consider the communication analysis and needs assessment you conducted to determine 3 SMART communication objectives

QUESTION

Part I – Communication Objectives — For the company you have selected, consider the communication analysis and needs assessment you conducted to determine 3 SMART communication objectives. For all objectives, provide a brief memo (minimum of 1500 words, total) explaining how they link to your organization’s goals and challenges. This part of the assignment will be graded on conceptual understanding of SMART objectives, and the link between strategic communication efforts and broad business needs.    Part II – Targeted Messaging Talk-through — Using the communication objectives you established, identify 3 key audiences/personas your client should focus on. After identifying those 3 key audiences/personas, develop targeted strategies that will resonate with your target audience. Using a minimum of 1500 words, explain your objectives, key audiences/personas, your targeted strategies and why your strategies will resonate with each intended audience. Lastly, briefly make a case for which media channels might be best suited for each of your chosen audiences and why. Below is the first paper the assignment refers to: In researching the communication outlets of SpaceX, I found an organization that is looking to be the people’s favorite in an industry full of forgettable names.

Founded by Elon Musk, a man who exudes an aura of mysterious genius, SpaceX has tried to bring that sense of cool into the field of science that has been on the outskirts of pop culture by using modern day outlets of communication to stay relevant to its fanbase. The first of the media outlets I investigated was the SpaceX website, where I investigated their mission statement. Although it was not on their actual website, SpaceX’s mission statement reads as follows, “SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of making life multiplanetary.” What is most compelling about this is how this mission statement inspires action with this big idea; not only does SpaceX design, build, and launch rockets, but their goal to make life multiplanetary is a goal that encourages dreaming big. Their site also contained a they had an “updates” page where they informed anybody from the casual fan to their stakeholders of new advancements in the company. This update page was filled with various success stories of past missions, but what stood out the most was how the company advertised their differentiators. SpaceX stuck with the unheralded cool vibe by announcing their partnership with the United States Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center on Friday, September 25, 2020. A few swipes-lengths of a scroll leads you to even more innovations on their end, with the landing of their reusable-manned ship.

Next, I looked at their social media to observe their more informal advertising and copy. @SpaceX is an informational account that gives its viewers bite sized bits of information regarding updates to launch plans, advancements on new space crafts, and a landing page for all of the multimedia surrounding the company. The twitter page seems to be the primary outlet in which SpaceX and its fans interact, tweeting a couple times a day gives it a nice saturation of their feed. Once again, a big theme on their page is full of how revolutionary their work is, focusing on the creation of spaceships with never before seen capabilities, such as their reusability. They also have adapted to the age of technology by using the “live” feature of twitter via periscope, to broadcast their launches not only on television, but now on your cell phone.   The last part of my research was focused on outside media sources reporting on SpaceX from a third party. A Washington Post article written by Jacob Bogage and Christian Davenport reported that the May 30th SpaceX launch, “was a historic moment for SpaceX, which became the first private corporation to launch people into orbit, and for NASA, which has struggled to regain its footing after retiring the Space Shuttle in 2011, leaving the U.S. no option but to rely on Russia to ferry its astronauts to space for as much as $90 million a seat.” In a parallel manner, an article aptly titled “How SpaceX, social media and the ‘worm’ helped NASA become cool again”, by CNBC’s Tom Huddleson Jr. explains, “This support from NASA and the U.S. government is spurring exciting innovation like SpaceX’s development of reusable rockets, which greatly reduces the cost of space travel and makes Musk’s high-profile goals, like putting humans on Mars, seem all the more attainable.”

The bottom line is, that for NASA, SpaceX brings back the nostalgia that let them dominate pop culture by reviving their shuttle program, and for SpaceX, NASA gives them an opportunity to continue to develop their space program.   Needs Assessment             Of the three categories of communication that was observed (formal, informal, and third party), the best at communicating to its target audience was the informal social media. The twitter account did a lot of things well: created bite sized content that made the content easy to digest, constantly informed their audience of the happenings of the company and had a mixture of media including pictures and videos of landings and the actual building of these spaceships. All of these are important in order to establish a well put together social media presence in the technological era, because the average follower only wants to spend a few minutes on the individual content, due to their decreased attention span. The outlet that needs the most work is the formal SpaceX website. While there is a lot of good information of what the company has to offer, there is no true landing page where the companies mission statement, vision, and values can be found. An addition of an “about us” tab is crucial, because while they are gaining popularity, some people might stumble onto their site and not know much about what SpaceX does.

In addition to the addition of an about us tab, their site needs to organize the various rockets and projects better in the menu. As of right now, each rocket or mission has its own tab, which makes it a tad bit harder to find the information you are looking for. On the bright side, once I was acquainted with the site, a lot of the information found on its update tab was easily found within the recent twitter posts. The third party media articles were both impressively praising the company’s recent successes, but what may be hard is maintaining that moment, SpaceX was the first privately contracted space ship launched on US soil—a very noteworthy fact, but the fear is whether or not they will be able to continue to make headlines, once space travel becomes the norm again. Overall, SpaceX showed good to great communication on all fronts, which is no surprise, because they founder has been a staple in pop culture in the past few years and the man knows the power of twitter (see @Elonmusk on twitter, very active in responding to fans) and how to promote a product like Tesla and SpaceX.

ANSWER

Memo: Communication Objectives and Link to Organization’s Goals and Challenges

To: [Your Name]
From: [Your Name]
Date: [Date]

Subject: Communication Objectives and Link to Organization’s Goals and Challenges

I have conducted a communication analysis and needs assessment for SpaceX, and based on the findings, I have identified three SMART communication objectives that are aligned with the organization’s goals and challenges. Below, I will outline each objective and explain how it links to SpaceX’s broader business needs.

Objective 1: Increase Public Awareness and Understanding of SpaceX’s Mission and Vision

SMART Objective: By the end of the fiscal year, increase the general public’s awareness and understanding of SpaceX’s mission and vision by 20% through targeted communication efforts.

Rationale and Link to Organization’s Goals and Challenges:
SpaceX’s mission and vision are crucial for the company’s long-term success. By increasing public awareness and understanding, SpaceX can foster support and engagement from a broader audience, including potential customers, partners, and stakeholders. This objective directly aligns with the organization’s goal of revolutionizing space transportation and making life multiplanetary. By effectively communicating the company’s goals and inspiring people to dream big, SpaceX can attract talent, investment, and public interest, which are all vital for achieving its ambitious objectives.

Objective 2: Enhance the Reputation of SpaceX as an Innovative and Industry-Leading Company

SMART Objective: Within the next six months, improve the perception of SpaceX as an innovative and industry-leading company among key stakeholders, as measured by a 15% increase in positive sentiment in media coverage and online discussions.

Rationale and Link to Organization’s Goals and Challenges:
SpaceX operates in a highly competitive industry, and maintaining a positive reputation is crucial for attracting top talent, securing partnerships, and building trust with customers and stakeholders. By enhancing the perception of SpaceX as an innovative and industry-leading company, the organization can differentiate itself from competitors and position itself as a preferred choice for potential collaborators and customers. This objective directly aligns with the organization’s goal of revolutionizing space transportation and reinforces its commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the industry.

Objective 3: Strengthen Engagement and Interaction with SpaceX’s Online Community

SMART Objective: Increase engagement and interaction with SpaceX’s online community by 25% over the next year, as measured by the number of likes, shares, comments, and retweets across the company’s social media platforms.

Rationale and Link to Organization’s Goals and Challenges:
SpaceX’s online community plays a vital role in spreading the company’s message, generating excitement, and building a strong brand presence. By strengthening engagement and interaction with this community, SpaceX can foster a sense of belonging, loyalty, and advocacy among its followers. This objective aligns with the organization’s goal of staying relevant to its fanbase and leveraging modern communication outlets to connect with its audience. By actively engaging with the online community, SpaceX can nurture relationships, gather valuable feedback, and amplify its reach through word-of-mouth and social sharing.

In conclusion, these three SMART communication objectives directly address SpaceX’s broader business needs by increasing public awareness and understanding of the company’s mission and vision, enhancing its reputation as an innovative industry leader, and strengthening engagement and interaction with its online community. By strategically pursuing these objectives, SpaceX can establish a strong communication foundation and pave the way for continued growth, collaboration, and success.

Best regards,

[Your Name]