The P.R. Kiss of Death
Our continued look at recent P.R. crises made worse by stupidity turns today to BP. We’ve already written extensively about BP, so we’ll refer back to the recent New York Times article for the most important point–there’s only one thing you absolutely must protect in a crisis–or all is lost:
Putting aside the limitations of crisis management, those in the trade generally share a sense that the companies at the center of recent events committed grievous errors. At the top of the list is BP.
“It was one of the worst P.R. approaches that I’ve seen in my 56 years of business,” says Mr. Rubenstein. “They tried to be opaque. They had every excuse in the book. Right away they should have accepted responsibility and recognized what a disaster they faced. They basically thought they could spin their way out of catastrophe. It doesn’t work that way.”
[...]
“BP lost a lot of credibility when it turned out they weren’t being forthright about how much oil was spilling out,” says Lucio Guerrero, who, as former spokesman for Rod R. Blagojevich, the impeached governor of Illinois, has intimate knowledge of the art of trust management. “Once you lose credibility, that’s the kiss of death.”
Of course, CEO Tony Hayward spilled what little credibility the pitiful oil giant had left with his lack of sensitivity and epic foot-in-mouth disease:
On the highlight reel of BP’s missteps, strategists cite its effort to deflect blame for the spill by pinning responsibility on contractors. That made BP appear callous, as if it were focused on avoiding legal liability rather than doing right by those whose lives had been upended — the families of the 11 rig workers who died in the explosion, and communities that draw their livelihoods from the gulf. (BP declined to comment on such assertions.)
The company had to contend with a classic corporate quandary of balancing advice from counselors with starkly different considerations, according to people familiar with BP’s deliberations who requested anonymity because the advice was confidential.
That poor balancing act was also apparent in their use of two spokespersons at once. Never a good idea. Credibility score: zero.
But what about when the lawyers battle the P.R. pros behind the scenes in the fight for control of the situation? We’ll look at that tomorrow.
Alex has earned a reputation for success and ingenuity from his more than twenty years experience in public relations, journalism, marketing and broadcasting. His career has spanned several industries including healthcare, television, non-profit organizations and higher education.
His work in the news media included positions as an editor, journalist, radio talk show host and vice president of Kansas City Public Television.
He founded AlexanderG Public Relations, LLC in January 2010. AlexanderG PR is a member agency of PRConsultants Group, a collaborative made up of senior-level PR experts in every major market in the United States.
Alex wrote the bestselling crowdfunding ebook and audiobook "Kickstarter Success Secrets" and is also the award-winning author of several works of fiction, including the popular mystery novels "Pilate's Cross," "Pilate's Key," and "Pilate's Ghost," available wherever ebooks and paperbacks are sold.
When it comes to damage control covering up is the worst mistake a company can make. Transparency is always the best policy. I’m really interested to read what happens when lawyers get involved.
Hey Josh–the competing agendas of lawyers and PR pros makes for a pretty contentious behind-the-scenes in any crisis. Stay tuned!