Raleigh Company Makes Smart PR Move

A Raleigh company made what I believe to be a very smart public relations decision this week: to temporarily halt a component of its sales and marketing effort.

On the surface, this would seem to be counterintuitive... but in this case, it is not.

The company in question, Saf-T-Net, makes emergency notification software for schools. The News & Observer today reported that Robert Bruce, the company's president, has put a moratorium on making sales calls to colleges and universities in the wake of this week's tragic shootings at Virginia Tech. The article quoted Bruce as saying, "There's nothing worse than taking advantage of a situation like that. It's hideous. It lacks moral conscience and corporate responsibility."

I would add tasteless and classless to the list of adjectives. Unfortunately, there are scavengers who would brazenly seek to profit by capitalizing on a tragic situation such as the one we witnessed earlier this week. Bruce is wise to differentiate his company from those scavengers by acting with class and dignity.

I contacted Anne Krishnan, the reporter who wrote the article in the N&O, to clarify one key point. Anne made it clear that Saf-T-Net had NOT contacted the paper to gain publicity for their moratorium. She had written an earlier article about their company, and they came to mind when the Virginia Tech tragedy unfolded. This point is important because it reinforces the fact that Saf-T-Net is doing the right thing, not simply trying to promote themselves by announcing that they are not promoting themselves.

As the article says, Saf-T-Net is taking a calculated risk by not making sales calls to colleges and universities that, now more than ever, are acutely aware of the benefits of the company's solution. They run the risk of leaving business on the table. In Bruce's words, "Everybody wants to make money, but you have to have a social conscience." In the end, I believe his company will ultimately gain by doing the right thing.