FEBRUARY 11, 2009

The Purple Tunnel Of Doom

After writing a lot about the Inauguration over the past few months I’d be happy to move on, some unhappy ticket holders for this historic event are not quite ready…

While my adventure to the Inauguration  went off without a hitch, the thousands of others with the purple tickets weren’t so lucky. After the delay at a purple section gate led to a mysterious closure, this particular group of people was forced to wait in line in the closed-off, 3rd street tunnel that leads to the U.S. Capitol, and, unfortunately, were not allowed to attend the ceremony. 

In the not so distant past, these thousands of ticketholders would have had nowhere to vent their frustrations apart from friends and families, their congressperson, a letter to the editor in their local paper, or local radio host. However, all that has changed – these victims of the “Purple Tunnel of Doom” took their frustrations to the Internet.

A Facebook group called “Survivors of the Purple Tunnel of Doom“ was created to allow members to share their Inauguration horror stories, organize protests, and demand apologies.  This is yet another clear example of the consumerism movement that we at TMG find so fascinating.  

What’s also striking about this story is the way in which the government chose to handle it. Senator Dianne Feinstein has issued an apology and promises an investigation, while Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terry Gainer has reached out to the Facebook group by creating his own account for the sole purpose of addressing individual concerns. Gainer has also agreed to meet with Marisa McNee and David Meyer, two of the three creators of the group.

I, for one, am very impressed by Gainer’s initiative to reach out to those victims of the debacle and practice his Deep Listening skills and validate their concerns. Whether Gainer truly cares about the group or is just being a good politician, one thing is for sure: he gets it.  Clearly, he realizes that there has been a tremendous power shift; that consumers are more in control than they have ever been before, and that social media has changed the game and forced leaders to pay more attention. 

We think companies can learn a lesson from Sergeant-at-Arms Gainer: listen to your consumers, validate their suggestions, and communicate with them as often as possible.  If you do, you’ll be well on your way to gaining their loyalty and stepping into the role of leadership.