<em><strong>“There's nothing more exciting than that conversation you have with a live audience.
It's the best feeling in the world.”</strong></em>
- Liev Schreiber

<center><img src="https://courses.edx.org/assets/courseware/v1/10f9e93b6bc60a009f9934e12b6384f9/asset-v1:UBCx+COMM220x+2T2020+type@asset+block/CuriousIncident.PNG" alt="The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time set" width="444" height="440" /></center><center><em>*A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time set on Broadway</em></center><center></center>&nbsp;

What do you think of when you hear the term audience? I’m a huge theatre lover, so the first thing that comes to my mind is sitting in a Broadway theatre. This evokes my senses too – plush red velvet seats, crinkling Playbills, the faint scent of musk from the old theatre and often a kinetic energy buzzing through the building.

But a business audience is (usually) a lot different than Broadway. In this module, I will discuss how and why audience is the first place we start when preparing to communicate, and what this means in a business context. Then we’ll talk about the purpose or goals of business communication and lastly, how to select the appropriate channel in which to tell our messages.

As I go through these topics, think about how you contextualize the term “audience.” What has it meant for you in practice? What types of audiences have you been a part of and communicated to? What senses does this evoke for you? Feel free to share your thoughts using the following course hashtag <a class="twitter-hashtag-button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=UBCxBizCom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-show-count="false">#UBCxBizCom</a>.

<strong>By the end of this module, I want you to be able to understand and apply the following principles:</strong>
<blockquote>
<ul>
 	<li><strong>Assess an audience and tailor your message to its unique characteristics.</strong></li>
 	<li><strong>Define the purpose of your communication and target action through your words.</strong></li>
 	<li><strong>Select an appropriate medium for conveying the information that addresses both the audience and purpose of the communication.</strong></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Ready? Let's begin!

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Before you start this lesson, please read, watch and listen to the following resources. Think about the theme of the module, the key takeaways and why I’ve asked you to consume this content before we begin.
<ul>
 	<li><strong>Article:</strong> Labossiere, C. (2013, Sep 19). Business writing tips to get results. <em>The Globe and Mail</em>. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/business-writing-tips-to-get-results/article14422915/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/business-writing-tips-to-get-results/article14422915/</a>.</li>
 	<li><strong>Website: </strong>Audience Analysis. University of Pittsburgh - Department of Communication. Retrieved on Oct 14, 2017 from <a href="http://www.comm.pitt.edu/oral-comm-lab/audience-analysis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.comm.pitt.edu/oral-comm-lab/audience-analysis</a>.</li>
 	<li><strong>Video (07:13):</strong> Allocca, K. (2011, Nov). Why videos go viral. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral</a>.</li>
</ul>

<hr />

<h2 class="mb-0 h3">Profiling Your Audience</h2>
Every choice that you make when you are communicating is directly dependent on who you are speaking with or writing to. In this video, I go over the basics of profiling your audience.

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://tesoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/UBCxCOMM220x-V000100_DTH.mp4"][/video]

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<h2 class="mb-0 h3">Discovering Your Purpose</h2>
In the business world, we communicate with people because we want something. We are eliciting some form of action. Thinking about what that action is - <strong>why</strong> you are communicating - from the outset of the communication is imperative.

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://tesoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/UBCBUS2B2017-V001800_DTH.mp4"][/video]

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<h2 class="mb-0 h3">Choosing Your Channel</h2>
The last concept we need to discuss in this module is channel. It simply means the platform or medium you use to communicate the message. In other words, the channels you choose are where and how you will deliver your message.

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://tesoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/UBCBUS2B2017-V000500_DTH.mp4"][/video]

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<h2 class="mb-0 h3">In the Field Interview 1</h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">As a <b><strong>verified</strong></b> student of this course, you will be presented with content specifically tailored to you. Throughout the Business Communications course, we will be showcasing experts in areas that we are discussing in each module. These <i><em>In the Field</em></i> interviews will provide you with real-world examples of how the concepts covered are applied in actual business settings.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">This <i><em>In the Field</em></i> interview is with Christine Tam, who is the External Communications Manager at Best Buy Canada. In her role, she oversees the creation and execution of public relations campaigns, media relation initiatives and communication strategies on a national level. She’s also the lead spokesperson for the organization and conducts media training in more than 200 stores, as well as manages media opportunities for senior leadership.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Previously, Christine was the Public Relations Manager at the Rick Hansen Foundation, as well as an online news producer and online reporter at Global News and CTV respectively. Christine holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and a diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.</p>
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://tesoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/UBCBUS2B2017-V001200_DTH.mp4"][/video]

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<h1>Access the Final Assessment Here:</h1>