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Over the last few weeks we have all heard and read about the“bad PR” BP has had throughout the environmental crisis in the Golf Coast. A litany of half-truths and the company’s failure to provide complete information about the efforts to contain the largest oil spill in U.S. history has destroyed BP’s reputation; rightfully so. So where does BP go from here? Will this crisis bring down the oil giant or can good PR help turn the public’s opinion around?
Recently, I was asked by a friend what I would do if I represented BP right now and how good PR could help them. My response was simple - the best PR in the world wouldn’t change BP’s reputation right now. Coming from a PR professional who strongly believes in the power of PR, I
immediately saw the confused look on their face that I of all people would have this opinion. I went on to explain what PR is (which I frequently find myself doing with friends and family) and what our industry can and cannot do. We are not wizards, we can’t change the world and we most certainly cannot change who a company is. Here are a few things PR can and can’t do.
PR Can:
- Create impressions
- Reinforce brand/shape reputation
- Educate and inform
- Support sales and marketing
- Heighten visibility
PR Can’t:
- Hide the truth
- Mask reality
- Deliver products
- Solve credibility problems
- Fix product, service or support issues
I say that the best PR in the world wouldn’t change BP’s reputation right now because until BP changes how it operates as a company, steps up and takes responsibility, and implements a strong plan to clean up the ongoing oil spill, no PR will help them change their public image.
Can BP recover this corporate crisis? This excerpt from a Huffington Post article states it pretty well.
“Past corporate crises teach us that it might be too late for BP to recover from the worst oil spill in U.S. history after initially playing down the severity of it. But history also indicates that the company could still bounce back if CEO Tony Hayward and his management team do the right things. Most companies contaminated by crisis recover, even if the stigma sticks.”
My advice to BP – stop worrying about your Google search rankings and start figuring out how you are going to rectify the biggest environmental disaster the U.S. has ever seen. When you figure that out, then focus on improving your public image.
-- Deana Goodrich
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