BP Image Crisis

                In any advertisement campaign in the world today one that is still interesting from the past is BP before and after the oil spill. The reputation they had earned from the spill seems to have been set in stone, but people hardly think about the issue today. They seemed to have done an image overhaul in just a short amount of time after the oil spill incident. Questions come to mind like how can people not remember the company had such an event on their history? Interest is peaked by how they had to enhance their advertisement campaign to a whole other level. So, how can you look at how this happened from an analytic perspective? The answer begins in the past with how BP has advertised in the past and ends with current advertisement campaigns. The issue seems to have been averted in some ways by the clever use of PR.

            In the past BP didn't have to worry about the situations that would unfold in years to come. BP was beginning a campaign for cleaner fuels just before this incident happened (BP Goes For Public Relations Makeover To Get Beyond Gulf Spill, 2012). Advertising seemed to already be adjusting to the day and age we are in now for many are looking for fuel alternatives. It seems that this campaign was being built, but not at the degree that it would take in the future. Concern with the environment was a key element to how they were advertising. Then the oil spill happened which would change BP for life (BP Goes For Public Relations Makeover To Get Beyond Gulf Spill, 2012). The incident would call for a complete overhaul of the company image. Advertising had to take a turn for BP was using a clean environment campaign while oil was being dumped into the ocean. So, now the problem was how can they revive themselves from such a disastrous situation? People remember these situations and how they are handled so that seems to have been a key aspect. The new advertising campaign seems to center around higher quality from their products and environmental awareness. Even the quality of their gas seemed to become a topic BP made apparent to their customers (BP Goes For Public Relations Makeover To Get Beyond Gulf Spill, 2012). The advertising seems to have taken a turn to the benefits of being a customer. BP wanted to make the customer aware that they are important just like the environment we live in as well.

            What would then be considered the face of BP to the general public? The public may not know who the CEO is, but they see the logo every time they drive up to the gas pump. The next move for BP seems to have been changing their logo from the old street sign with BP in it to what could be called a environmentally friendly logo (Deneen, 2010). Their reasoning that is being given seems to have a link to the environmental advertising. BP seems to have wanted to show that even down to their logo they are committed to their environmental cause. The logo seems to be meaningful in the aspect of solar power and wind power (Deneen, 2010). These are two of the projects that seem have some deal with their new advertising campaign. So then how are they working on these programs? BP has invested a large sum of money into the alternative fuel programs (Deneen, 2010). The company wants to show they are advancing to the future not on past programs. BP wants to show that after the incident we are a new company so they have changed their identity. The new logo seems to be a way to get away from the association of the incident to their company.

            The change in the advertisement campaign seems to have been a move that was well calculated. It seems that they took steps necessary to make up for the situation that had unfolded. Which leads to the thought that no matter how the company is viewed they have resolved what was once an image crisis. So, the question at hand seems to be if the plan BP enacted was a good solution. Well in the aspect of solving their image crisis it seems so. BP is still in the petroleum market, but also expanded to other markets. Out of the incident BP invested a lot more money into other programs. BP in thus has started to expand the company over different markets now. These actions have created the company seen before the public today. The new marketing strategy was in thus successful overall. In the issue overall it seems the apparent lesson is that with enough image management a company can rebound off their history. The process of their advertisement campaign was not overnight. Overall the advertisement campaign was in the end not only selling oil, but also selling themselves as a company to the public.

Sources Cited

BP Goes For Public Relations Makeover To Get Beyond Gulf Spill (2012). BP Goes For Public   Relations Makeover To Get Beyond Gulf Spill. Retrieved from:            http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2012/02/07/bp-goes-for-public-relations      makeover-to-get-beyond-gulf-spill/

Sally Deneen (2010). BP before the oil spill: An environmentally friendly company? Retrieved       from: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/06/11/bp-before-the-oil-spill-an environmentally-friendly-company/