FPT UNIVERSITY- CAMPUS CAN THO

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Group Assignment [CCO201]

TOPIC: Groups will select a recent corporate crisis (within the last ten years) and
produce three separate but related texts from the company's perspective for three
distinct audiences: a press release for news media outlets; an internal memo for
employees; a recorded (video) message for customers. These documents should
address the crisis in a professional, ethical, rhetorically-effective manner.

Lecturer : PhongNHN

Name of group member Contribution (%)

Lê Trần Anh Thư 25%

CA181635

Phạm Thị Anh Thư 25%

CS182412

Trương Phước Thịnh 25%

CE182068

Nguyễn Nhật Quang 25%

CS180826

Cần Thơ, 8/7/2024

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction........................................................................................................................3
2. Describe the communication crisis...................................................................................3
3. Audience analysis...............................................................................................................4
4. Press releases......................................................................................................................4
5. Explain how these strategies improve communication effectiveness............................5
6. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................6
7. Reference source.................................................................................................................8
8.Viet Nam Airlines spokesperson........................................................................................8
2. Introduction.

Vietnam Airlines is a Vietnamese national airline founded in 1956, currently a 4-star

international airline and a member of SkyTeam. The airline owns a fleet of more than 60
aircraft currently operating more than 100 domestic and international routes with a
reputation for safety, service quality and customer care.
In mid-March 2023, four female flight attendants of Vietnam Airlines were arrested at the
airport when an X-ray machine detected more than 11kg of drugs in the flight attendants'
suitcases. This incident shocked public opinion, caused financial damage and affected the
reputation of Vietnam Airlines at that time.

Purpose of the project:

- Raise awareness of Vietnam Airlines when facing crises.
- Gain skills, knowledge and experience to communicate effectively with stakeholders in a
crisis situation.
- Help the company develop a communication strategy and how to handle crises
- The importance of effective communication in times of crisis:
- Help overcome crises, especially communication crises
- Minimize company losses, protect reputation and handle crises promptly.
- If communication is ineffective, it will lead to stagnation and misinformation will be
difficult to control.

2. Describe the communication crisis.

Cause of that incident:

- Four female flight attendants of Vietnam Airlines admitted that while in France, a person
(unidentified) asked them to "carry" some goods back to the country, paying them more than
10 million VND. Because they were busy and subjective, they only checked a few tubes of
toothpaste and found nothing unusual, so they shipped them back to the country.

What kind of media crisis is it?

- The drug "carrying" incident is a serious media crisis, affecting many aspects of Vietnam
Airlines and the country's image. Crisis of trust: Vietnam Airlines' prestigious image is
seriously affected, causing customers to lose confidence in the airline's safety and security.
The incident has left the public confused and worried about the problem of smuggled drugs
through the air, affecting health and social security.
- Crisis of professional ethics: Flight attendants' drug transport behavior goes against the
aviation profession's mission of ensuring safety and serving passengers, violating ethical
commitments and code of conduct. Vietnam Airlines' conduct. Damaging the image and
reputation of the profession, the behavior of flight attendants causes customers' trust in the
flight attendant profession to decrease, affecting the reputation and prestige of the flight
attendant team in general.

The communication strategy an organization uses during a crisis and the consequences for
the organization.
- On March 17, Vietnam Airlines quickly acknowledged the mistakes of its flight attendants

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and sent a sincere apology to customers and the community. Vietnam Airlines also held
press conferences to provide provide information about the case to media agencies and
answer questions from the public. In addition, a representative of Vietnam Airline responded
to ZingNews confirming that flight attendants are "required to sign a commitment stating
that they are not allowed to carry or hold anything" for all flights. international .Vietnam
Airlines has actively coordinated with the authorities to investigate and clarify the case and
strictly handle violators. This airline has also affirmed that it will not cover for its
employees. about violations of legal regulations. Currently, the company is closely
coordinating with the authorities to investigate and clarify the case, and handle the right
people and violations in accordance with the law.
- However, Vietnam Airlines still suffers serious consequences
Vietnam Airlines' prestigious and professional image was seriously affected, leading to a
decline in customers and revenue. Vietnam Airlines also has to pay the costs of overcoming
the crisis and compensating customers. The image of the 4 arrested female flight attendants
has caused other flight attendants of the airline to be subjected to scrutiny and suspicion
from public opinion, affecting their morale and reputation.

3.Audience analysis (If you were hired to handle this communications crisis, what
communications strategy would you use?)

News media agencies: Journalists, reporters and news organizations.

- Needs: update official information about the incident, meet and interview the
representative, record authentic photos and videos, and cooperate with the interview of the
representative.
- Expectation: Vietnam Airlines cooperates and is transparent in its statements to the public,
giving details of the incident and solutions, and needs to effectively and seriously handle
violators.
- Concerns: they are concerned about the company's current situation after the crisis,
customers' reactions to the company, and the impact of the incident on the company's
financial situation and reputation.

Employees: Internal stakeholders, including employees and management.

- Need: clearly understand information about the crisis, the cause of the incident and how to
handle the ongoing crisis situation. Managers need specific direction to handle tasks
effectively.
- Expectations: ensure the safety and work activities of employees, avoid affecting the
reputation and ensure salaries are still affordable for employees, and maintain good working
morale.
- Concerns: developments of the crisis and progress in handling the problem, reputation
image of flight attendants and airlines.

Customers: Current or potential customers who trust a company's products or services.

- Needs: customers also need to clearly understand the information and operations of
Vietnam Airlines, ensure flight safety for passengers when using the airline's services, and
prevent similar incidents from occurring to ensure safety. customer spirit and trust
- Expectations: improve the airline's service quality, be transparent and honest with
customers, and improve security in the area and on the plane.

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- Concerns: peace of mind when using Vietnam Airlines services, the crisis does not affect
flights and the airline's reputation.

5. Press releases.

Title: Vietnam Airlines confirms the incident related to flight attendants "carrying" drugs
and the measures taken.
Content: Vietnam Airlines confirms that in March 2023, we discovered that some of the
airline's flight attendants were involved in a "hand-carried" drug incident. We would like to
sincerely apologize to all customers, partners and the online community about this incident.
We have taken the following measures:
- As soon as we discovered it, we cooperated closely with the authorities to investigate and
handle the crime according to the law.
- We have organized retraining for the entire staff on prohibiting drug use and other illegal
acts.
- We are committed to continuing to improve quality and ensure safety and reputation of
Vietnam's largest airline.

Contact information: Company contact information.

Internal memo:
- Topic: Handling cases related to Vietnam Airlines flight attendants
- Incident description: Flight attendants were discovered involved in the "hand-carrying" of
drugs.
- Measures taken:
- Cooperate with authorities in criminal investigation and handling.
- Organize retraining for employees on regulations prohibiting drug use.
Company commitment:
- Committed to complying with legal regulations and improving service quality.
- Target: All employees of Vietnam Airlines.

Strategic analysis:
- Discuss the rhetorical devices used in each text. How to use words appropriately in each
text.
- Press release: Use precise and transparent language to explain the incident, emphasizing
the measures taken and the company's commitments.
- Internal memos: Use specific and clear language to guide employees on specific actions
and commitments.
- Rhetorical strategy: Ensure decisiveness and transparency, emphasizing the firm's
responsibility and commitment in resolving the case.

5. Explain how these strategies improve communication effectiveness.

Persuasion: By using words and sentence structures that highlight key ideas, rhetoric can
increase the persuasiveness of the message. These strategies help the message stand out,
causing the listener or reader to accept and support the message positively.
Create an impression and influence: Rhetorical devices are often based on the use of
rhetoric, similes, and vivid images to create an impression that stimulates interest and
positive response. great for the listener

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Increase transparency and clarity: By using and arranging words selectively, rhetoric helps
clarify and clarify the ideas being presented. Helps reduce confusion and increase accuracy,
especially for complex and confusing problems.
Create cohesion: Helps build community and increase awareness with a common goal and
values. Questions, analogies, and language can stimulate sympathy and empathy, making the
reader or listener feel involved.

- Multimedia considerations:
Media: Social networks, Mobile phones and messaging, Video and multimedia content.
1. Mobile phones and messaging applications:
Advantage:
Quick access: Mobile phones are the fastest means of reaching users, especially through
messaging applications such as Messenger and Zalo.
Personalized interaction: Can interact directly with the audience in a personalized way,
especially in marketing campaigns.
Adapts well to users: Most users are familiar with and regularly use mobile phones, helping
to increase accessibility rates.
Challenge:
Time management: Users can easily become distracted and unfocused due to the continuous
and brief nature of messages.
Privacy concerns: Some users may be concerned about personal information being collected
and used.
2. Social networks
Advantage:
Reach a large audience: Social networks allow messages to be delivered to a large number
of users globally.
Interact and share content: Users can easily share content and interact with each other,
creating widespread spread of the message.
Challenge:
Choose content: Social networks need to select content to ensure safety and suitability for
users.
Competing with fake information: The risk of spreading misinformation and fake
information is a major problem on social networks.

- Ethical considerations:
Ethical principles in crisis communication:
Transparency:
Independence and objectivity: Ensure that the information provided is independent and not
influenced by any vested interests.
Provide provenance: Information should be accompanied by a clear and reliable source so
that the recipient can verify it.
Complete information: Avoid selecting and presenting only part of the truth to create a
feeling of omission.
Honesty:
Include all important information: Make sure that all important information, especially in
crisis situations, is made public and not hidden.
Do not distort content: Avoid adding or altering content to change the original meaning of
the information.

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3. Accountability:
Accept responsibility: If errors or inaccurate information appear, the person providing the
information needs to take responsibility and be ready to explain.
Correcting errors: If the original information has errors, it is necessary to be honest and
timely in correcting and updating accurate information.

Discuss transparency, honesty and accountability:

Transparency: In a crisis environment, transparency is an important factor to build trust from
the public and stakeholders. By disclosing the source of information and the collection
process, information recipients can evaluate and make better decisions.
Honesty: Conveying information truthfully helps readers, listeners or viewers form opinions
and take actions based on accurate information. In a crisis situation, honesty is more
important than ever to avoid causing confusion or spreading false information.
Accountability: When there is confusion or errors in communication, taking responsibility
and being ready to explain is indispensable. This contributes to rebuilding public trust and
respect, especially in times of difficulty and uncertainty.

6.Conclusion.

a. Summary of project findings and insights.

March 16, 2023: 4 Vietnam Airlines flight attendants were arrested at Tan Son Nhat airport
for carrying 11.3kg of synthetic drugs delicately hidden in tubes of toothpaste and
mouthwash. The incident quickly spread on social networks, causing public outrage and
raising many questions about Vietnam Airlines' aviation security check process. Vietnam
Airlines has officially apologized, admitted mistakes and pledged to coordinate the
investigation. Authorities have prosecuted the case and arrested more suspects. The incident
caused serious damage to the image. image and reputation of Vietnam Airlines, causing this
airline to lose customer trust. The four female flight attendants who violated the law were
disciplined and even prosecuted for criminal liability, thereby causing confusion in public
opinion about aviation security and the drug problem. Vietnam Airlines must pay the costs
of overcoming the crisis and compensating customers. It all starts with greed and lack of
awareness due to being lured by high remuneration, putting personal interests first. public
interest, violating the law and professional ethics. In addition, the security check process at
the airport is not strict, and the education and training on professional ethics and drug
prevention for flight attendants is still limited.

b. Reflect on practical experiences gained in corporate communication.

Business communication is an important skill that needs to be cultivated for anyone working
in a team environment. It is the foundation for building a business with strong, clear
connections between departments. with each other, between the company and its
stakeholders. After going through this crisis, Vietnam Airlines needs to take specific
measures and strengthen better quality corporate communication to maintain and sustainably
develop the company's reputation and brand. Learn from experience and prepare procedures
in advance such as being ready to have a representative with public opinion, solutions for
possible crisis situations, and quickly coordinating with relevant parties to provide
information. transparent and shows the company's responsibility for the incident. The

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Vietnam Airlines case is a common lesson for companies and businesses that have been
facing crises, especially communication crises.

8. Reference source.

1. History. (n.d.). Vietnam Airlines. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from

https://www.vietnamairlines.com/vn/vi/vietnam-airlines/about-us/history

2. Nguyen Q. (2023, March 17). Vietnam Airlines speaks out about flight attendants
bringing drugs back to the country. Urban Economics Newspaper.
https://lanhtedothi.vn/vietnam-airlines-len-tieng-vu-tiep-vien-xach-ma-tuy-ve-nuoc.html

3. Cornelissen, J. P. (2017). Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice (5th

ed.). SAGE Publications.

4. GLinh, 2023, what does Vietnam Airlines say about 4 flight attendants carrying suspected
drugs and ecstasy? from https://thegioitiepthi.danviet.vn/dinh-chi-4-tiep-vien-hang-khong-
bi-tam-giu-vi-xach-chat-nghi-ma-tuy-2023031712303537.htm

5. M.Ha, 2023, what does Vietnam Airlines say about 4 flight attendants suspected of
bringing drugs and ecstasy back from France? from https://thanhnien.vn/vietnam-airlines-
noi-gi-vu-4-tiep-vien-nghi-xach-ma-tuy-thuoc-lac-tu-phap-ve-185230316192849227.htm

6. Pham, 2023, 4 flight attendants who have just been released will be handled by the
Vietnam Aviation Administration, from https://cand.com.vn/Ban-tin-113/4-tiep-vien-vua-
duoc-tra-tu-do-se-bi-cuc-hang-khong-viet-nam-xu-ly--i687550/

8.Viet Nam Airlines spokesperson.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1waFtGMV39NxhIyZb5AMG-FV7ZuZJmGGo/view

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