The sustained advertisement will mold the minds in favor of the company in light of Cultivation Theory.
Apart from the electronic media, the company should also run campaigns on print media because the impact of this form of advertisement lasts for a longer period. The longer impact reduces the cost of advertisement that may enable the entity to extend the outreach of its publicity in limited budget. The modern day, social media is another avenue that should be worked upon by the management of the company. A comprehensive strategy should give due weight to multiple communication media and channels.
D) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON TO IMPROVE THE ALIGNMENT OF THEIR COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES.
The focus of vision, mission, and values of the company is quality and trust. The entity should align the communication strategy to promote its vision, mission, and values. In order to achieve this goal, the company should connect its values with advertisement campaigns. The company may engage in new advertisement agencies that can be helpful in achieving its public perception goals. The company should focus on social media as conventional electronic and print media are expensive. The company should use customer testimonials to gain the trust of the general public.
E) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNICATION TO CREATE A MORE DESIRABLE PERCEPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION.
The entity should act in accordance with the Cultivation Theory and use the power of media to build its image. The company had enjoyed some success in the current decade as it tried to expand the brand’s awareness amongst multiple segments of the societies in which the entity sells its products. The company should launch a campaign that aligns its marketing and communication strategies with its mission statement. The mission “We fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling…” is very attractive to youngsters; therefore, the communication should attract young people. In order to have a desirable public perception, the entity should publicize its social welfare activities. Moreover, the firm should gain the favor of the public through operating in an environmentally friendly way. The communication of conscious environmental approach will help in expanding brand awareness. The detailed analysis of the company’s operation proves that the organization operates in developed nations only that makes is very difficult to adopt a careless policy.
F) GUIDELINES CONTAINING THE IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON TO FOLLOW WHEN IMPLEMENTING THE DEVELOPED COMMUNICATION PLAN. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WOULD THE ORGANIZATION NEED TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN? WHO SHOULD BE IN CHARGE OF IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN?
The communication committee consisting of at least three experienced and skilled board members will be in charge of implementing the communication plan. The chief executive officer (CEO) of the organization should also monitor the progress. In case of any negative variances, corrective measures must be taken without delays. The findings may be shared with relevant employees so that the quality of work improves. The most important procedures for the company is to have a comprehensive communication policy aligned with its core values, mission, and vision. It is vital to note that the entity should take care of all the markets in which the company sells its products. The regulation in one province of a nation may be different from other cities. The company should consider cultural and religious differences in various countries where it operates. It is recommended to adapt to local cultures so that the positive image of the entity may be strengthened. The firm should learn lessons from the mistakes of other small and large entities.
Corporate communication plays an important role in the smooth operations and the success of an entity. It is important for the executive and departmental management to clearly understand the dynamics of modern business and communication so that the effectiveness of the messaging may be increased. Harley Davidson should establish a board committee to devise, implement, and monitor the comprehensive corporate communication strategy to achieve organizational objectives. The company should focus on print, social, and conventional electronic media. In the past, the organization has spent considerably less on communication as compared to large companies; however, the entity enjoys good repute in the market. The entity should ensure that the message is clear so that no ambiguity is created in the communication process. The message should cater to the requirements of both external and internal audience and stakeholders. Apart from this, the communication process should follow the guidelines of relevant regulators so that no fines are imposed on the company.
References
Communication Theories. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories
Rajapathirana, R., & Hui, Y. (2018). Relationship between innovation capability, innovation type, and firm performance. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(1), 44-55. doi: 10.1016/j.jik.2017.06.002
Richards, L., (2018). How Effective Communication Will Help an Organization. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-communication-organization-1400.html
Soto, A., (2017). The importance of content in communication – ADDMIRA 360º Agency Since 2001. Retrieved from https://addmira.com/en/the-importance-of-content-in-communication/
