#RECALL – Using Social Networks for Recall Communication
04-20-2011
By Mike Rozembajgier
With more than 500 million active users worldwide, half of whom log on to the site every single day, a lot of consumers are on Facebook. Compare this with the fact that, according to a September 2010 Pew Research Center study, only 26 percent of Americans read print newspapers on a given day.
When you consider these numbers, it is easy to see that if you use only traditional media for your recall communication, you could easily miss half the audience you need to reach. By adding Facebook and other online social networking platforms to your recall communication effort, you can supplement traditional recall notification, improve recall effectiveness, and demonstrate to regulators the effectiveness of your recall management.
Social and digital media are important tools for your company to consider during a recall management campaign. These online platforms allow you to reach a broad audience in real-time and communicate directly with consumers.
In order to reach the widest possible audience, companies leveraging these platforms should provide frequent updates on the progress of the recall, going well beyond the initial announcement. Keep in mind that consumers log on to social network sites frequently, and information is shared quickly. Information that is only a few hours old is already “old news.” Providing frequent updates keeps visitors coming back and helps keep consumers up to date on the recall.
Frequent updates also demonstrate that a company is organized, understands the importance of public awareness, and is committed to transparency. It is important to remember that while many companies communicate frequently with their most loyal customers on their Facebook and Twitter pages, these sites will attract huge numbers of additional visitors when the brand faces a recall.
In the same way that the right recall plan and experienced recall partner can help you turn a recall into an opportunity, online recall communication can enhance your brand image among the consumers that matter the most. New visitors to your Facebook and Twitter pages will not only return regularly for more recall information, but if you handle your sites correctly, you can impress these users with your recall management and even convert them into online brand ambassadors.
But remember that while Facebook and Twitter are a great way to share information with consumers and deliver your precise, carefully-crafted and frequently-updated messages, the online portals should not be used solely as vehicles for one-way communication. Companies often forget that one of the hallmarks of social networking is constant interaction. Keep track of customer feedback, complaints and even page “likes.” Take note of who is re-tweeting your messages or writing their own tweets about your company. One of the greatest opportunities, both in recalls and business in general, lies in a clear understanding of your consumers and what they have to say.
A recall brings the most vocal consumers — brand loyalists and critics alike — out of the woodwork. While a newspaper article about your recall may generate a reaction from consumers, that reaction will be limited compared with an online recall discussion that could result in thousands of opinions being shared. The more you know about what people are saying about you, the better.
Just as you would never issue a recall without a tested recall plan, you should not blindly communicate about a recall online. Work with your recall partners to ensure that a thorough, multidimensional online and social media strategy is ready to be deployed with all the other elements of the recall process.
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.
You are right! Cyber communication has become indispensable for sharing and communicating information and opinions about the latest recalls. I’ve found http://www.drugrecalls.com and http://medicaldevicerecall.com to be reliable recall sites that allow users to easily connect to or share articles using Facebook, Twitter, etc.