Comments on: BP’s PR Effort Needs Focus, Not Stunts

By: Dan Pecchia

Dan Pecchia — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:52:05 +0000

Very true. In the Gulf, they have one whopper of a problem, don’t they?

By: Diane Laney Fitzpatrick

Diane Laney Fitzpatrick — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:05:56 +0000

I’ll add one more thing that my PR-guy husband says: “Sometimes you don’t have a PR problem; sometimes you just have a problem.”

By: Diane Laney Fitzpatrick

Diane Laney Fitzpatrick — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:04:22 +0000

You’re absolutely right. Stunts and running for the hills are unbecoming of a large corporation like BP. Seeing Tony Hayward in gear beyond rolled-up sleeves is an insult to our intelligence. And for that matter, same is true with President Obama. Do you really think Americans would feel better knowing that a CEO and/or the president of the United States is working in the trenches with engineers and scientists to try to solve this problem?. Bullshit. Both BP and our federal government are not doing enough, but posing for publicity shots is not going to help that.
Both BP and the Obama administration need to get the message: If you’re getting the job done, you don’t NEED good PR.

By: john willoughby

john willoughby — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:07:07 +0000

Dan, thanks for staying connected. My comment relates to your reference to publicity stunts vs. strategy. It is interesting to me that both the White House and BP have invested in stunts, but not demonstrated any overall strategy. Obama’s comments yesterday, that even he as President is not all powerful (not sure he believes that), and that he cannot “go down there and suck it up with a straw”, shows to me how completely lost both he and BP are. It is tragic, and it seems plenty of blame to pass around. BP should cut the sentimental ads and get more coverage of all that they are working on. Feds should stop the news briefings and sound bytes and let us know what they plan to do (since the straw idea is not good)!

By: John Gonda

John Gonda — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:08:33 +0000

Very good post, Dan. I especially agree with the “be more forthcoming” suggestion. At this point, I think being as honest as possible and simply saying “I AM SORRY” again and again will go a long way in rebuilding a level of trust that has been simply destroyed.
I also believe that any PR efforts related to saving the affected wildlife would be a bonus for their image. The photos we are seeing on a regular basis of devastated, and innocent, animals further adds to the horror of this situation.

By: Kelley McGrath

Kelley McGrath — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:54:37 +0000

Wow, they do need help.
The mess is compounded by what seems to be daily PR blunders.
When this is finished (and it will take years) the whole fiasco will make a good college class and project in public relations not to mention engineering other fields.
BP is now saying they will be able to contain 50,000 barrels/day in August and 80,000/day in September. Kinda makes you wonder how much is really leaking when the high number was 40,000/day.
Then you have the story on the NBC news last night about the local who got some kind of contract with BP to provide 12,000 meals per day for workers. He supposedly took his life savings, set up a temporary facility and had got everything ready and BP backed out. Whether that’s truly how it played out or not, its reality to most who saw the story (if it is, he obviously needs a better contract attorney if he had one at all.) They had the guy on camera complaining about BP saying they are going to hire local companies to help boost the local economy “but now what.”
Like I said, an entire college PR class based around the disaster would be interesting.
Since I’m a marketing guy and not a PR guy, maybe I’d learn something

By: Jim Cartwright

Jim Cartwright — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:21:23 +0000

Dan –
Absolutely agree with your take; good information, not gimmicks is what BP needs to share with the public with as much transparency as possible. Their attempt to guess a low ball leak estimate early on is still a sharp stick in their ear. If you don’t know, don’t speak. Actively seek opportunities to tell the good stuff you’re doing and admit mistakes with regrets.