Opinion - Experience - Therapy

BP’s brand: A veil or transparent window?

By: Ed Foster Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Beyond Petroleum

In 2002 BP launched a new "Beyond Petroleum" brand message. It involved, among other things, a new corporate logo - modeled after "Helios", the Greek sun god. It had the right feel: a burst of energy in its many forms, with all the right colors, it sent a strong environmental message. We saw smiling people and bright blue skies filling our television screens. In 2005 they spent $150 million US dollars to advertise they are the "environmental" big oil company.

I wanted to believe that they were sincere and were looking at better ways to provide for our growing energy demands. They were talking about R&D money and efforts to explore alternate energy sources in the air and the sea. I could feel good about pulling up to their gas pumps. The sun burst told me so.

BP's recent re-branding launch was an effort to show the world they were willing to look at new ways of doing business with new guidelines and a priority on protecting our environment. Skeptics, and there are plenty of them, disagreed from the beginning. They looked at the new message as a distraction. They felt that the brand was developed because research told BP that people wanted this kind of approach from a big oil company. It was something shareholders could feel good about, and a distraction to the general public while they went on with business as usual.

I do know one thing. In business it all rolls down hill from the top. If middle management is ethical you can bet the top demands it. If the top is concerned with turning big profits, and doesn't care how it happens, you see it in the personality of the whole company.

 

Living up to their Brand?

How BP handles this most recent crisis in the Gulf will show the world who they really are. I'm not sure they are off to a good start.

ACCOUNTABILITY
Immediately after the tragic oil spill, the President of BP came out and announced that they were not responsible for the spill, placing the blame on one of their contractors.

"BP, short for British Petroleum, has denied responsibility for the massive oil spill that occurred on the East Coast of America. BP stated, they hired American contractors, companies, people, systems and equipment for the job, which was in essence outsourced to U.S. company, Transocean. However, they stated they will do the honorable thing and pay for the costly clean up." (source)

ETHICAL
CNN reported that the Mineral Management Services (MMS), a US Government agency, approved drilling of wells in the Gulf without the required environmental studies. There were five approved drill sites even after the spill in the Gulf. The MMS also ignored critical findings by its own scientists and downplayed the risk of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP claims to be "progressive, responsible, innovative and performance driven", according to their web site. So why did they pursue additional drill sites, per MMS's approval, even while they couldn't fix the current problem?

HONESTY

Steve Wereley, an associate professor at Purdue University, told NPR the actual spill rate of the BP oil disaster is about 3 million gallons a day - 15 times the official guess of BP and the federal government. (source) Again, BP isn't living up to the corporate mission broadcast with the new Brand. Where is the honesty and responsibility?

BP's FUTURE
I can't help wondering what happens to the brand of a company in a crisis like BP's. Is this a short term black eye or will the spill in the Gulf of Mexico hurt them for decades?

I guess much will be decided based on the long-term impacts to the environment and economies of the surrounding states and BP's ability to be true to their brand.

One thing is for sure, this will be a great case study in branding and crisis management successes or failures.

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