Assignment Five, Good News/Informative Communication

(50 pts)

Write a good news, informative letter based on the following:

How many elephants does it take to make 350 pianos? Only five, assuming that each one has two l50-pound tusks that can be turned into ivory keys. That may not sound like many elephants, but to fans of the endangered pachyderm, it’s five too many. Yamaha Corporation has the protest letters to prove it. Yamaha spokespeople have tried to defend the company by pointing out that it has substituted plastic for ivory in all but 0.2 percent of its pianos; nevertheless, the protests have increased. Finally, bowing to public pressure, Yamaha has decided to stop using ivory entirely. Realizing that this decision will be music to the ears of elephant defenders, the company is eager to spread the good news.

As a member of Yamaha’s public relations department, you’ve been asked to develop a form letter that can be mailed to all the people who have written to the company in the past year asking management to stop using ivory in its piano keyboards. Prepare the letter announcing Yamaha’s decision.

Overall, the document should:

• -use full block letter format
• -unlike the examples, use left justification, not full justification
• -show the "you" attitude
• -clarity is important, be as concise as possible
• -prioritized information based upon the reader's needs/desires
• -design your document so that the most important points stand out, use bulleted lists and plenty of white space
  

The opening paragraph should:

• -contain a purpose statement
• -include the good news from the start
• -tell your reader why your information is important to them by listing specific benefits to them
  

The middle of the letter should:

• -explain essential details, relating to the reader's needs
  

The closing paragraph should:

• -express goodwill
• -emphasize how your information is designed to help the reader
• -suggest future action
• -ask the reader for comments, raise questions, or offer suggestions