Product recalls: The Tweet Age

We are constantly reminded of the need to get up to speed with changing technology. News is gradually shifting onto online platforms, while companies are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon to promote their goods or services. The latest you’ve heard, though, are product recalls.

A report released by the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission has advocated the use of social media platforms to facilitate product recalls. According to the regulator, there has been more than 10,000 product recalls in Australia in the last 23 years. However, the overall average return rate of recalled goods was only 56.75%.

Now that everything is going digital, recalls through print and other traditional mediums may no longer be sufficient. The use of Twitter or Facebook, for example, may be more prolific than we think.

I believe the convenience of utilising social media is often underestimated. With the newer generation gaining prominence in today’s world, it is almost crucial that members of the supply chain start re-examining the demographics and needs of their consumers.

Bluntly put, product recalls won’t go down with a snap of the finger. Reach out with social media.