Volvo's safety mission
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 23, 2005
Goteborg, Sweden — Volvo takes safety seriously. The company's long-standing commitment to safety started back in 1944, when the automaker installed laminated windshields and a steel safety cage for the passenger compartment.
The list of safety innovations at Volvo rolls on through the decades: 1959, three-point seatbelts introduced as standard equipment in front seats; 1966, crumple zones and safety door locks added; 1971, seat belt reminder standard in all models; 1975, daytime running lights added; 1984, anti-lock brakes added; 1987, front airbags added; 1994, world's first side-impact airbags introduced; and 2000, dual-stage front airbags added.
Spreading the word about Volvo's impressive safety message has been one of the jobs of Tatiana Butovitsch Temm, a journalist by trade who has edited various corporate magazines for Volvo. She also has served as the car safety communications manager for Volvo. More recently, she has been the communications manager for the Your Concept Car, a car designed by women to meet women's high expectations of a sporty car.
Last month, Temm made a presentation on the YCC program at Furniture/Today's Leadership Conference in Sarasota, Fla. There Furniture/Today's executive editor, David Perry, had a chance to get her thoughts on the value of marketing safety messages to consumers.
Here are Temm's answers to questions posed by Perry:
David Perry: How did Volvo come to be known as a leader in safety?
Tatiana Butovitsch Temm: Volvo has a proud tradition of being first with safety innovations, quite often far ahead of the legislation. One example is the three-point safety belt, which has been standard in all Volvo cars in all markets since 1963, a long time before it became a legal requirement.
Question: Does safety sell more Volvos?
Answer: Absolutely. Safety is our most important core value, and has been instrumental to the success of Volvo.
Question: Do you think safety is a legitimate marketing message for consumer products makers?
Answer: I believe that anything that is important to the consumers is a legitimate marketing message. And what is more important than health and safety, when you really think about it?
Question: Does Volvo have consumer research that says consumers will pay more for safer products?
Answer: That varies greatly, depending on what the markets are and what features the specific car has.
Question: Could safety be a vital marketing message in the bedding industry?
Answer: I think safety is essential to people in general. And if it is important in the life of the consumer, it must be a vital marketing message in any industry.
Question: If you lived in the United States (Temm lives in Sweden), would you be interested in buying a mattress that offered state-of-the-art, fire-resistant protection?
Answer: As in the car industry, there is a combination of parameters that has to be in place for each customer. Safety does not stand alone, but if the product also meets other requirements for comfort and functionality, I believe safety absolutely plays a role in the customer's decision making about the purchase.
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Volvo’s safety mission
Jan 28, 2005
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