Oh, those wicked, wicked direct marketers and their intrusive ways.
No, not the telemarketers, even though they’re the whipping boys du jour. Amid the tumult of the on-again, off-again federal do-not-call list, a drama involving JetBlue Airways has begun to play out.
As reported last week, JetBlue provided customer manifests to Huntington, AL-based Torch Concepts as part of a data mining test program conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Torch Concepts is a contractor that offers pattern-recognition services to various government entities. The JetBlue data was augmented with Acxiom Corp. consumer information.
From day one the DHS, with its eye-in-the-pyramid logo (since rescinded) and former Iran-Contra figure John Poindexter heading its signature project, the Total Information Awareness database – later softened to the Terrorist Information Awareness database -- has proven to have a tin ear when it comes to public image.
Privacy advocates reacted predictably to the news of JetBlue’s participation: By filing suits against the airline, and a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which fingers Acxiom as well.
The shame is that JetBlue, which had built a lot of cachet through its customer care, has in one amazingly uninformed move ValueJetted its reputation right into the swamp. If they volunteered to be part of this test, what were they thinking?
Acxiom defended its decision to participate in a statement that read, in part, "We cannot forget that the terrorist threat to our country has not been eliminated, and we believe that information plays a critical role in dealing with such threats."
The DHS, and its sub-functions, are radioactive in the eyes of consumers. Those evaluating the cost of doing business with it will have to factor in consumer animosity. If consumer sentiment matters to vendors, any purchase order that comes from the DHS should be accompanied by a subpoena.
The whole mess has created a first for any industry: Let the seller beware.
To respond to the opinions in this column, please contact rlevey@primediabusiness.com.
