Assessment task

The objective of Assessment 3 is to understand the concept of 'analysis' and learn how to analyse information efficiently and effectively using a case study. According to Rosenwaser and Stephen (2009, p. 4), analysis is:

More than just a set of skills, analysis is a frame of mind, an attitude toward experience. It is a form of detective work that typically pursues something puzzling, something you are seeking to understand rather than something you are already sure you have the answers to.

Analysis finds questions where there seemed not to be any, and it makes connections that might not have been evident at first.

A business case study 'is a description of an actual situation, commonly involving a decision, a challenge, an opportunity, a problem or an issue faced by a person (or persons) in an organization' (Erskine, J.A. and Leenders, M.R., Learning with Cases, © 1997, Richard Ivey School of Business).

Cases contain relevant data about the issue available to the key person in the case, plus background information about the organisation.

The assessment 3 case study - McDonald's Twitter Campaign: Hype versus Reality 

Companies around the globe are embracing and adopting social media for many different reasons, including: customer service, marketing, internal communications, public relations, and corporate social responsibility. It is now a reality that social media is changing the way stakeholders and companies communicate daily, providing opportunities for collaboration, participation, interactivity, and engagement. A key issue for organisations concerns the design of social media campaigns to encourage better media relations and more accurate reporting.
Your task is to analyse a business case study that chronicles a series of social media events that had negative consequences for McDonald's Corporation (McDonald's). This case places you directly into the role of Rick Wion, director of social media.

The case highlights the need to:

Recognise the potential for negative consequences when using social media.Evaluate how an organisation can develop a positive relationship with the media.Devise appropriate strategies for developing social media campaigns.

Please follow these guidelines to complete the assessment:

There are four steps that you need to complete for this assignment:

1. Carefully read the Ivey Business School case: 'McDonald's Twitter Campaign: Hype versus Reality' (Product/Case Reference number: 9B13M123). Note: you will need to go onto the Ivey Business School website https://www.iveycases.com/ and purchase a copy of this case (approximately $5.00 Aud). Guidelines for purchasing the case and the communication plan template can be found under Assessment Tasks and Submission (Task 3).

2. Read the case several times and answer the following four (4) questions in your analysis/ recommendation(s):

i. What are the potential advantages and disadvantages for an organisation when using social media?

ii. Who are the different audiences McDonald's needs to address when using social media campaigns?

iii. How can Wion and his team better design future Twitter campaigns for McDonald's?

iv. Using the communication plan template, devise a strategy for Wion to encourage better media relations and more accurate reporting. The different stages of the communication plan template must fit together, if they do not, adjustments must be made.

The communication plan should be realistic and feasible.The various problems that McDonald's has experienced when using social media must be taken into account.

3. Use five to seven sources for evidence and evaluation.

4. Write a first draft of this memo at least one week prior to the due date to ensure adequate time for revision. Please be aware that in addition to the content, the writing quality and use of appropriate referencing will be marked.

5. Submit Assessment 3 to Turnitin via the Blackboard site no later than the due date: Monday 3rd September 2018, 9.00am (QLD time).

6. Refer to the Marking Criteria Guide and Marking Rubric located under Assessment Tasks and Submissions on the Blackboard.
PRIOS/CDT brief for Assessment 3:

a. Purpose: In response to McDonald's failed social media campaign and mounting public animosity, develop a course of action that Rick Wion can recommend to McDonald's management.

b. Reader: McDonald's management (author: Rick Wion).

c. Information: Based on five to seven sources for evidence and evaluation.

d. Organisation: Direct order approach.

e. Style: Formal. Be sure to proofread carefully to ensure that there are no sentence-level errors such as spelling mistakes, wrong word choice, incorrect punctuation, etc.

f. Channel choice: written document.

g. Document design: Memo format.

h. Length: 1000 words.