Gibson, who teaches public relations, is publishing some of the first quantitative research on the topic. Founder of a new Product Research Recall Group, he offers a communication perspective to improve product recalls. With the sheer amount of recalls, it's evitable a Firestone will happen every so often. The 1997 data is in press, he noted, and 1998 statistics are underway. While many researchers look at the direct costs of recall, Gibson also studies the dozens of indirect costs such as lost sales and employee turnover.
Few issues pose more serious consequences to corporate executives than product recall.
Gibson found that product recalls in the United States follow certain patterns. They generally involve serious problems with products likely to result in injury or death. Gibson has consulted with all eight government agencies responsible for recalls. In 1999, he provided a 72 page written statement on improving recall effectiveness to the Consumer Product Safety Commission National Forum. Until we get industry to come to the table we're not going to have a better system.