BP Oil Spill

The 2010 BP oil spill that took place on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect claimed 11 lives, and is considered to be the largest marine oil spill in the petroleum industry’s history. The spill flowed continuously for 87 days until it was declared to have been contained on 15th July 2010 and finally sealed on 19th September of the same year (BP, 2013). However, unconfirmed reports indicate that some of the well sites continue to leak (Pulham, Hilaire & Fenn, 2010). The spill took a physical and psychological toll on people around the Gulf area by its aftermath. BP's oil spill provides valuable lessons in crisis communication as their reputation had hit rock bottom during the crisis. The company’s response website was designed to show how well the company was willing to deal with the issue and take responsibility for the clean-up working under the direction of the federal government. Responding quickly to compensate people affected by the impact of the accident and by reassuring all stakeholders that all would be well. BP's “Gulf of Mexico Restoration” website uses these three strategies to try to repair its damaged reputation: encouraging photos of improved tourism and people shopping for seafood, emphasizing BP's success in restoring the economy; a dedicated page detailing BP’s generosity and responsibility through compensating people and the businesses affected from the disaster in order to gain the public’s trust; and a video testimonial, featuring BP's Operations Manager that focuses on the company’s commitment to America by making their message seem more credible to the public. BP’s web site uses encouraging photos of improved tourism and people shopping for seafood, emphasizing how BP works to restore the economy from the disaster in order to rebuild BP’s reputation. A particularly effective example is the photo of Casino Beach in Pensacola, Florida found on the BP’s web page, ”Tourism along the Gulf Coast”, which portrays a beautiful beach