Oh, the irony in this sign at a BP station in Ohio. If I spilled anything at that station, I’d take my cue from the head of BP and I’d pretend it wasn’t that bad, blame everyone else, and then not let anyone else give me ideas on how to clean it up.
Tony Hayward, have you learned nothing from those unfortunate CEOs who have come before you in crisis? Apparently.
One of the topics I cover in my Promotional Writing class is crisis management. Crisis is nothing new, so there are plenty of case studies. Why don’t people learn from the mistakes of others?
Good crisis management: Tylenol in the ’80s, Hugh Grant, Jim Joyce. Bad crisis management: Tylenol in the ’00s, Tiger Woods, Exxon. Horrible crisis management: BP has no equal.
Here is how you handle a crisis in three easy steps:
- Talk to the media immediately and regularly.
- Apologize.
- Make it right by fixing the problem and compensating the victims.
BP has done none of these things. In fact, they’ve pretty much done the opposite of what they should have done. Who is advising these people?
And they keep making it worse in so many ways. One of those ways is that they are not allowing media to document the situation. Don’t they understand that they are squandering a prime opportunity to salvage their reputation? They could show the world what they are doing to fix the problem.
Unless, of course, they don’t really want to show what they are doing.
Hmmm…
I’ll leave you with this image, and the knowledge that I’ll never buy from BP again.
Observe and report 
Have you seen their TV ads with the CEO? He looks and sounds annoyed that he has to appear in the ads. There isn’t a shred of sincerity in his voice.
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http://peterreynolds.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/tony-hayward-bp-and-the-oil-spill/
I disagree with you completely. I think he is doing an excellent job.
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Feel free to disagree. But make sure you read this link: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/02/what-not-to-say-when-your-company-is-ruining-the-world-.html
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I both disagree and agree with your comments Beth. I read another blog that delves into “good” PR that doesn’t tell the whole truth. http://wellonscommunications.com/pr-blog/2010/05/04/shifting-into-pr-overdrive-a-look-at-gm/ This takes GM for example of how they’ve handle public critisism with their recent commercials and how the commercials don’t tell the whole truth. I think that is what BP is doing. They are tyring hard in the PR area but I think it’s a half baked attempt to try and smooth over this environmental catastrophe.
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Thanks for the link. When there is a crisis, companies have a responsibility to tell the truth. It is really in their best interests to do so, because it will make them look better in the long run. It is best not to try to spin it when the crisis is happening. Afterward, they can try that.
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Absolutely right. Everything you accept as a debit during the crisis can be repaid with interest if you get it right.
This is a very fast moving situation and Tony Hayward did make some early gaffes but he is now on top and making hay whilst Obama is attacking too hard, too late.
I am now better informed about the detail and it does look as if there might have been mistakes made a few months back.
You have to be reasonable, the more serious you say the situation is then the bigger the challenge that Tony Hayward is facing. He’s already in uncharted waters. He weathered the early storms. I think he’s back in control.
It looks like the capping is starting to work. Obviously now the relief wells need to be proceeded with at pace. Tony Hayward should shortly have time to start looking back at the safety situation earlier in the year. If mistakes were made he needs to be frank about them.
He’s doing the right thing.
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It is a huge, unprecedented challenge that likely could have been avoided. There are some terrifying concerns about the cap. Read this: http://bit.ly/9igOoL
I certainly don’t envy Mr. Hayward.
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I just feel badly for the hundreds of convenience store owners who have BP. It’s not their fault that the owner of the product is in the midst of the worst environmental debacle, yet I can’t count how many people are boycotting these mom & pop stations because they dare to hang the BP sign. Can we really afford for hundreds of small businesses to go under in our self-righteous attempt to right a wrong? And are we really punishing BP or just our hometowns?
It’s tough because my ‘pissed off at BP’ side says, “Boil them in their oil spill” and my side that sees our fave station fire 2 employees and cut hours realizes that the greater disaster may be in punishing those not responsible for daring to brandish a logo. Tough call.
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That’s true, but I think owners must be as upset as the general public. They can switch suppliers, can’t they?
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No, they probably can’t switch suppliers. They have most likely signed a franchise agreement with BP and are legally bound to purchase from them. Franchise agreements are notoriously hard to break. I agree with Mary Catherine. I really want EVERYONE to buy as much gas as possible from BP. If we don’t, they’ll declare bankruptcy and won’t be able to compensate those who have been damaged. I WANT TO SEE BP PAY for the giant mess they’ve made!! That picture of that poor little bird makes me want to cry. 😦
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If anything is a franchise-agreement killer, it’s this.
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