Overcoming Challenges to Achieve Success

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), like many organizations, experienced some turbulence as they navigated evolving security needs and public perception. As a crucial part of ensuring safe travel, TSA's work occasionally faced scrutiny, with some travelers expressing concerns over privacy during inspections. However, the dedication of the agency's 45,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) remained steadfast. Despite these challenges, internal morale took a dip, and recruiting efforts slowed, prompting TSA leadership to explore new ways to engage both the public and their valued employees.

When TSA leadership called on MarCom Group for help, we were ready to buckle up. We analyzed the situation, and our creative team developed a campaign to address both the public at-large and TSA’s internal audience of TSOs. The “What We Do Matters” campaign was launched with the intent of drawing an empathetic response to TSA’s mission to keep the skies safe for travelers. This campaign works to shift perceptions and attitudes around TSA’s protocol from being inconvenient to travelers to being for the safety and wellness of travelers. Messaging was delivered in and around major airports across the country, featuring evocative headlines and images on digital ads employing geofencing techniques on mobile devices, as well as on posters and billboards.

Mission Accomplished. The campaign resulted in noticeable changes in public sentiment, TSOs on the frontline with their heads held high, and recruitment numbers increasing, all demonstrating success.


How to Elevate the Hiring Game: Aim Hire

Air Force Civilian Service (AFCS) wanted to engage potential applicants in a meaningful way. Thus we created Aim Hire, a monthly webinar series designed, produced, and hosted by MarCom Group in collaboration with the AFCS Talent Acquisition Team to educate viewers about the many challenging and rewarding career opportunities in federal civilian service with AFCS.

Each live 60-minute episode of the series features a career field or specific job opportunity. AFCS employees and recruiters share their insights through panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and prepared presentations. As AFCS recruiters explain duties, qualifications, and more, we create audience engagement with quick surveys that capture participants’ interests and/or perceptions about the featured topic. Announcing survey results during the live event further stimulates discussion, and recruiters provide application instructions and guide potential applicants to relevant resources.

A prime example of innovative communications initiatives developed by MarCom Group, we created this series in response to a client need; determined the style and format, selected the hosting platform, and, after winning client approval, launched the series. Each month, we develop a content outline and meet with the AFCS panelists to develop a script to keep the episode on topic and on track during the live presentation. We then provide behind-the-scenes technical support to ensure each episode is a quality production and is recorded.

Thirty-two episodes later and still going strong, each episode has been posted in a library on the AFCS website for anyone interested in learning about career opportunities with AFCS.