The Board of Directors, shareholders, Hans Baumwolleh (CEO), the Senior Management Team, Human Resources and the Sales department will need customized messages as well.

Engaging management from all levels will be essential to the success of the company plan in reaching the goals and objectives as they are stated. To achieve that success will take communication between all parties, all individuals and all departments. Communication, therefore, is essential to the overall success of the company. Management will play a key role in that communicating, and will need to remember that not all employees see things in the exact same way as management does. It is crucial that a positive tone be carried through in all correspondence (whether written or verbal) especially in regards to the company's new goals, objectives and direction.

Management will play a crucial role in the success or failure of this new direction, and will be advised to maintain consistent, positive messages and provide a context to those messages that will assist others in understand not only what the company is attempting, but the why's and wherefores as well.

Our external communications are equally as important, especially when speaking with those in the financial industry (ie; financial and industry analysts). This particular audience can be like sharks circling a wounded dolphin, and must be kept at bay. Keeping the analysts at bay does not mean that the company spokesperson mislead them in anyway, but it is important to relay not just the message to these individuals, but the way the message is presented that can be just as important.

Special care must be taken by the company representatives to adhere to the 'company line' and be positive in all remarks and conversations with these analysts. Another audience that we must keep in mind is the consuming public that has either been purchasing our product for years, as well as the consuming newcomer to the company's product.

The newcomer may be the more important of the two, although the company must not forget those consumers that have been loyal to the company for a great number of years. These consumers will ultimately determine if the company will be successful in its endeavors or will become just another dot on the map of companies that used to be.

Spokesperson Credibility

It is well-known that a company can be represented either with sincerity, style, grace and believability, or it can be represented in the exact opposite manner.

Credibility is enhanced or diminished by how the information is presented. The company is going to be attempting a major overhaul on both its product and its market, and with such an overhaul comes a lot of skepticism on the part of the so called experts.

Skepticism on the part of the experts can lead to a skeptic public, this skepticism would have to be overcome in order to facilitate the company's overhaul.

One of the ways to overcome that skepticism is by having a spokesperson that oozes credibility. One such person can be the CEO, Hans Baumwolleh.

This gentleman (Hans) is a fourth generation owner, a man who truly cares about his employees, and he portrays the stability, the believability and the sincerity that is essential when speaking to the public, the media or to shareholders. With Hans at the forefront, leading both internal and external communications, many of the audiences he will be addressing will feel more secure, more comfortable and more likely to support what the company is attempting. His commitment to the company he leads, as well as to the future of that company is almost palpable and he exudes a confidence in his abilities to lead the company towards whatever goals are deemed viable.

Desired Response(s)

If this communication plan is successful, it is hoped that the company will realize the support of all parties, at least to the extent that those parties or audiences will not actively fight against the company's change in direction, even if they do not believe that it is the best possible move for the company. It is also hoped that the following will occur with a successful implementation of this communication plan:

Gain a buy-in from all affected parties to the communication plan

Audiences will understand why the company chooses to pursue such a radical change

Employees will understand what their respective roles will be during the company's product line change and how they can most effectively assist in a smooth transition

Employees will focus on what it takes to excel in their respective roles

Consistent and positive messages will be provided to all affected audiences

Media...

The employees are going to desire a leader who can and will lead them with confidence.
In addition to the worries that will be suffered by the employees, the public, the analysts and the shareholders will also be watching the happenings with a very watchful eye. Therefore, a communication plan has been created that has four distinct phases.

The first phase is going to be aimed at the marketplace and especially those individuals in the demographic range that we are targeting. The company will be making a drastic move by attempting a new product line and will have to be patient and focus on maintaining current relationships, as well as building new ones with retailers and wholesalers. This approach allows the company the advantage of using already established commitments and relationships to grow the market already in place.

The company's first priority is to focus on the consumers that will be purchasing these products and the media that will deliver the company's message to those consumers. Proactive news releases as well as advertisements that will enhance the product line are essential and will be created by the public affairs and advertising departments respectively.

The second phase will be to focus the company's message on the employees who are naturally going to be anxious over the company's change of direction and what it means for them. This can be accomplished by holding regular meetings with the department heads and managers who will then be instructed and informed as to the day-to-day happenings that they can then relay to the other employees as seen fit.

To ensure that management is able to effectively and consistently deliver the company's message it is recommended that weekly (or more often if necessary) meetings be held for discussions and to answer all questions management may have. Weekly meetings for the other employees can then be conducted by management.

It is of vital importance that these meetings present a strong message with no mixed signals. An open and aboveboard atmosphere must be maintained at all times. Management is encouraged to be as honest as possible about the objectives and potential for the company as well as any possible pitfalls. Research has shown that this approach by the company as well as the company's management works the best and provides the most likely scenario for success.

The third phase of the communication plan will focus on introducing the product to the consumer and the consumer to the product. This can be accomplished with teamwork by all associated departments. These departments must communicate in a regular and ongoing fashion in order to facilitate the smoothest possible transition from children's clothing to upscale young adult clothing. The objective is clear and communication of that objective is of utmost importance between the departments in order to coordinate the different areas of designing and producing such a product. Success will follow those who have a step-by-step plan and follow the process in a step-by-step manner.

Each department will be responsible for communicating to its employees as well as to the other departments exactly where and during what timeframe their goals and objectives will be met.

The fourth and final phase will be a coming together of all the parties and audiences in a symphonic way, that will allow the consumer to purchase a product that is made of high quality material, in a durable manner, for a fair price.

This product will be provided in a consistent and efficient manner by employees who work diligently to create and produce such a product for consumption.

Verified Results

The plan will be considered successful when the numbers have been verified that show whether the company has made a smooth transition from one product to the other. The numbers will include revenue at or above the same level as was produced in the same period one year ago. Profits will also be measured by an earnings per share that (less the cost of the transition) are also at or above the same figures from one year ago. Taking into account that this is an aggressive evaluation, such numbers will be carefully observed and at the first…