It seems as PIO’s that we are beginning to look at the dawning of an era where one persons negative observation of our departments can be magnified a thousand fold through the use of social media. The power of the pen has become the power of the keyboard and we have to be prepared.

I recently read in Advertising Age about the debacle revolving around the Gap changing its logo. The old logo which many found to be iconic was replaced with a pretty pedestrian looking substitute. The resulting “outrage” of gap fans on social media site quickly had the marketing department at the clothing giant revert to the old mark. This was done without any marketing research to actually find out if the complainers were indeed Gap shoppers to start with or just self appointed arbiters of good graphic taste.

With the TSA scanning more than just your junk, people seem pretty PO’ed by the invasion of personal space and are venting through social media. The concept is nothing new as many individuals air personal and professional (not recommended) grievances via Twitter and Facebook every day. However, these people had an organized campaign behind them and their rants.

Cooperative blogs are becoming more prevalent as people are shedding a bit of their egos and collectively campaigning for or against an issue. Whether it is a political campaign, environmental activism, Reality TV, our own Departments or the TSA, people are working together as a group toward one objective. Some of these campaigns will effect change while others will be the third wheel in a two man race but, either way, their voices will be heard because they are no longer a lone nut preaching on a street corner, they are organized, self supporting, and are loudly rallying to restore sanity and/or fear.

We need to spend time each day reading all materials that may mention our department. This includes blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook postings and forums.

The voice of one can become the voice of thousands with little effort in the web 2.0 environment we function in today.

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Over the holiday weekend I have had the opportunity to do some reading and investigation to attempt to put together the facts from a PR perspective of how things could go so terribly wrong in terms of the “they against us” attitude most folks now have towards the TSA. A number of PR gaffs has lead to this perception.

First off the lame TSA Administrator John Pistole used a worn out administration card saying the TSA knows what right for our citizens but unfortunately they haven’t done a good enough job educating people. Again, we’re so stupid that the wonderful changes they put in place and the stellar way in which they presented it to the public is above our scope of appreciation.

The President uses this excuse every time he talks about healthcare, the stimulus plan etc, yet to my knowledge these alleged communications blunders have not lead to the firing or demotion of even one PR or communication person in the White House or any other agency in Washington DC. If lack of decent PR is such a detriment to clearly explaining administration positions why hasn’t reorganizing DC communications across the board become an administration priority? Why hasn’t the TSA reorganized their public affairs department? Time to stop beating on communication folks and look at yourselves in the mirror.

Back to the TSA. Considering the controversy, threats and headlines regarding the newly announced TSA screening procedures, I imagine the agency wishes they could have a do over.  Maybe not, but in any case, I wish I could have been a fly on the wall of the meeting room where plans were made.  There were plans, right?

I’d like to know if the following issues were discussed:

1)   Public Announcement – I can’t find anything from the TSA that formally announced the new procedures and timeframe to implement well before they took place.

2)   Timing – Why was the full blown implementation of these policies introduced during the biggest holiday air travel week of the year?  How was the implementation of the new procedures factored into the security process that has to take place when a massive amount of people go through airport lines? The public really had no advanced warning of what to expect.

3)  Anticipation of Issues – All good plans anticipate issues.  In this case, I’m wondering how many issues like consumer reaction, training uniformity, advocacy group backlash and political posturing were anticipated and plans made accordingly to counter those arguments.

4)  Collateral Tools – You had to drill down through the TSA website to find any information or tools to demonstrate what travelers should expect with the new screenings.  The website’s statement from Administrator John Pistole was as lame as he is.  The TSA has tried to play catch up by posting better information in recent days but the dour tone of the website still does not do a great job of justification.

5)  Testing – While the new procedures were tested at a few airports, I went through one of these new scanners during testing close to two years ago if I recall, did they try to gauge consumer reaction?  I don’t remember being asked what I thought or given a survey. Were media invited to a “screening of the screening” to provide insight on rationale and benefits of new procedures?

The point here is that when you’re dealing with change, especially when it impacts a lot of people, you can’t plan enough.  A solid PR and marketing plan seems to never have been put in place to deal with new screening procedures.

An investment in good creative advertising, PR and marketing would have eased the public’s angst and fear of the unknown.

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Today I look at the power of viral video and how it can make a big problem into a humungous problem.

We are certainly all aware of the new TSA mandates regarding personal search in airports if you wave off the new full body scanning machines. I find this to be intrusive and in many instances counterproductive. Since every recent terrorist criminal has gotten through screening before attempting to do damage, the current screening hardware is always one generation older then the minds of the Islamic terrorist. They operate by seeking out ways to bypass current means of screening. That is why we never see any of these losers caught at a security checkpoint. The Israeli system of psychological questioning and profiling has been pretty much full proof and should teach us a lesson into the direction we should take in the future.

Before we get to the viral component I must digress for a moment.

The biggest PR gaff throughout this last week of TSA bashing came not from the head of the agency or clueless Janet Napolitano but from the Clueless in Chief Barack Obama. When asked about the intrusive pat downs he had to let us know that he of course is not subject to such indignity but can feel our pain. Why even mention that you don’t have to go through screening? We understand that, but obviously you have to remind us who the King is.

Now to the viral issue.

I travel by air on the average of two to three times a month. I have gone through the new scanner and haven’t really minded it. When TSA agents are looking at thousands of these scans a day, I really don’t think they are ogling an x-ray type image or calling over their fellow agents to make sexual comments.

Although this new system is creating additional aggravation and traveler angst about potential intrusive pat downs, I have not seen the vast majority of fellow passengers organizing screening rebellions.

Many passengers though are taking their anger online. A video of one passenger’s resistance – the “Don’t Touch My Junk” video – went viral.  And there are whole websites dedicated to the issue, like WeWontFly.com which wants passengers to “raise holy hell” and offers tips for how exactly one can raise hell. They’re calling for National Opt-Out Day on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving. Happy travels.

The “Junk” video, as many viral videos do, created an international uproar over an issue that certainly warrants discussion, refinement and change, but these types of electronic pieces can take a burning ember and turn it into a raging blaze.

The camera has become the new call to arms in the United States. We as PIO’s should always be aware of the dangers of a loaded gun.

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When I departed Long Island for Las Vegas a few days ago I noticed that the TSA was profiling blue hair. Oh I understand everyone is on edge with recent breeches, put this was the definitive example of perhaps spending too much time on the wrong person.

The older women in question seemed to be wearing a pretty complex shoe. I would assume it was orthopedic in nature. After running them through the scan twice, they took the elderly women aside to continue their search and interrogation. I moved on and went to my gate. About 15 minutes later the same women shuffled to my gate. That was a twenty minute search overall of someone that has probably made nothing more complex in her life than an apple pie.

Let me state for the record that the TSA can scan my bags, make me walk through an X-ray machine, and even force me to show up a few minutes earlier if it means I’m going to be just a little bit safer in the air.

Most people though see little rhyme or reason behind TSA methods. I decided to scan and frisk the TSA online to see if they should be taken off a flight.

The TSA would be wise to spend a couple dollars (we know the airlines have it thanks to those checked baggage fees) towards a short-term PR campaign to turn a negative situation into, at the very least, a neutral one. There message is bland, boring and longwinded. Although it appears they mean well from a public relations/social media standpoint -

Here Are My Top Four PIO Things the TSA Should Do Immediately:

1. Stop sending canned messages on Twitter. Customize. Personalize. Incentivize.
2. Create video’s that inspire us, not ones that put us to sleep: http://www.youtube.com/user/TSAHQpublicaffairs
3. Put faces to go with the names on your blog (tsa.gov/blog). I want to know exactly who is communicating the messages you put out there. Ditto Twitter.
4. Clean up your Web site. Way too many links and tabs. One word. Simplify.

What would you add to this list? Would love to hear your thoughts!

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