Intuition, investors and everyone in between will tell you to stick with the good stuff: the features, benefits, awards, new programs, products and positives. These things sell in the short term and are easier to justify than safety when it comes to ROI. The bean counters want what’s best for the bottom line.
But it takes just a quick glance at the headlines to see that devastation can—and has—struck in the unlikeliest of places. The cost? Unfathomable.
Invest in Safety
That’s why I keep coming back to this article from the Harvard Business School e-newsletter Working Knowledge, “Companies Need to Start Marketing Security to Customers.”
“But most companies do not innovate around safety or push for tougher safety standards; they merely comply with existing requirements.
Because extra safety pushes prices up and can’t be marketed, there’s no point in investing in it until a tragedy requires you to do so.A string of bad incidents can change that. Risk management committees typically focus on financial controls, not on risks to consumers and brand reputations.
That’s not good enough.”
John A. Quelch
Charles Edward Wilson Professor of Business Administration
Harvard Business School
In the month since this article, more tragedies have claimed innocent lives, cast doubt on our collective safety and sent all of us back to the drawing board to rethink our approach to safety and security and what we can do to stop another senseless act of violence, terror or natural disaster.
It’s got us thinking over here. About how to help organizations quantify the ROI generated by emergency management plans that open lines of communication and eliminate wasted time when it matters most.
The sky isn’t falling and none of us are in the business of stirring up panic. We are in the business of eliminating panic and helping organizations plan to do everything they can to keep people and property safe. We all owe it to the people we serve.
Check out the article when you have a second and let me know what you think.
All the best,
Jerry Geis
CEO & Founder
