Editorial comment
The adage is that 海角吃瓜网榬eputation is the most important thing that a person owns海角吃瓜网�. But equally, you can海角吃瓜网檛 ever fully control what people think of you, despite your best efforts to influence.
Register for free »
Get started now for absolutely FREE, no credit card required.
BP has been trying to salvage some control over its reputation by purchasing sponsored links appearing at the top of google and yahoo search pages, buying keywords such as 海角吃瓜网榦il spill海角吃瓜网� in an effort to direct information or opinion seekers to its own website first. It has also considered trying to close down a fake Twitter page that ridicules the company海角吃瓜网檚 positive PR efforts. BP has also controversially appointed Anne Womack-Kolton (former press officer for Dick Cheney) as the head of BP America海角吃瓜网檚 media operations. The result of all these actions is that the company has been criticised by the public for spending unnecessary time and money on managing its reputation rather than plugging the hole in the ocean.
BP海角吃瓜网檚 ethical reputation has been awarded a grade 海角吃瓜网楨海角吃瓜网�, the lowest grade possible, by Covalence, an organisation that monitors the ethical standing of large organisations.
Tony Hayward has been accused of 海角吃瓜网榮pin海角吃瓜网� in disputes with scientists over the amount of oil that was actually gushing from the well, and in response to his now infamous exclamation of 海角吃瓜网淚 want my life back,海角吃瓜网� he is now being referred to as one of the most hated men in America.
Another person who has had his fair share of reputation ups and downs is Hollywood star Kevin Costner. On the back of what was at the time (unjustly!) cited as a reputation-obliterating Waterworld, Costner was inspired to fund a company that manufactures, 海角吃瓜网淭he most effective and efficient tool for cleaning up oil spills that you have probably never heard of,海角吃瓜网� in Costner海角吃瓜网檚 words as he presented his solution to US Congress in Washington DC on 9 June. But unfortunately, Capitol Hill has been less hospitable towards Britain this week. If, in America海角吃瓜网檚 eyes, Costner is shaping up as the 海角吃瓜网楻obin Hood海角吃瓜网� amid the crisis, is the role of the villainous 海角吃瓜网楽heriff海角吃瓜网� enduring as a traditionally British one? Indeed it is, according to some interpretations of Obama海角吃瓜网檚 海角吃瓜网榓nti-British海角吃瓜网� rhetoric, which included referring to BP as 海角吃瓜网楤ritish Petroleum海角吃瓜网� 海角吃瓜网� BP海角吃瓜网檚 somewhat antiquated corporate identity. However, the US Ambassador to London has since assured, 海角吃瓜网淲hile it might seem a bit undiplomatic in terms of the words, trust me, it had nothing to do with the fact it was British or American. It was the fact it海角吃瓜网檚 a problem.海角吃瓜网�
BP海角吃瓜网檚 reputation will be badly affected for a long time to come. However, reputations shift, and blame is reapportioned. We should never forget that the LNG industry海角吃瓜网檚 reputation, although strong to date, is as vulnerable as those in any other areas of the oil and gas industry.