The thing that interests me most about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is how quickly public opinion turned against BP. After all, some years ago while the rest of Big Oil relegated ‘new energy’ to the last few pages of an annual report, BP effectively changed its name to Beyond Petroleum, and gave us the hope of a new world to come.
Unfortunately, BP put out the message that the world needed, but they didn’t put it into practice. They overpromised and under-delivered, and Tony Hayward took the fall for something that was created by his predecessor (most likely with the help of overly-eager brand consultants who no doubt also fell for BP’s promises).
So, as wells are capped and oil is dispersed, what are the lessons I take from BP?
Bigger Picture
As brand consultants, we have a say on what a company looks like, sounds like, acts like, and sometimes even smells like. In that process, we have an opportunity and responsibility to influence the bigger picture. Never send out a message that conflicts with reality.
Basic Priorities
What your company stands for should be coherent and simple. It’s a combination of what you do now, have done, and what you plan to do in the future. Don’t be too boastful about who you are. And most importantly, if you can’t deliver then maybe you shouldn’t be talking.
Bad Publicity (for them and us)
To overpromise is not only a mistake; it’s a disaster waiting to happen. How could any consultant recommend ‘Beyond Petroleum’ when it represents only a small fraction of what BP does? BP is and will be about oil. In my opinion, the disaster in the Gulf has been magnified by a misdirected brand.
The advice we give to clients needs to paint an optimistic picture of the future, but it also needs to be: a) true, or b) achievable (in an acceptable public timeframe or it will backfire)
I don’t have an alternate suggestion for what the new BP should be, other than a bit more honest. Maybe somebody else does.
