BP Oil Spill PR Issues

Dr. LaRae M. Donnellan, APR, CPRCSchool of Journalism & Graphic Communication

Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Fla.

(http://www.internationalnews.fr/article-pb-oil-spill-goldman-sachs-ubs-et-wachovia-ont-massivement-vendu-leurs-actions-bp-au-premier-trimestre-2010-53019180.html)

BP

• Reputation• Poor strategies

– Quibbled over facts– Downplayed potential

damage– Made far-too-optimistic

predictions– Didn’t show enough human

compassion– Did PR rather than “the right

thing”

• BP CEO Tony Hayward• Replacement TV Spokesperson• BP Commercial Spoof

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01653/pelican-waves_1653059c.jpg)

BP

• LogoMyWay.com– “Redesign BP’s

Logo” contest

(http://www.cnbc.com/id/37513287/Redesign_BP_s_Logo_Contest_Monsters_Flames_and_Oil_Oh_My)

CEO Tony Hayward• April 29: “What the hell did we do to

deserve this?” (said to fellow executives) • May 13: “We will only win this if we can

win the hearts and minds of the local community. It's a big challenge.”

• May 14: “The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”

• May 18: “Yeah, of course I am.” (when asked if he sleeps at night)

• June 1: “I’d like my life back.”• Early ads: “To those affected and your

families, I'm deeply sorry. … "We will get this done. We will make this right.”

(http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/bp-ceo-like-life-back-video.php)

(http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/19/2010-06-19_bp_ceo_tony_hayward_attends_posh_english_yacht_race_as_a_break_from_gulf_oil_spi.html)

Obama Administration

• Obama– “The buck stops with me.”– Emotional displays?– Visits to the Gulf

• EPA, Interior, Homeland Security

• Minerals Management Service

(http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Eco/bp-oil-spill-national-significance-obama-administration/story?id=10509844)

(http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/111965)

(http://www.ng.mil/features/oil_spill/default.aspx)

States

• Louisiana’s Governor Bobby Jindal

• Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist

(Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana at a cleanup effort in Barataria Bay. “We’re not letting the bureaucracy stop us,” Mr. Jindal says. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/us/politics/26jindal.html)

(http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crist-makes-ceremonial-stop-signs-bill-to-aid-767026.html)

Other Politicians/Commentators• British politicians

– Focus on economic, not environmental, damage

– 1 of every 6 pounds in pension funds comes from BP

• Rush Limbaugh– Act of ecoterrorism?– “It’s natural … as the ocean water is.”

• U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas)– Apologizes for “20 billion shakedown”

• State Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS)– Chocolate milk

• NY Times: fears “overblown”– Quenton Dokken, Gulf of Mexico

Foundation: “The sky is not falling”– Half of Board of Directors have ties to oil

industry

(From Doug Geivett, http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/7-stupidest-statements-bp-gulf-oil-spill.php)

Industries & Livelihoods

• Seafood & fishing– Local– Clients

• Tourism• Home & business

owners along the Gulf• Oil industry

(Left: (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1999978,00.html?xid=rss-mostpopular)Right: http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Oil+Slick+Reaches+Queensland+Beaches+YVrC94OAU06l.jpg)

(http://cdn.wn.com/ph/img/24/32/c2493ee8a9770db645c900362b2e-grande.jpg)

Charities

• Help for animals • Help for people

(www.energybranding.com/tag/bp/)

(http://contexts.org/socimages/2010/06/14/de-oiled-birds-good-for-bp-bad-for-birds/)

Tasteless Advertising

(http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/news/1006/gallery.oil_spill_ads/2.html)

What Is Made from Petroleum?• One 42-gallon barrel of oil

creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. • The rest is used for 6,000+ items:

– Ink, ballpoint pens, paint brushes– DVDs, CDs, telephones, cameras– Basketballs, footballs, dice– Crayons, roller skates, life jackets– Dresses, slacks, pantyhose, shoes– Anesthetics, vitamin capsules,

cortisone– Deodorant, soap, lipstick,

toothbrushes– Yarn, pillows, shag rugs– Dishes, plastic, Styrofoam– Food preservatives, insect repellants

(http://www.heatingoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/household-petroluem-products.jpg)