In 1964, communication theorist Marshall McLuhan famously said, “The medium is the message.” A half-century later, this idea rings truer than ever. As people grow more and more accustomed to receiving and exchanging information through digital devices, other forms of communication are entirely overlooked. A public service announcement displayed on a poster or an ad featured in a print publication may go unnoticed, no matter what the content.
Security executives should take notice of the dramatic shift to digital communication. For safety and security-related communication in a business environment, messages must not merely be sent, they must also be received, sometimes with time being of the essence. In industrial sectors – such as utilities, oil and gas, chemical and manufacturing – the risks of faulty safety and security communication are high. Beyond industrial companies, any business has exposure to theft and other crime along with weather-related risk. In each setting, the need for timely safety and security communication is critical.