Characteristics Of External Messages Course Work Examples

Part 1. There are several characteristics of an effective message for an external audience including being honest, clear, consistent and meaningful. I know they are all important, but if you had to choose ONE, which one do you think is most important and why.
It is clear that creation of an effective message is a complex and multi-layered process, which requires significant effort from the company. All the characteristics, like being honest, clear, consistent and meaningful, are extremely important, but if I had to choose one, on which to focus special effort, for me it would be the necessity to be honest.
I consider this characteristic to be the most important, as I think that without taking honesty as a basis for building the external message of a company it is impossible to reach any purposes. The thing is, in the case honesty is neglected, the whole company’s image and external message in particular are built on a lie, sometimes inoffensive, but in any case detrimental in the long run.
The most interesting moment that allows to see how honesty is important in formulating the external message is the fact that even when customers are attracted by believing in the deceptive message, they never stay with the company. As soon as they understand that they were deceived, they will not only leave the company, but will also tell their friends about the dishonesty they became victims of. Moreover, today, when everyone uses Internet for information sharing, there is a high chance that a vast audience will find out about the dishonesty in the shortest possible time.
Thus, being honest in building the external message has never been more topical, than in today’s society. The fact that in future communication between people is going to become more and more easy and convenient, it is necessary to build truthful image from the very beginning, so as not to destroy it in future. So, the companies have to do their best to work in a way that attracting and interesting external messages are true for them. It is not easy, of course, but eventually it brings the best possible results.
Part 2. Choose a corporate website and analyze the communication techniques and processes used on the site. Consider the message of the corporation, the content, and the audience.
For this assignment I have chosen a website of a leading company in providing healthcare services – Bupa. Its corporate website is www.bupa.com and in my point of view it is well-designed and developed. It clearly states the company’s message and shapes its image. Communication techniques used at the website are properly selected and on the whole it can be defined as user- and customer-friendly.
All the information that it is necessary to understand about the company for the visitors can be found in the About Us section of the website. In this section there are the following subsections: What we do, Our history, Our approach, Our status and governance, Advertising campaigns and Information center. In the first subsection information is presented in concise and convenient manner, which allows people to immediately see the benefits they can get from cooperation with the company. In the Our History section it becomes clear that the company has a longstanding history of success, which is very important in such an important sphere as healthcare, which they represent.
Their approach to work is the most direct description of their external message that they themselves defined. I think that it is formulated in a meaningful and concise manner, which definitely attracts attention of the visitors and shows that the company is reliable, caring and worthy of their attention. The subsection dedicated to the Bupa’s status and governance also perfectly adds up to the external message formulated with the help of the website. In here all visitors can see the structure of the company, the principles of its work and the other interesting information about the firm. I particularly liked the way each section and subsection is organized, as everything is clear when you use the website – where you are and where you can find the information that is interesting for you.
The section dedicated to description of advertising campaigns shows the company’s positioning in the mass media, which is also important in today’s world. In the last subsection called Information Center it is possible to download official reports and factsheets of the company. As for me, it is a sign that they have nothing to hide from their existing and potential customers, which is why all the necessary information is available for everyone.
The company’s audience is vast, which is why it was important to formulate such a message that is easily understandable and clear for everyone. I think that Bupa coped with this difficult task perfectly, creating a perfect website to satisfy the curiosity of its customers and back up the company’s successful image. Website content and communication technique are selected and used wisely and effectively, which is why I think the company will be able to further develop for a long time since today.