Deepwater Horizon exposes BP’s PR strengths and weaknesses

Abstract

Purpose – The paper aims to examine BP’s communications response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which caused 11 deaths and a huge oil spillage in the Gulf of Mexico. Design/methodology/approach – It draws on such secondary sources as newspapers, audiovisual material and social-network sites. Findings – It claims that BP lacked some of the tools needed for an effective communications response to the disaster and that the company made mistakes in, for example, putting out a series of advertisements during the clean-up operation. Practical implications – It puts forward the view that companies ought to have a well-rehearsed crisis-communication strategy that they can easily adapt to the particular circumstances of a given disaster. Social implications – It looks at some of the things that BP got right, including its Internet response to the crisis. Originality/value – It emphasizes the importance of good communication strategies when disaster strikes.