TO: The Board of Governors, Oracle Corporation.

FROM: The Director of External Relations, Oracle Corporation.

DATE: 15^th October, 2016

SUBJECT: Proposed Policy on Media Inquiries.

The purpose of this memo is to propose a new policy on media inquiries within the company. The policy proposes the restriction and limitation of employees from speaking to journalists regarding Oracle Corporation without the requisite approval by third level management. The implementation of this policy will require that employees wishing to speak to media personalities seek approval from third level management. This proposal is geared towards the minimizations of misrepresentations regarding the company in the wake of increased media attention. Oracle Corporation must decipher the increased media attention for what it is and the potential of this attention to ruin the company’s prospects. In view of these possibilities, I propose that the company implements the proposal in full to safeguard the company’s growth. It is my sincere hope that the board will deem this proposal worthy and approve its implementation as soon as possible.

As you may have noticed, our company has continued to improve in terms of financial performance over the last few years. As a result of this improvement and years of substantial business stability, Oracle Corporation has become more newsworthy. Indeed, some of you have been stopped along the corridors of the premises by journalists wishing to field questions from you. One of the positive signs from this increased media attention is the fact that most of these journalists work for trade and financial publications. The positivity in this development is the ultimate improvement of the company’s image among the customers. While the increased media attention is a positive development, it can only be safeguarded through competent and comprehensive reporting. It is on the basis of these considerations that this policy is proposed and its subsequent implementation anticipated.

Over the recent past, Oracle Corporation has increased media attention following continuous increases in profits. This increase is well manifested in the fact that more than ten interviews have been conducted within the premises regarding the company. These statistics exceed any records of similar activity in the company’s ten years of operation. While most of the employees continue to wallow in this joy of increased media attention, it poses the threat of bringing the company to its knees if it is not regulated. Of course, there is a benefit in that the company’s brand continues to grow in strength and stature. However, media attention is like a double edged sword carrying with it both benefits and drawbacks. The drawbacks resulting from media attention are most significant perhaps for the role they play in the downfall of major companies. Negative press coverage has profound effects on a company’s long term sustainability as the case of BP proves. The reporting of the Gulf disaster in which BP admitted to having caused oil spills resulted in the damaging of the company’s reputation. Oracle Corporation is not spared of such negative reporting if it continues to allow journalists access to its resources unregulated.

Although the current reporting is positive, there is no guarantee that the company will not face negative press coverage in the near future. This proposal therefore serves to prepare the company for bad days that are sure to occur sooner than later. Reporters are also known to be cheeky in their reporting such that they exploit small issues and make them seem extremely large. Some of the reporters are thus bound to focus on sensational reporting and not on accurate reporting. This transformation has negative implications fo the company especially at this modern times of social media revolution. It is possible for the world to turn against a company because of negative press reporting leading to its eventual downfall. BP, Toyota among other companies are proof of this possibility. Oracle Corporation must not yield to the possibility of such downfalls instigated by negative media reporting. The company must thus be prepared to avoid the occurrence of these misrepresentations. This policy proposal serves to cement this preparedness by streamlining the nature in which interviews are conducted with external media personalities.

The policy proposal can only be a blessing for the company as it targets even better performance in the future. The company is at an advantage because it already has a functional external relations department that can tackle these issues. However, the company must strengthen its approach to issues of media attention by adopting a strict policy on the same. The implementation of this policy is quite basic seeing that the existing external relations department can spearhead its implementation. Previous incidents in which the media has embarrassed Oracle Corporation should serve as a leading motivation in the adoption of this policy. In anticipation of this approval, the external relations department has already sensitized the employees on the importance of seeking approval before speaking to media personalities regarding the company. Hopefully, the board will regard this matter with the urgency it deserves and approve the proposal as soon as possible.

Summary of the Strategy

Every other day, businesses receive proposals regarding changes in policies and programs. The purpose of this dynamic nature is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the organizations. One of the ways in which such proposals are communicated is the use of business memos targeted at specific individuals; usually the decision makers. This proposal appreciates the importance of business memos in communicating anticipated policy changes. In this regard, the author employed the use of memos in presenting the policy proposal to the board of governors for consideration and eventual approval.

Part of the reason why the author used a business memo in communicating the proposal is the fact that members of the board are quite busy. Contacting each of the board members would have been a difficult task spanning over a period of time. The use of the memo is therefore strategic in that it communicates a similar message to all the members of the board at the same time. The memo is very specific regarding the intended audience therefore restricting access to the information contained in it. Moreover, it is communicated in the wake of increased media attention on the company’s performance.

In presenting the policy proposal to the board of governors, the author anticipates the use of a business memo to show seriousness. Communication through other avenues such as personal emails would not have yielded the level of seriousness anticipated. In addition, the use of memos is highly formal in business communication therefore guaranteeing official treatment. Still, the proposal requires a sense of urgency because it addresses a current issue. Therefore, using a memo is most effective because the communication is instantaneous. The strategy used therefore served the purposes of urgency and seriousness and was highly effective in attaining both objectives.

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