The intent of this message will include demonstrating that while impacted by Katrina, the Nosh remains a responsible employer committed to its employees every step of the way in their own personal journey's to recovery. It is important Ms. Pepper recognize employee's feelings about change and articulates her rationale behind hiring new employees. It is important former employees who worked at the restaurant who plan to return recognize that any new employees hired by Ms. Pepper will adopt the same cultural values and moral principles that have made the restaurant so successful in the past.

To ensure the consistency of all messages relayed to customers and employees, Ms. Pepper should hold weekly meetings initially to help answer employee's questions and to gauge employee's satisfaction with workplace principles and functions. These meetings will also serve as an opportunity to new members of the staff to get to know established members more closely, providing them opportunities to bond and share information about each other's personal and work preferences. These weekly meetings will also encourage daily communications and ensure all specific concerns held by individual employees are addressed in a timely fashion.

The next step of the communications plan will involve assimilating the values, attitudes, morals and beliefs of former employees with new ones to ensure an organizational culture is developed that reflects the strategic aims and objectives of the Nosh. It is important that former employees and newer employees come to a common understanding about the factors that ultimately will drive the Nosh to the number one spot again among New Orleans restaurants. While the restaurant is in and of itself the same and remains unchanged, employees working there after Katrina are working in a new business environment, internally and externally. It is important in this respect each member of the staff work together to form productive relationships with each other and members of the community.

Ms. Pepper will also have to work on creating a culture that encourages interaction and participation with the community. If an organizational culture is built that creates community ties, the restaurant is more likely to succeed in the long-term and rebuild its reputation (Bennet, Fadil & Greenwood, 1994). Former employees that are hired back must realize they might be able to learn some things from new employees, just as much as new employees may learn something from former employees. A policy of open communication and sharing should be encouraged on this account.

To help ensure communications between established and new team members result in greater productivity and a positive work culture and environment, Ms. Pepper should appoint team leaders whose tasks include building trust among all employees. Each member of the staff must view their role as part of a team to ensure a functional and productive work environment. All team members should also be encouraged to communicate any concerns, problems or recommendations they may have to improve organizational performance directly to team leaders or at weekly team meetings.

The last step of the communications strategy will involve reopening the Nosh and reestablishing a daily routine that will result in corporate success. To ensure the success of the re-launch, Ms. Pepper should consider providing members of the community incentives for trying the Nosh again. This will include providing members of the community certain discounts to encourage a long-term relationship with community members. Ms. Pepper should also consider partnering with other businesses celebrating their grand openings. This will include providing meals and catering services to new businesses that are also getting their feet on the ground after the Katrina disaster. This will only serve to help grow the communal feel formerly associated with the Nosh, and help reestablish the idea that the Nosh is a family oriented business with strong ties and interest in the well being of the community.

By partnering with other businesses in the community, the Nosh will gain acceptance among new community members more swiftly, as news of the family oriented culture at the Nosh will spread through residences and businesses alike (Bennett, Fadil & Greenwood, 1994).

As part of the reopening of the Nosh Ms. Pepper will need to create a promotional

This campaign should also focus on rebuilding relationships with new and old businesses and marketing the company's services and commitment to family values within the community.
Ms. Pepper should also consider hosting small parties and special events to attract new customers to her business and send the message that the Nosh is interested in forming long-term partnerships with community members that include celebrating annual or key events in community members lives (like birthdays, anniversaries etc.).

Low (2000) also notes that it is important organizations work more closely on coordinating marketing and communications activities to help create more productivity and value from dollars allocated to marketing and advertising efforts. To this extent Ms. Peppers should evaluate where her marketing dollars will be best spent. These dollars should include a focus on consumer focused or oriented advertisements that emphasize the service oriented and family like culture adopted at the Nosh. The communications strategies mentioned thus far that will help reestablish the reputation of the Nosh include public relations and sales promotion. Ms. Pepper should also engage in a direct mail and print advertising campaign to spread awareness of her restaurant, its employees and its efforts at rebuilding the reputation New Orleans once held as an entertainment leader in the south (Low, 2000).

The print advertising campaign should include printing not only in local newspapers but also in national newspapers, especially to attract the interest of candidates considering visiting or moving back to the New Orleans area.

Key Messages

CEO Ms. Pepper

The first priority of the New Orleans Nosh is ensuring staff members new and old alike are adopting the same values, beliefs and principles, which must include a commitment to the community and the best possible customer service. To that effect we encourage every employee to voice their concerns and recommendations for improving service and delivery at the Nosh.

There are many opportunities to leverage community partnerships with the services provided by the Nosh. The Nosh is also eager to recruit displaced workers who are interested in working in an environment committed to family, service, loyalty and trust. The Nosh will emphasize its commitment to responsibility and work to reemploy citizens who are interested and eager in working in a supportive and committed environment.

Employees

Former employees have had to undergo quite a bit of change since the events following Katrina. The company has provided former employees an outline for the Nosh's new strategic development, which includes creating partnerships and trusting relationships with new employees and members of the community working to reestablish their businesses.

The Nosh and its employees are eager to create new business partnerships with community members and help new businesses and former community strongholds create effective and supportive work environments.

Employees work directly with team leaders, community members and the CEO to address concerns of community members. The communications plan outlined by the CEO provides key messages and strategic objectives for the company, which includes building strong partnerships with community members and businesses.

Team Leaders

Team leaders will work to help coordinate all communications and ensure that all employees, staff and community members are well apprised of strategic aims and objectives.

Managers

Managers are expected to hold weekly meetings with all team members to encourage their participation and interest in the community and success of the Nosh in the long-term.

The managers will work to educate employees about the Nosh's key values including it's commitment to quality and customer service, as well as it's commitment to the success and well being of the community.

Measurement and Evaluation

Ms. Pepper will work closely with managers to help assess the effectiveness of the communications plan in the crisis environment surrounding the events of Katrina. Decisive indicators or factors to assess will include whether the Nosh begins to build up a loyal customer following again. To facilitate this the Nosh will provide customers feedback cards that will help gauge their satisfaction with service and their perceived interpretation of the culture being developed at the Nosh. The frequency with which patrons return to the Nosh and provide positive feedback will be one indicator of the success of the communications strategy. Other predictors of success will include turnover. Ms. Pepper will keep a close eye on turn over rates to assess the extent to which the communications plan is building trust and satisfaction between former and new employees working with the company.

The experts suggest cultural integration and assimilation will be vital to the success and well being of the Nosh and it's ability to achieve a solid relationship with the community (Bennett, Fadil & Greenwood, 1994). Team leaders will work directly with employees providing opportunities to discuss how well the Nosh is meeting its strategic aims related to the community and members of the staff. The team leaders will also work to gain important feedback from employees about their satisfaction with…