Essentials of Business Communication 8th Edition by Mary Ellen Guffey

Exercise 24

Formal Report: Consumer Product Investigation
Study a consumer product that you might consider buying. Are you, or is your family or your business, interested in purchasing a flat-screen TV, DVD player, computer, digital camera, espresso machine, car, SUV, hot tub, or some other product?
Your Task. Use at least five primary and five secondary sources in researching your topic. Your primary research will be in the form of interviews with individuals (owners, users, salespeople, technicians) in a position to comment on attributes of your product. Secondary research will be in the form of print or electronic sources, such as magazine articles, owner manuals, and Web sites. Be sure Lo use electronic databases and the Web to find appropriate articles. Your report should analyze and discuss at least three comparable models or versions of the target product. Decide what criteria you will use to compare the models, such as price, features, warranty, service, and so forth. The report should include these components: letter of transmittal, table of contents, executive summary, introduction (including background, purpose, scope of the study, and research methods), findings (organized by comparison criteria), summary of findings, conclusions, recommendations, and bibliography. Address the report to your instructor. You may work individually, in pairs, or in teams.