Making the Media the Messenger

Probably no aspect of American life has been impacted more by the events of September 11 than commercial air travel. Passengers face long pre-boarding lines, rigorous security screenings, and an ever-changing array of carry-on restrictions. Bottles of water and tubes of toothpaste, hair gel and lip gloss have all … at one time or another … been banned from air travel.

So, too, have pocket lighters (although not books of matches). Not just from the cabin, but for checked luggage as well. In fact, a little-known Department of Transportation regulation had banned lighters from checked luggage since the late ‘80s.

Because the regulation was largely ignored, it had little impact on the bottom line of a major pocket lighter manufacturer that realized 30 percent of its revenue from the sale of souvenir lighters. But when the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) announced that it would enforce the ban … including new lighters that had never been filled … the company faced a sharp drop in revenue and a significant workforce reduction.

The company had science on its side … new lighters were
little more than cotton stuffed in a metal container … as well as common sense. Passengers could stow cattle prods, axes, and unloaded handguns in their checked luggage, but not an empty pocket lighter.

Working with the client’s lobbying firm, Forge consultants
helped educate regulators and elected representatives about the issue. We also appealed to senators and representatives who would see their constituents lose jobs as the company lost business.

Ultimately, the DOT relented, and it was then that media
barrage began. When the dust settled, the story on the
turnaround in the restriction had generated more than 10
million impressions – and a major piece by the New York
Times travel editor who marveled at the David and Goliath
nature of the battle.