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On April 20, 2010 an explosion took place on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that not only cost the lives of eleven people working on the rig but resulted in people all over the Gulf Coast losing their Jobs and in some cases, their way of life. Between the lives lost, video of the hydrocarbons leaking in to the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days and oil and tar balls washing up on the shore of four states, BP (British Petroleum) had a lot of accounting to do to the public for this accident.
Looking back after what some consider a slow start, it appears they took this public relations nightmare head on in a war that was waged in newspapers, magazines, major cable news networks, all the way down to speaking with private citizens. Working every angle they could, the public relations experts employed by BP engineered a campaign that reminded people of who the company was and what standards they held as well as showing how far they were willing to go to right this wrong not only to the environment but also to the residents that depend on what comes in from the Gulf of Mexico as well s the tourist that are drawn to it.
In 1901 an English entrepreneur, William D’Arcy received the right to go and search southwest Persia for oil. After eight years of searching, D’Arcy’s explorers finally found what they were looking for. The Anglo- Persian Oil Company, which would later become BP, was in business within a year of D’Arcy’s find. Within five years of the find, Anglo-Persian, while having plenty of oil, was almost broke due to having no buyers. Winston Churchill changed that. After a big speech urging Parliament to switch from coal to new oil-fuelled technology, the I-JK became Anglo-Persian’s biggest customers.
Three years later Anglo-Persian bought the brand name BP, a subsidiary of a German company, as a way to market its product to customers in the United Kingdom. Within the next few years the BP shield becomes the company’s logo and the colors of green and yellow are put in place. This shield goes on to represent the company for the next 80 years. As the automotive arresting that many still collect it even today. During WWII, BP was called upon to “pool” their oil for the cause of war. They lost 44 tankers but because they were able o boost production at a field in England, they country was able to get by, a fact BP chose not to publicize.
In 1959 BP produced a pump allowing consumers to purchase several different blends of fuel from one space saving pump that became an instant hit as more and more people purchased personal automobiles that were used as primary transportation. In 1961, BP launched a short film following a young girl whose father runs a service station where a little boy pulls his wagon up to get “filled” with petrol. After the father plays along with the boy and sends him on his way, the irl asks why he did so as the boy is not worth it.
The father explains to her that everyone is important echoing a message the company was intent to send the public. It was a simple but powerful statement that ended up winning BP an Academy Award for the film. A year later BP showed the public it was not only concerned with making money but also in conserving the environment by Joining an Anti-Pollution Advisory Group. Later, they again made their point by founding the Environmental Control Centre in order to establish best practices in policy and in science for environmental ssues.
BP aligned themselves with the Smurfs in the 1960s which benefited both by drawing customers to the BP stations to receive their Smurf with the purchase of gasoline and helped the Smurf pop record climb to number two in the charts. In 1978, a different fgurine was offered each week and had families lining up to fill their tanks as Smurfmania hit Britain. “Service with a Smurf” was a very successful promotion for BP throughout the 1960-70s as it made BP more than Just a gas station, it became a family friendly household name.
As one of the first major companies to ecognize the possible harmful effect of global warming, BP began making an effort to do their part in 1997. A year later they had a goal of cutting their carbon emissions to that of 10% less than what they were in the 1990s by 2010 and later Joined other companies in finding ways to capture C02 and store at power plants. They were able to reach that goal nine years early, by 2001. “Better people, better products, better petroleum” was the companys new goals after acquiring Amoco, Arco and Castrol.
During this change they also implemented a new brand that replaced the classic hield with a green, yellow and white sunburst that symbolized “energy in all its dynamic forms. ” Coinciding with their new goals, BP launched the world’s largest solar project providing enough energy for 150 villages in the Philippines and later they attached solar panels in an Algerian village that allowed more than 2,000 villagers to have power for the first time. In 2005, BP committed to offering alternative energy through solar, wind, hydrogen and gas-fired power.
With all these changes to BP, including the acquisition of the companies with deep American roots, they ecided it was time to amplify their corporate reputation to gain greater public acceptance in the United States. They instituted a public relations campaign designed to implant their company more firmly in the lives of Americans through many different means. They planned fundraisers, took part in festivals, partnered in planning trees and sent volunteers out all over the country in an effort to show their willingness to give back to the communities their customers lived in.
One of the guides used is described as, “A two hundred page reputation manual outlining a peeches, media briefings, editorial board visits, op-ed piece development, news and video releases, contributions, scholarships, community meetings, forums, exhibit booths, publications, web sites, books, sponsorships, museum exhibits. Executives and staff could draw from the ‘cookbook’ as events were planned (Healy & Griffin, 2004)” This campaign was considered successful as it greatly improved public awareness as well as public approval.
One year after BP celebrated their 100th birthday tragedy struck at Deepwater Horizon in the form of an explosion and the ubsequent leaking of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BPS response to this accident showed how far they were willing to go to correct their mistake. With cameras operating around the clock, they openly broadcasted every step they took in order to close off the leak. From a public relations standpoint, this showed that BP was actively working on this leak by documenting every step made with video and pictures. Their efforts could not be denied.
They also were accepting ideas from many areas including government and academia to help close off the pipe. As of today BP has invest in 17. billion dollars into their response effort to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Newspapers, televisions and other media type outlets were saturated with ads from BP giving updates to the public on what they were doing to restore or protect the environment as well as boost local economies for months after this accident. They also allowed people to apply for compensation for any wages lost due to the spill, not only to companies but individual residents as well.
They sent workers from all over the world into the affected communities to organize response efforts to the nvironmental damages all along the coast. For months after the spill, workers could be seen walking along the beaches in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana picking up tar balls that were carried in by the tide every day. Even after all BP did there were many who said it was too little, too late. An article in Wall Street Journal Europe pointed out, “Downplaying the seriousness of the spill as events spiraled meant BP was always chasing the story as ever worse details emerged.
To cap it all, when former BP CEO Tony Hayward told Journalists “l would like my life back,” his pparent lack of empathy left the U. S. public in disbelief. ” Followed by the quote from a London based public relations firm saying, “BP simply didn’t sound sorry enough early enough” (Greenwood, 2011). Just like any other large and successful company, BP has realized the importance of social media and using the internet as a way of keeping their message out where it can be seen and heard by significant portions of the public worldwide.
While they still employ traditional media outlets such as newspaper and television commercials, they also offer Facebook pages and a ollowing on Twitter. The design and volume of information available on their website provides an easy route for anyone looking for facts about the company. As a for profit company, BP differs from organizations such as Habitat for Humanity in that they are not-for-profit. “Nonprofit, or not-for-profit, organizations can be defined as organizations whose main purpose is to serve the public interest and are noncommercial (Cameron, Wilcox, Reber & Shin, 2008). While most nonprofit organizations seek to raise funds they differ from for profits because they only use he funds raised to further their cause and maintain their organization. A company or organization must keep a positive position in the eyes of the public or risk losing validation to their brand is to recruit a celebrity or someone famous to partner with them or endorse their company or product. Habitat for Humanity recently was Joined by Steve Thomas, an Emmy Award winning television personality most famous for his hosting of This Old House, to support their efforts around the world. Thomas also will help Habitat for Humanity launch “What Will You Build? with Steve Thomas,” a ocial media campaign that will raise awareness for a number of Habitat programs around the world (Habitat, 2011). ” Like for profit companies, they have recognized the usefulness of the internet in getting their message out. Volunteers are an important part of nonprofit organizations. While many do have paid employees, having volunteers is vital to the nonprofit organization. In a report published by the United States Department of Labor, it was found that, “The 2005 survey revealed that 65. million Americans volunteered in the period from September 2004 to September 005, representing approximately 28. 8 percent of the population. This percentage is consistent over the last two years. The survey also indicates that most volunteers (34. 5 percent) are between the ages of 35 and 44, followed closely (32. 7 percent) by those aged 45 to 54 years. Nearly one third (32. 4 percent) of all women volunteer, compared with only one fourth of men (Morton, 2006). ” Finding willing and able volunteers to commit their time and energy to an organization is very difficult and can make the difference to the success of the organization.
In a press release dated Nov. , 2011, it is stated, “the U. S. Coast Guard’s federal on-scene coordinator (FOSC) has approved the shoreline clean-up completion plan, paving the way for restoration work (Mueler, 2011)” in regards to the Deepwater Horizon accident. Information like this press release gives the public a reference point in the work BP is doing in the Gulf Coast. It reminds them that the company has not forgotten the effects of the oil spill and is continuing its work in the area to clean-up its mess. The press release goes on to say that BP has already pledged up to $1 billon to fund early restoration.
As proof of the work they have done, the article points out the 66. 5 million hours devoted to the response, 95,000 tons of oiled debris collected and the 13. 6 billion spent on the clean-up as well as the $7. 3 billion paid in claims. BP made a promise to those affected by the spill to do their best to clean up the environment and make financial restoration to those who were economically impacted as well.