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8
No More Rocky Road
When an outbreak of listeriosis, a potentially deadly illness
caused by foodborne bacteria, was linked to the manufacture of Blue
Bell® ice cream, public reaction was swift and sure … and probably not
at all what one would expect.
Instead of widespread outrage about the contamination, which
forced the company to temporarily shutter facilities and recall
products, yard signs proclaiming God Bless Blue Bell sprang up like
spring bluebonnets for miles around the company’s U.S. headquarters
in southeast Texas. Shoppers scrawled tributes on recall notices taped
to supermarket freezer cases. The company’s Facebook response
to a sighting of what were actually empty delivery trucks elicited
nearly 20,000 likes, more than 11,000 shares, and an almost cult-like
outpouring of devotion.
The reaction was especially surprising given that this was more
than a minor safety gaffe: Blue Bell’s contaminated ice cream is
believed to have contributed to the deaths of three people and
sickened 10 others in multiple states.
So why was there stronger community reaction to the brand’s
short-term withdrawal than there was to the company’s unsanitary
conditions?
And, more to the point, what would it take for pipeline
companies to earn the same kind of public validation?
Two words: Social license.
Minimal Impact, Maximum Safety
Social license is the level of trust and acceptance a company has earned
from its community and stakeholders. In essence, it’s what the public
thinks of you. In Blue Bell’s case, it achieved social license through a
S A F E T Y M AT T E R S
How gaining social
license can smooth
the way for pipeline
operators.
I N N O V AT I O N S • V O L . V I I , N O. 4 • 2 0 1 5
Social license generally refers to a local community’s acceptance or approval of a company’s project or ongoing
presence in an area. Although it’s not part of a formal permitting or regulatory process, obtaining social license is
increasingly considered mandatory for hydrocarbon resource development, transportation, production, and distribution.