Deloitte Survey Highlights Importance of Customer Communications

Mike Rozembajgier

The recently-released Deloitte LLP 2011 Consumer Food and Product Insights Survey opens a window into the minds of consumers and offers important insight into how they view the recall process and the current state of food safety. According to the survey, consumers are generally unfamiliar with food and consumer product safety regulations and want manufacturers to proactively communicate safety initiatives.

According to the survey, consumers also see a need for greater advocacy and better brand-advocate communication. Nearly three-quarters of all survey respondents said they are more concerned about the safety of the food they eat today than they were five years ago. This sentiment also extends to consumer products, where more than two-thirds of respondents said that they are more concerned about the safety of the household products they buy and use than they were five years ago.

This increased concern is not surprising. In 2010 there were a number of serious, high-profile recalls, including more than three million window shades and 380 million eggs. With so much attention being paid to product safety, however, it is somewhat surprising that 68 percent of respondents were unaware of the new Food Safety Modernization Act. This lack of understanding offers companies an opportunity to build more positive relationships with consumers and cultivate a base of consumer advocate support by explaining the new rules.

One of the key recommendations coming out of the survey is that “companies should take initiative and work closer with consumers to help build advocates of their own,” pointing out that these advocates also maintain strong brand loyalty. This brand loyalty, in turn, can helps a company’s bottom line.

Be proactive and engage your recall management partners to coordinate recall planning and recall communication. Communicate with your customers, distributors, and retailers to let them know how you are not only complying with the new regulations, but going beyond the minimal consumer protection requirements. Proactive communication and over-compliance will help strengthen your industry and supply chain relationships and will also have an impact on consumer opinions and purchasing choice. Leveraging a range of communications channels, including newsletters targeting brand loyalists and social media to reach occasional buyers, can help spread the word that your company takes food and product safety seriously.

Proactive communication will help the 68 percent of survey respondents who are unaware of the Food Safety Modernization Act understand that your brand takes safety seriously. Taking the initiative will help build brand loyalty and satisfy regulators that your recall planning and compliance programs are the best in the business.

Stericycle ExpertRECALL™ is the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance for consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertRECALL’s professionals are experts in recall management who can help you streamline the entire product recall process.