Employee communication strategies for the Gas Replacer product launch

Communication Strategies for the Gas Replacer

Summarize of the new product for employees

Until fairly recently, the vast majority of research into automotive propulsion technology was concentrated primarily on internal combustion engines that rely on conventional petrochemical-based gasoline and diesel fuels (Schumack & Baker, 2010). Increased concern over the growing scarcity of global fossil fuel supplies and the adverse environmental impact these fuels cause has generated significant interest in identifying ways to overcome these problems, including the use of biofuels (Schumack & Baker, 2010).

Today, there are more than 235 million cars and trucks plying the nation\'s highways, and these numbers continue to increase year to year (Hirsch, 2014). Moreover, the average age of these vehicles is around 11.5 years, meaning that a significant percentage of the nation\'s rolling stock is currently unable to use alternative fuel sources such as biofuels (Hirsch, 2014), making them perfect candidates for the Gas Replacer.

Some of the main benefits of this new product include the following:

a. The Gas Replacer allows conventional gas-powered vehicles to transition to biofuels which will reduce the nation\'s reliance on foreign suppliers, thereby improving the nation\'s security.

b. By using biofuels, the Gas Replacer also reduces carbon emissions that are believed to be responsible for global warming.

c. The Gas Replacer can be installed on new vehicles as well as retrofitted on approximately half of all existing vehicles.

Taken together, these attributes will help generate enormous interest in the Gas Replacer from the driving public and our company stands help improve the global environment as well as the nation\'s security. This interest will also help ensure the future success of our company and its ability to provide our employees with increased wages, benefits, job security and career development opportunities.

There are some constraints involved with the product launch, however, that must be addressed head-on in order to ensure the long-term success of the Gas Replacer, including most especially the need to forge improved relations with prospective consumers as well as the potential for buyers to attempt to install the product themselves or to attempt to have it installed on an inappropriate vehicle. In either of the latter two eventualities, the potential for consumer dissatisfaction is high and the company has already received a consumer complaint from the field concerning these problems. Consequently, these issues require further management attention and support from all employees and supply chain partners in order to ensure the ultimate success of this innovative, game-changing product.

2. Executive summary

Properly installed on appropriate vehicles, the Gas Replacer represents an enormous innovation for the automobile industry that can provide a number of valuable outcomes for the company and stakeholders alike. Because our new Gas Replacer product can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing the use of petrochemical-based fuels, the stakeholders for this product actually extend to the entire global population but are currently more focused on the company\'s supply chain partners. A crucial element in the future success of the Gas Replacer, though, is ensuring that the product is only installed on suitable vehicles and that the product is properly installed by qualified mechanics who have received detailed installation instructions from the company.

In addition, although a training guide has been provided by the device\'s producer to ensure that the Gas Replacer is only installed on suitable vehicles, there is a real potential for the product to be installed on unsuitable vehicles, thereby rendering both the product and the vehicle inoperable. Moreover, it remains unclear whether a critical supply chain partner, Filters, Inc., will be able to scale their production up sufficiently to accommodate the anticipated level of orders for the Gas Replacer. Taken together, the company has much to consider in the launch of this new product in order to maximize its chances for future success.

Task Two:

Develop an e-mail to motivate and encourage the staff within your company from your chosen scenario.

To: All company personnel

Subj: The Gas Replacer

Are you as excited as we are about the Gas Replacer? If not, we think you should be because this product can literally help save the world. Growing up, many of us wanted to do meaningful things with our lives that would make the world a better place, but as we grew older, most of us eventually realized just how difficult that can be. Fortunately, our company\'s new product, \"the Gas Replacer,\" holds the promise of doing just that: making the world a better place for everyone. Two distinct advantages of the Gas Replacer are its ability to be retrofitted onto millions of existing vehicles that rely on petrochemical-based fuels to allow them to use more environmentally friendly biofuels, and its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to contain further increases in global warming that threaten the future of humanity.

There are several myths about biofuels that may need to be confronted by company employees when they discuss the Gas Replacer with prospective consumers. For instance, many people believe that biofuels are an inefficient use of resources, but the reality is that for every unit of energy required to produce a domestic biofuel, fully 3.5 additional units are gained (Jobe, 2009). Moreover, the research shows that biofuels reduce the lifecycle of carbon emissions by more than three-quarters, and the increased use of these alternatives fuels is projected to prevent tens of billions of additional pounds of carbon from being release into the environment each year (Jobe, 2009).

Our new product, though, is not without is disadvantages, including most especially its potential to be installed incorrectly by untrained personnel or the potential for its being installed on unsuitable vehicles, thereby rendering them inoperable. Therefore, it is vitally important for everyone to become knowledgeable about the Gas Replacer and its specifications to provide prospective consumers with the information they need to make an informed decision concerning whether this product is right for them or not. This also means that substantive responses must be provided in a timely fashion in the event consumer complaints are received through one of our social media platforms or the mails, and that every effort is made by sales staff to ensure that the product is only sold to consumers with the appropriate types of vehicles and that they understand the need to have the product installed by trained mechanics.

C. Develop an e-mail to motivate and encourage external stakeholders of your company in your chosen scenario.

To: Supply chain partners

Subj: The advantages and disadvantages of the Gas Replacer

With a potential domestic market in excess of ten million vehicles, the Gas Replacer is well situated to explode onto the market in the near future in ways that will make a real difference in the nation\'s reliance on foreign energy suppliers while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process. Realizing the full benefits -- and revenues -- from our new product, though, will require that all supply chain partners remain responsive to changes in production requirements and help ensure that the Gas Replacer is used only in its intended manner by being installed by trained mechanics on suitable vehicles.

Therefore, in the event that your company receives any consumer complaints concerning improper installation or the product\'s installation on an unsuitable vehicle, please refer them to our consumer service department immediately together with an explanation concerning the circumstances under which you received the complaint. By working together in this fashion, we can help ensure that consumers will receive the full range of benefits from the Gas Replacer and our companies will enjoy the increased orders that result.

D. Develop a company blog entry in support of the new product from your chosen scenario.

Although you\'ve probably heard about our new product, the Gas Replacer, you may not be aware of the full range of benefits it can provide consumers. First and foremost, this is a GREAT product that has the potential to not only help consumers minimize their carbon footprints by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it will also improve the nation\'s security by reducing our dependence of foreign energy suppliers through the increased the use of domestically produced biofuels. In addition, the Gas Replacer can installed on many new vehicles as well as retrofitted for about half of the 235 million vehicles that are already driving American highways.

Please take the time to learn more about the Gas Replacer by reviewing our printed corporate promotional literature as well as the informative contents of the company\'s Web site to become more familiar with these benefits so you can share this good news with your friends, family members and others who stand to gain from the purchase of the Gas Replacer.

E. Develop a persuasive letter to the business partner in your chosen scenario in which your goal is to overcome your business partner\'s objections to a shorter manufacturing lead time.

Mr. Glen Dean

Filters, Inc.

Dear Glen,

It was good to see you again last week during our discussions concerning the lead time for future orders for the Gas Replacer. As we discussed, there is a very real potential for the sales of this product to skyrocket once its several benefits become more widely publicized and testimonials from satisfied consumer begin pouring in, but we remain concerned that Filters, Inc. will not be able to scale up the production of your filters that are an essential component in our product.

As you also know, our decision to pursue a sole supplier relationship with Filters, Inc. was based on your assurances that you could accommodate significant increases in order levels in a responsive fashion and it was based on these assurances that we have launched our most recent marketing campaign. The future success of the Gas Replacer depends in a large part on Filter, Inc.\'s ability to reduce the lead time needed to accommodate our just-in-time inventory strategy (Kwon & Suh, 2009), and we have received firm commitments from our other valued supply chain partners that they can accommodate our future needs. We would very much appreciate this same commitment from Filters, Inc. so please contact me at your earliest opportunity.