In old World War II movies, when an aircraft carrier was attacked the captain called for damage control immediately after the enemy was vanquished. It was vital to know what shape his vessel was in and what capabilities it still possessed. The current wave of danger had passed, but the ship would now be vulnerable to a second attack. In the heat of battle, everyone was trained to man their post and perform their duties. After the attack, the goal was to restore what was damaged back to normal as quickly as possible.
As of this post, an uncontrolled oil well leak a mile below the surface of the ocean is spewing an estimated 1.68 million gallons of oil every 24 hours. Due the math, that is approximately 1,111 gallons of oil every minute. To make matters worse, you can view it real time on any major news media website. The company responsible – British Petroleum or as we Yanks know it, BP. Major disasters destroy more than the environment (if that weren’t enough). They can also destroy jobs, stock dividends, local economies and company brands. Currently, BP is fighting for its corporate life.
It’s not our intent to discuss who was right or wrong, what was illegal or immoral. Instead we want to take a look how at companyies maintain their brand image in times that are, shall we say, a bit more challenging than the status quo.
Not too long ago Toyota was faced with a massive wave of cars that appeared to accelerate on their own. As more incidents were reported, more people believed there was a mysterious glitch in the car’s computer system that caused these cars to accelerate independent of any driver action.
Toyota ran a series of ads during the 2010 Olympics with the message of “Restore” and “Commitment.” The black and white tv ads featured images of Toyota dealerships with past customers and then cut to images of current Toyota workers solving problems. During the time these ads ran, Toyota had placed a freeze on any new sales until the acceleration problem could be solved. The ad was for future car buyers, not current.
In most instances of corporate disasters, the news media can be merciless. As BP has found, the news has hounded Tony Hayward at every opportunity. Being from a different culture hasn’t helped matters either. The latest problem occurred when Mr. Hayward attended a yacht race, appearing indifferent to the oil spill. Additionally, having the live video feed of the well leak is a constant reminder of the situation.
It is probably safe to assume that currently any advertising that BP produces will be met with a heavy dose of skepticism and it is a no-win situation. The Wall Street Journal reported on a 50 million dollar campaign that featured Tony Hayward offering a personal apology and ensuring Americans that BP would pay for the clean up. In this instance, people began associating Mr. Hayward as the face of the disaster. Such expenditures for campaigns are counterproductive and can severely damage brand equity.
In essence, there is little that can be done currently with advertising and communications that will convince the American public that BP has their best interest in mind. The real thing people want is for the disaster to be over. BP probably feels the same.
Going back to the original premise of this post, the “aircraft carrier is still under attack.” The time for damage control can only take place after the enemy (oil spill) is vanquished. For lack of a better plan, BP would be best served to consider how it will address the public, 2 months, 6 months or a year after the disaster.
As with all things, time heals. It will take a long time for the BP name which was rated the 83rd largest brand to be disassociated from the spill. It will take even longer for the environment to recover and no ad campaign will ease that distress.