Take a look at the text of a letter by Gerald Gainley, the CEO of Canyon Cove Chemicals. The company wants to expand its facilities; however, the local government has blocked that expansion because of concern over environmental damage and unchecked industrial growth in the area. In response, Gainley distributed a letter to the local media and posted it on the company’s website.
Purpose and audience in a public letter
Why do you think Gainley wrote this letter? What was his purpose in writing it? The CEO addresses the letter to the entire city (“Dear Springfield”) and “All of the Supporters of Canyon Cove Chemicals,” indicating that he hopes to maintain support for the company despite the fact that it suffered a bad outcome in a city council vote. To be successful, his message needs to appeal to the general public and especially to readers who work for the company, support the company, or are active in local government (as representatives and voters, for example). The letter has to ease their concerns and draw attention to the benefits the company brings to the city. Think about the choices Gainley makes as he tries to accomplish those goals. Consider his words as well as their typographic treatment.
In the letter, Gainley uses two different fonts. Comic Sans, which Gainley uses for most of the body of the letter, looks handwritten and is rarely used in professional communication. Times New Roman, which Gainley uses for one specific sentence in the letter, is a more standard font, often used in newspapers, books, and other publications. What message does each font convey to the reader?
Comic Sans might not be an effective choice for someone who wants to be taken seriously, but a handwritten font does underscore the personal feel of Gainley’s communication—he is speaking on behalf of the company, but he’s also speaking as someone who has a personal stake in the company and the community. Think about how the effect of the text would be different if all of the words were set in Times New Roman.
Note Gainley’s capitalization choices as well. Some statements are in sentence case, and others are in all caps. How do you think the CEO wants readers to feel about the all caps statement in quotation marks near the end of his letter? Formatting the statement in all caps adds emphasis and might be intended to convey Gainley’s commitment to the words. Perhaps the quotation marks are meant to show that his promise is a quotable statement—one he expects community members to hold him to.
Consider also what the letter is not. It’s not a television or radio spot. Why do you think Gainley chose a letter to the city to convey his message? Why do you think he sent the letter to local television and radio stations and posted the letter on the company website? Gainley could have paid to run television and radio ads to convey this message. Perhaps he felt that a written statement would have a more personal, sincere feel; the letter format allows him to address all residents of Springfield and the surrounding area directly—including those who work for the company or have family members who have benefited from the company’s local donations and support.
Why do you think he chose not to include any images? He may have felt that a picture would draw attention away from his words or that a picture of himself or the proposed new facility might make it harder for readers to think of him as their peer. His repeated use of the phrase our community makes it clear that he counts himself a citizen, not just the head of a company.
Related topics:
Genre: In what kind of document do the written words appear?
Features: What do the words look like?
Meaning: What effect do the words have on the reader?
Designing documents