But this week, one flight attendant threw caution to the wind and himself off an airplane, resulting in the company’s mobilization of social media to turn the PR around. And, as Fast Company Magazine notes, they did so expertly.

For the first 48 hours following Slater’s famous beer slide, JetBlue said nothing. Then, on Wednesday, JetBlue made the scantest of acknowledgments. On its “BlueTales” blog, it noted that:

“[...]it wouldn’t be fair for us to point out absurdities in other corners of the industry without acknowledging when it’s about us. Well, this week’s news certainly falls into that category. Perhaps you heard a little story about one of our flight attendants? While we can’t discuss the details of what is an ongoing investigation, plenty of others have already formed opinions on the matter. Like, the entire Internet. (The reason we’re not commenting is that we respect the privacy of the individual. People can speak on their own behalf; we won’t do it for them.)

“While this episode may feed your inner Office Space, we just want to take this space to recognize our 2,300 fantastic, awesome and professional Inflight Crewmembers for delivering the JetBlue Experience you’ve come to expect of us.”

It’s a wily little post, expertly done—mixing cheeky self-deprecation, ostensible privacy concerns, an apt and funny YouTube link (to the Office Space movie), and only the tiniest dose of PR pablum. What’s fascinating, however, is that these 140 or so words constitute almost the entire response to a story that has had every media outlet scrambling all week.

Jetblue has always been pretty good about establishing a casual, friendly tone, and using loyal social media base to get their message out - “Sure, there are blips, as in any business, but basically, we do a great job, and we respond to our customers and people like us because of it.” They created a Customer Bill of Rights that includes benefits like compensation to customers who are involuntarily denied boarding, free movies to customers whose planes are delayed by 3 hours, and $15 credits on future flights if the in-flight entertainment is busted.

Beyond the blog, JetBlue has nearly 1.6 million followers on Twitter, where their customer response ranges from “thanks for the tweet” and “you’re our new favorite customer” to helping customers with specific questions (”Have you called the BOS baggage service office or the SFO office?”) Of course, once you’re actively engaging with an audience, you run the risk of actively engaging with humorists like the extremely well-followed Andy Borowitz, who launched a Twitter war with JetBlue, all but egging on readers to accost flight attendants - JetBlue was not amused. But everything, even responsive and lighthearted customer service, has limits. JetBlue might be friendly, but they’re also a company with liability concerns. Even if it’s clear that Borowitz, a humorist, isn’t serious when he hashtags a tweet with #shitmyjetblueflightattendantsays, once he crosses into suggesting (even in jest) that customers attack flight attendants, JetBlue has to be responsible and drop the humor, if only for fear of legal ramifications.

If you examine the comments on the post referred to above on the BlueTales blog, you’ll see the groundswell of support for the airline, as well as inadvertent brainstorming on next steps. For instance, commenter Matt writes:

This is a goldmine opportunity. You should definitely hire this guy, and have him make a bunch of funny youtube videos about the do’s and dont’s of carryon luggage. Have him try to shove a size 10 carryon into a size 9 overhead, sideways. At the end he could have a little sign off (think Dan Rather’s “Courage!”) and then take the chute out of the plane, like Batman. If you don’t somebody else will, why not get the credit for being fair to someone who is viewed by many as a hero, and at the same time turn some lemon-like bad publicity into some earned advertising lemonade.

It’s too late for this particular suggestion, but Matt was correct on the “if you don’t somebody else will” front; Spirit Air has already released an ad which ” they’ve e-mailed customers a $35 coupon that shows a guy holding two beers and jumping, Steven Slater like, down an inflatable exit slide. “Don’t be blue, slide down to low fares,” says the copy.” (Via AdWeek’s AdFreak blog)

To sum up…what excited me about this whole JetBlue story is that the airline illustrated that social media:
1) Can go beyond spin control and reverse the tide of less-than-ideal PR
2) Can mobilize fans as supporters and as informal focus group on next steps
3) Can distribute additional information that shows they have a sense of humor, but also establishes boundaries when it comes to discussion on something that might have legal ramifications.

What are your thoughts about JetBlue’s response to “The Steven Slater Incident”?

Want more analysis of social media’s role in this week’s events? Check out this post at Michelle Tripp’s BrandForward blog.

In July, I was interviewed by Rusty Mike Radio in Jerusalem - we went deep into blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Check out the entire interview here, for insights into making these social media work better for you, as well as stories about Jewish innovation, how to make blogging into a quasi-career, and what my connection is to Madonna. And, of course, how to create your own Twimprimatur.

People first used e-mail, for example, to keep in touch with others they wouldn’t otherwise reach, Kustanowitz said.

“It was a way to mass-produce these kinds of communications that were still about continuing a relationship and adding value to a relationship,” she said.

Such developments have led to what Kustanowitz called an over-reliance on technology, without a sense of deliberation or thought. Just as Jews are supposed to have a certain amount of kavanah, intent, when they pray, she said, so, too, should people have a sense of kavanah when sending out e-mail and posting to social networking Websites.

To read the entire article, visit the Jewish Standard online.

Newly uploaded on Slideshare is “Jewish Blogging 101″ and “Jewish Blogging 201,” both below.

The list below comes from a Harvard Business Review post by Youngme Moon, the Donald K. David Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. What other excuses have you heard from individuals who or organizations which resist change? (My favorite is “if it ain’t broke, and even if it is, don’t fix it.”)

My Anti-Creativity Checklist from Youngme Moon on Vimeo.

The Innovation Ecosystem: A 21st Century Organic Jewish Community
Joshua Avedon, Yoni Gordis, Esther Kustanowitz, Naomi Less, Scott Perlo
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Identity and Responsibility, Teen Approved

Over the past decade or so, the Jewish world has witnessed the emergence of a new landscape of innovative startups. These enterprises have created new entry points to Jewish life, and new ways of building Jewish community. This diverse and vibrant collective of new Jewish initiatives is evolving into an organic communal infrastructure for the Jewish community in the 21st century. This session is a tour though the diverse and vibrant ecosystem driving Jewish innovation across the globe. Meet some of the innovators and find out how their work is changing the Jewish world.

Jews’ Line Is It Anyway?
Saturday 2:00 PM–3:15 PM
Arts and Performance, Teen Approved

What’s so Jewish about basic improv comedy? This informal, participatory workshop introduces the basics of both improv comedy and Jewish community to Jews and Judeophiles of all ages.

Finding Your Inner Megillah
Monday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Identity and Responsibility, Teen Approved

There’s a megillah inside every Jew, not just those named Ruth and Esther. Jews are natural storytellers because our faith is based in oral and then written history. But what makes a story worth telling and retelling, generation after generation? In this experimental writing workshop, visit some noteworthy texts from Jewish tradition and engage in free-writing exercises based on and inspired by those texts.

Hope to see you there…

January 21 - invitation-only Skills Building Workshop: Best Practices in Social Media (Los Angeles)
February 12-15 - Presenter, LimmudLA (Los Angeles) - register now - “Writing Your Inner Megillah” (writing class), and “Jews’ Line Is It Anyway?” (basic improv from a Jewish perspective)
March - TBA - (Los Angeles, and a probable visit to San Francisco) / Bay Area
April - TBA - NYC
June - TBA - Jerusalem
July - ROI Summit - Kfar Maccabiah (near Tel Aviv)
August - TBA - Los Angeles

Stay tuned for more events as they’re confirmed. And don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions about my appearing in a city near you!