Blame Game going Bad.
Branding an identity from crisis. How to avoid an industry stigma and remain positive.
How many times have you heard of the company Cameron International? What about Transocean? I’m a huge animal lover and I drive an SUV to carry them around to the park, vet or even on a road trip. So now that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is reaching the shores and affecting wildlife preserves I’m getting really anxious. When I go online and read more and more about it I only hear about one company: BP. British Petroleum, a worldwide oil conglomerate, that sells you gas, explores for oil and finally drills. Or do they?
I’ve heard of BP plenty of times. They’ve had cute commercials in years past, a colorful logo and they’re huge in Southern California (where I’m from). Cameron International and Transocean are new to me. Are they new to you? Certainly I’m not an oil expert. But the multi-billion dollar industry is not as simple as it looks. BP and others like it, contract out to local companies that specialize in certain jobs. They hire one company for exploration to find new oil reserves. They then hire another company to drill the oil. Then another to send it to shore and of course it continues on from there.
Transocean is the operator and owner of the rig responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (http://deepwater.com)
Transocean is responsible for the oil extraction. They are the technical owners of the rig and they operate it themselves. BP hired Transocean for their services and most importantly, their expertise. Cameron International is responsible for the equipment Transocean uses. Most importantly they manufacture the safeguard device meant to plug an oil drilling hole in the event of an emergency. Obviously between the two companies something went wrong. Oil is washing ashore and threatening delicate wildlife and damaging the fishing industry already. Millions of dollars in damages are poised to skyrocket. Ultimately, who is responsible for this mess?
Cameron International manufactures devices for oil drilling meant to cap oil spills before they happen. (http://c-a-m.com/)
There are a ton of people who are anti-oil and blame companies like BP. Well BP has already stepped forward. They’ve accepted blame and have dedicated a full clean-up and restoration team. It’s only expected because the technical clean-up of any oil spill is responsible to companies like BP. But the cause of the oil spill does not belong necessarily to BP. Lawyers will soon be able to analyze data and conclude who is to blame for the oil spilling in the first place. The real loser either way is BP and the oil industry as a whole.
BP has taken the right course: they’re accepting blame in it’s entirety. For their reputation, it’s best to be seen as humble, apologetic and committed to righting it’s wrongs. But what about the industry? What about these two companies who are most likely to be blamed for the spill in the first place? Media strategies offers businesses the unique ability to engage the public and media en masse and form the story from their perspective. While no official investigation has made any official findings public, it’s possible to see the BP media machine charge after their contract workers.
Avoiding any stigma is very difficult and it does not happen overnight. What is possible is to avoid the stigma for yourself and place it squarely on another entity. Managing crises is very sticky business. It too, does not happen overnight. But what do you do? Try making information easy to read and easy to understand. Make sure it explains your perspective and make sure that you separate yourself from those you are not wanting to be associated with. Sounds easy but the key is making that information easy.
I’m not a big fan of animals being harmed because of a careless corporation. But in the game of industry stigmas it’s always best to be honest and forthcoming – whether you’re the one to blame or not. You have a voice and it’s in times like these that you have to use it. If you don’t then you are more likely to be used as a scapegoat. And that’s not any fun.
I hope you all have a great Monday! Looking forward to the weekend already! See you back on Wednesday!
Tell a Friend,
TZ
Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.
