It's not going to work, BP

[Elizabeth I]

Oh, so YOU'RE the one, not him. I blame you for confusing me.

Anyway; where was I? Oh yes:

Most reasonable people, I believe, would allow that some kind of PR announcement is warranted or at least permissible given the circumstances. You, however, seem to think of it as evidence of how truly diabolical BP is. Your posts come off as if your finger is this close to the Caps Lock key.

Well no, you don't really appear to be ranting. But you certainly seem just as prone as I am to hyperbole. Again, the people who live in Louisiana are going to talk like people who live in Louisiana. Are you suggesting that, in order to appear "less smacking of mission accomplished", they should've flown in somebody from Michigan or New Hampshire to do the commercial, rather than the person who's actually in charge of the cleanup?

Well, actually I work in PR, and yes, some kind of statement from the company would be, if not required, certainly strongly recommended. It always fascinates me why almost no one will follow the Tylenol model: admit responsibility, apologize, tell people explicitly what you're going to do (e.g., we will close the plant and cease production of Tylenol until we can figure out how this happened and how to prevent it in the future), then come back periodically and tell them explicitly what you have done and what kind of success your efforts have had. It worked for Tylenol and is still considered a textbook case of crisis communication, but unfortunately most companies seem to consider that stonewalling first and lying next is the way to go.

BP had their CEO whining about wanting his life back and people understating the rate of flow after the blowout, and then all of a sudden some guy from the south talking vaguely about booms and skimmers. I will admit that in the latest commercial they did give an estimate of how many gallons or barrels or whatever it was of oil, and that's a step in the right direction when it comes to communication. Again, I think it's too little, too late, and it looks to me as if they're trying to deflect criticism by having it delivered in a regional accent.

 

[Furcifer]

It always fascinates me why almost no one will follow the Tylenol model: admit responsibility, apologize, tell people explicitly what you're going to do (e.g., we will close the plant and cease production of Tylenol until we can figure out how this happened and how to prevent it in the future), then come back periodically and tell them explicitly what you have done and what kind of success your efforts have had.

Because they have no intention of doing so. I think we've come to a point in history where the companies weigh the cost and probability of the fine against operating in the margins.

People are too busy to remember. Are you going to pass a BP station when you need gas because of this? I bet statistically no you won't.

The bean counters know if they keep the price of unleaded at $0.99/g over the long weekend they will make up the difference by Easter 2011.

 

[ponderingturtle]

I'm sure they will, and I'm sure you are. But, some of the Gulf Coast residents have already been devastated.

But they are getting free oil handouts from BP, what more do they want?

 

[richardm]

But they are getting free oil handouts from BP, what more do they want?

If gasoline is really only 99c a gallon, how is that a bonus? In the UK it is £5.40 a gallon. Really BP should have a massive oil spill here where it would be properly appreciated.

 

[Tricky]

Since this thread is about the media and BP, I'm hoping this isn't too far off topic.

There was an accident at BP today. I witnessed it. Not a terrible accident. it was just a fender-bender in the parking lot, but it could have been avoided. One car was speeding, ignoring the clearly marked signs and running a stop sign at a cross-walk. It hit another car coming out the "drive-through" in the middle of the lot. Wouldn't you know it, the press was there immediately. The press was there immediately because the jerk that was speeding was a member of the press who was probably at our office reporting on what careless jerks BP are. (At least, that's what I'm guessing from the ID sticker from a local TV station. He spoke with a "neutral accent".)

Nobody hurt, no serious damage, fortunately. About all that might happen is that that car will be prohibited from parking in the deck, since I reported its tag number. I'm pretty sure you won't even see anything on the news about it.

 

[quarky]

Since this thread is about the media and BP, I'm hoping this isn't too far off topic.

There was an accident at BP today. I witnessed it. Not a terrible accident. it was just a fender-bender in the parking lot, but it could have been avoided. One car was speeding, ignoring the clearly marked signs and running a stop sign at a cross-walk. It hit another car coming out the "drive-through" in the middle of the lot. Wouldn't you know it, the press was there immediately. The press was there immediately because the jerk that was speeding was a member of the press who was probably at our office reporting on what careless jerks BP are. (At least, that's what I'm guessing from the ID sticker from a local TV station. He spoke with a "neutral accent".)

Nobody hurt, no serious damage, fortunately. About all that might happen is that that car will be prohibited from parking in the deck, since I reported its tag number. I'm pretty sure you won't even see anything on the news about it.

This is where I get all my news.

Are you blaming the press?

 

[richardm]

I haven't seen $0.99/gal gas in years. Well, I saw a sign for gas at that price yesterday, but it was a sign for a gas station that was torn down years ago. I think the current national average is around $2.80. Much higher in some places, lower in others, of course.

The bean counters know if they keep the price of unleaded at $0.99/g over the long weekend they will make up the difference by Easter 2011.

3bodyproblem must be spoiled

 

[ZirconBlue]

3bodyproblem must be spoiled

Maybe he meant $0.99 per gram.

 

[EHocking]

..Again, I think it's too little, too late, and it looks to me as if they're trying to deflect criticism by having it delivered in a regional accent.

Sorry for just jumping in like this, but I read an interesting article today on the subject.

Shiri Lev-Ari, co-author of "Why Don't We Believe Non-native Speakers? The Influence of Accent on Credibility", said: "Accent might reduce the credibility of non-native job seekers, eyewitnesses, reporters or people taking calls in foreign call centers."

As part of the research, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, American participants were asked to judge the truthfulness of trivia statements by native or non-native speakers of English, such as, "A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel can."

Even though they knew the speakers were reciting from a script, they were less likely to believe what was said by those speaking with a foreign accent.

 

[quadraginta]

..Again, I think it's too little, too late, and it looks to me as if they're trying to deflect criticism by having it delivered in a regional accent.

Sorry for just jumping in like this, but I read an interesting article today on the subject.

Shiri Lev-Ari, co-author of "Why Don't We Believe Non-native Speakers? The Influence of Accent on Credibility", said: "Accent might reduce the credibility of non-native job seekers, eyewitnesses, reporters or people taking calls in foreign call centers."

As part of the research, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, American participants were asked to judge the truthfulness of trivia statements by native or non-native speakers of English, such as, "A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel can."

Even though they knew the speakers were reciting from a script, they were less likely to believe what was said by those speaking with a foreign accent.

Sad to say, for much of the U.S. "Southern" is a foreign accent.

 

[Furcifer]

3bodyproblem must be spoiled

hehe, kinda subconsciously did that. It's $0.99/l right now. I was trying to imagine a cheap US price that would get people to buy. I suppose $1.99/g would do it.

 

[I Ratant]

Don't understand Frog Yards anyway.