Virtual Records is a medium sized record company (about 1,000 employees in total) which has been in operation for eight years. The record company's main activities include the signing of bands and musicians; recording and overseeing the production of CDs and cassettes; advertising and promoting the company's musicians and music; and selling the company's catalogue (which includes overseas and local CDs and cassettes). Virtual does not manufacture CDs or cassettes, as these operations require too much costly equipment and specialised knowledge. It does, however, have warehouses in both Sydney and Melbourne which are sites for receiving and dispatching CDs and cassettes.
The company mainly deals in popular music (known in the business as rock and roll) and dance music (of the type heard in nightclubs). It also includes some jazz and blues, and because of a recent merger it is developing a classical catalogue. It has both Australian and overseas artists on its books and acts as a distributor in Australia and New Zealand for overseas musicians.
The Record company has its Head Office in Sydney, and has branches in each of the other states. You, as new writer for the Communication unit, are to work at Head Office (Sydney). Head Office which has about 100 employees in the office building (which includes a recording studio), and about 50 workers in the warehouse, which is in an adjacent building.
(See the Organisation Chartfor more details)
The company has grown considerably in eight years, and is currently undergoing great organisational changes. About nine months ago, Virtual Records was taken over by a bigger record company. The old Managing Director left to form his own record company and a new CEO was brought in. He has been pushing for change. He wants Virtual to move from the casual culture it had when it was a small company towards a new, more formal culture. To fit the new company image new jobs have been created, and some departments have been renamed. The PR and Marketing Department has been renamed the Department of Corporate Communication, but this has been slow to catch on with most company members. There are also plans to move into the international market, particularly the Pacific Rim region.
