27 Mar Product Recall Campaign – Managing the Challenge and Identifying Opportunities

If you run into any unforeseen issues/emergencies that may prevent you from meeting the

deadline, please reach out to your assigned academic coach and or myself.

Submission: via Moodle. Please click on the assignment link in Module 6 and it will

take you to the page where you would be able to upload the document.

This is an individual activity.

Please email any questions to your assigned academic coach.

Key Learning Objectives (for all written activities):

1) Apply knowledge learned in specific modules to actual business phenomenon.

2) Develop/enhance business research and analysis skills.

3) Communicate marketing knowledge in a formal business style research

report/insight.

Instructions

• This assignment does not have specific research and or citation requirement.

However, if you do conduct external research (highly recommended), whichever

citation format you select, it must be consistently applied throughout the

document. You can choose APA, MLA, or you can use another format (see

example below).

Example: The US GDP grew at a rate of 3% during 20191

– a figure that is

comparable to other large economies around the globe.

You can then use numeric footnotes on related page where an external source is

used or map that numeral to the references page.

• When using any images, please cite the source for the image at the bottom of the

graphic. The sources used for images must also be included in the references

section. See illustration below.

This information is proprietary to Dr. Imran Khan. Scanning, copying, website

posting, or reproducing and sharing in any form is strictly prohibited.

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Source: Zillow Group

• Page Length: 4-7 pages/slides (excluding cover page and references). The

assignment must have a cover page. For paragraph spacing requirements, see

formatting instructions for each question. The assignment must have at least 4

pages worth of content. You have the flexibility to use MS-Word or PowerPoint.

Either way, the minimum length remains at 4 pages/slides.

• Important – Students are required to meet the Turnitin threshold of 30% content

match or less. Turnitin is already integrated in Moodle and all you need to do is

click on the assignment link and it will give you the option to upload the paper

and will generate a content match percentage score. If your match percentage is

higher than 30%, you will have the opportunity to take down the document and

re-submit it until the due date. Please note that sometimes the Turnitin system,

depending on how busy their servers are, takes a bit longer (perhaps several

hours) to provide the match percentage score. If the system does not generate your

match percentage right away, please log out of Moodle and log back in and you

should be able to see the match percentage score. A tiered penalty system will be

applied for match percent higher than 30%.

• Each question must be labeled, {e.g., Q1 (a)}, and must be answered separately.

• Unless otherwise, late submissions may not be accepted or may receive partial

credit only. If an extraordinary event prevents you from submitting your paper on

time, please advise both myself and the academic coaches ahead of time or at

your earliest.

This activity relates to material covered in Modules 5 & 6. Please leverage relevant

information from the module to help you develop answers to assignment questions.

This information is proprietary to Dr. Imran Khan. Scanning, copying, website

posting, or reproducing and sharing in any form is strictly prohibited.

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Product Recall Campaign – Managing the Challenge and Identifying Opportunities

Scenario (Adapted from an Actual Automotive OEM Recall)

“ABC Motor Company is recalling more than 400,000 of its flagship SUVs, worldwide,

some for a second time, because the brake lights on the vehicles can stay on all the time.

The automaker found out that a stop lamp relay can get stuck in the on position. This

problem can limit engine power and let drivers shift out of park or start the engine

without a foot on the brake pedal. For instance, with the brake light coming on or staying

on, a driver could experience loss of engine power while driving rendering it vulnerable

to getting rear-ended by another vehicle. Similarly, being able to shift out of park without

pressing the brake pedal can lead to additional negative consequences for drivers.

The recall covers certain SUVs from the 2017 through 2020 model years. The 2017 and

2018 models were first recalled in 2019. The latest recall has a new repair and adds the

2019 and 2020 model years.

ABC says it’s aware of one crash after recall repairs were made, but no injuries. Dealers

will inspect and reposition the switch if necessary. They will also replace a brake light

relay, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall

covers more than 250,000 SUVs in the U.S.”

Task-I: Part (a) Develop a comprehensive analysis of all stakeholders who are likely to

be affected by ABC Motor Company’s product recall. The analysis should identify the

stakeholders and explain how the recall affects them. (50 points)

Part (b) Discuss short and long-term implications for ABC. (20 points)

Answer Format: Use separate headings for each time period, followed by a passage.

Single-spaced.

Task-II: Develop a consumer-focused email (minimum 1-page) which is to be sent to

product owners/lessees who are affected by the recall i.e., those who own/lease the

affected SUVs. Assume you have their contact information from when they

purchased/leased the vehicle and or when they set up their online customer account. No

specific paragraph spacing requirements for this task.

(50 points)

The email should focus on accomplishing the following objectives:

a) Persuades recipient to open the email.

b) Provides information about the recall.

c) Prompts specific action such as visiting your website or clicking on certain links

to schedule the appointment for having their vehicle inspected and or repaired.

d) Creates reassurance about the brand/company.

This information is proprietary to Dr. Imran Khan. Scanning, copying, website

posting, or reproducing and sharing in any form is strictly prohibited.

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e) Minimizes the likelihood of vehicle owners inundating your and or the dealers’

inbound customer support phone lines.

MUST HAVE ELEMENTS FOR THE EMAIL:

1. Subject line: A compelling/creative header (the goal is to cut through the email

fatigue many consumers already face from getting a plethora of emails from

marketers)

2. Email Body: Mix of text and visual content, e.g., an image (the objective is to

keep the audience engaged with the email).

3. Email Body: Call to action – e.g., some sort of an embedded button or an image

with an embedded URL, etc., that consumers must click to schedule their vehicle

inspection or recall at their local dealer. Alternatively, the button or the link can

also direct the customer to the dealer website.

Task-III: Develop a 10 question FAQ page (which may be used for your website or

other marketing collateral) pertaining to the SUV recall. The FAQ page must be targeted

at vehicle owners/lessees. No specific paragraph spacing requirements for this task. (30

points)

Answer Format: Given that this will be used on your website or in other marketing

collateral, please use a format that is easy to read/navigate yet does not come across as

dull. Please keep in mind the context when developing your questions and answers.

Task-IV: Develop an incentive for the affected owners/lessees for the inconvenience

they may have to endure because of the vehicle recall and or to encourage them to

complete the inspection/repair sooner rather than later. Moreover, in designing the

incentive, you must also keep in mind the negative impact of the recall on the dealers and

the incentive you develop should also help out the dealers. In designing the promotion,

please make sure that it is cost-effective for the company and perceived as valuable by

the consumer and the dealer. List any disclaimers/waivers that apply to the incentive in

order to minimize customer abuse. (50 points)