Designing marketing strategy

 

 

 

In today’s information age, customers have access to various digital platforms to access and share information. Customers also use these platforms to communicate with service providers, share opinions, and provide feedback. Therefore, it is important for product owners and service providers to be ready with a response plan for all communications over digital platforms.

You are a regional marketing director of a theme park and responsible for designing marketing strategy for the reopening of the park. Each department is helping you with the relevant and required information. As the date of reopening of the parks gets closer, the business intelligence unit of the organization in the scenario has noticed a surge of negative opinions among consumers. This is evident not only on social media platforms but also across a host of other digital media platforms, such as the organization’s websites and other digital information sources. A major cause of concern is that the organization’s ethics are being questioned in most of these negative opinions.

The business intelligence unit has sent a memo to share their concerns. The CMO has asked you to respond to this memo by creating a recommendation report.

Prompt
Write a recommendation report, in a memo format, to the CMO of the organization in the course scenario, describing the strategies to minimize the negative opinion from consumers. Refer to the Business Intelligence Memo to ensure adjustments and additions to the plan for stopping negative publicity. In your memo, emphasize the need for cross-functional effort alignment, crisis management, social media response methods, and CSR communications.

Specifically, you must address the following criteria:

Describe how you must now pivot from your previous plan to introduce strategic changes to stop negative publicity.
Which two steps will you take to effectively address the negative publicity related to the park re-opening?
Describe the cross-functional effort alignment.
How can the organization’s sales and operations departments help address the negative publicity?
How can you use marketing channels to communicate the safety measures to the customers?
Explain how a crisis communication plan can improve the organization’s image, when aligned with ethical practices.
How would you use your public relations efforts in crisis communication?
How would you use your corporate website for crisis communication?
Describe the social media response methods to be used in this scenario.
How would you address negative comments?
How would you answer the safety-related questions?

 

Sample Answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEMORANDUM

TO: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) FROM: Regional Marketing Director DATE: October 17, 2025 SUBJECT: Recommendation Report: Strategies for Mitigating Negative Consumer Opinion and Addressing Ethical Concerns Ahead of Park Reopening

 

I. Executive Summary and Strategic Pivot

 

The Business Intelligence Unit's findings regarding the surge in negative consumer opinions, particularly those questioning our organization’s ethics, are critical and demand immediate, decisive action. Continuing with a promotional "excitement-only" campaign is no longer feasible; it would appear tone-deaf and further erode trust.

The Business Intelligence Unit's findings regarding the surge in negative consumer opinions, particularly those questioning our organization’s ethics, are critical and demand immediate, decisive action. Continuing with a promotional "excitement-only" campaign is no longer feasible; it would appear tone-deaf and further erode trust.

We must pivot the core marketing strategy from Promotion and Excitement to Empathy, Transparency, and Ethical Responsibility (CSR Communications). Our communications goal is now to restore public confidence by demonstrating genuine accountability and ethical governance, making safety and integrity the foundation of the reopening narrative.

 

II. Two Immediate Strategic Steps

 

To effectively address the negative publicity, particularly the ethical scrutiny, I recommend the following two steps be initiated immediately: