Content Development

 

Before this project, I had experience writing letters and social media posts, but I did not fully understand how the genre of a document affects the way information should be presented. I learned that a complaint letter, a company response letter, and a social media post may discuss the same issue, but they should not be written in exactly the same way. Each genre has a different purpose, audience, tone, and amount of information.

For my Gucci project, I developed content for a complaint letter, a response letter, and social media posts about Gucci’s $890 black wool balaclava. One strategy I used was matching my persuasive strategies to each genre. In the complaint letter, I used reasoning-based persuasion, including cause and effect, to explain why the design could be connected to blackface and why it could make customers feel uncomfortable or disrespected. I also used values-based persuasion by discussing shared values such as diversity, equality, respect, and inclusion.

For the response letter, I changed my approach because I was writing as a representative of Gucci. I planned to acknowledge the customer’s concerns instead of making excuses. I used the “if…then” strategy to explain that if Gucci did not learn from the mistake, then the company would not be doing enough to show respect to its customers. I also used values-based strategies involving attitudes and needs by showing that Gucci should listen to customers and take responsibility.

One challenge was making each document sound different while keeping the facts consistent. I adjusted by thinking about the purpose of each genre before writing. My brainstorming and rough drafts helped me decide what information belonged in each document.

In the future, I would pay more attention to genre conventions from the beginning. I would also continue using brainstorming and rough drafts because they helped me organize my ideas and improve my final work.