Brian M. (10/27):
'I'm too busy to testify about our massive oil spill and I won't have to when my buddies get elected to the House majority' sigh....
[email protected] (10/27):
Perhaps, Kevin, BP believes in the "any publicity is good publicity as long as the name is spelled correct" theory. The ridiculous comments were made the same day as the devastating NPR documentary aired detailing BP's profits over safety philosophy. BP knew about the special. The timing of the ill-conceived speech couldn't have been worse.
Ron Levy (10/27):
If it comes out in the newspapers and on TV that someone has accused you of something horrible, even people who have known you for years may think you may be guilty or why else would you have neen accused?
When Chandra Levy disappeared and was later found murdered, Congressman Gary Condit was suspected because he employed her, liked her and she was very pretty.
When a patient dies, doctors and hospitals are often accused: "They could have done more." It's hard to deny this because who among us, on our jobs, could not have done more?
In the story above and elsewhere, there's an assumption that since BP was involved in running the oil rig on which a blowout protector failed, causing an oil spill, BP must be guilty."Everyone knows," one could say, that BP is guilty but HOW does "everyone" know?
Now that Chandra Levy's murderer has been found, we know that Congressman Condit, who lost his seat following the uproar, was innocent. We know that BP's former CEO said he'd like to have his life back but would any of us in that position--non-stop duties under pressure and accusations seven days a week with no end in sight--not wish we had our lives back? We now know for a fact that the blowout protector was made by Cameron, not BP, and the well was owned not by BP but by Transocean, and that these realities are not denied by either Cameron nor Transocean. We know that Dudley prefers not to appear before politicians who would verbally crucify him, but would any of us advise a client in this situation to voluntarily climb up to Calvary or to Capitol Hill?
In this newsletter's interesting story, PR VETS FORM RFP CONSULTANCY, two exceptionally well qualified PR executives, one of them a former Senior VP and Partner in the mighty Fleishman-Hilliard PR firm, were announced as having launched an "honest broker" firm to help clients choose a PR firm. This is a needed service since over $5 billion a year is spent on PR firms and too much of that money may be wasted becaue of client mistakes in hiring a firm, setting objectives and budgets and measuring results.
One response pointed out that "If you need a real estate broker, you may get excellent suggestions by asking a real estate editor, leading health journalists can help you pick a superb heart doctor, and if I needed a PR firm I'd try hard to hire a top PR editor as a consultant."
Another response asked "how can an agency-hunting client tell whether these consultants may give recommentations influenced by whether they like or dislike the big firm at which one of the principals worked?" Yet even these responders, although favorable to the much-needed new firm, were ACCUSED and urged by the new firm, "don't shortchange us so soon."
Notice how we can see that as millions of people blame their troubles on their spouses, parents, teachers and employers, accusations can also hit a Congressman although sometimes an aide may vanish, doctors who save lives although sometimes--repeatedly in fact--patients eventually die, letter-writers although their letters praise the accuser, and companies that provide us with oil we need. BP is surely guilty of many things because all companies and each of us is guilty of error.
We could all be better than we are. But perhaps we should be more cautious than some of us are about blaming our spouses, parents, teachers, doctors, Congressmen and oil companies.
Bill Huey, Strategic Communications, Atlanta (10/28):
Yes, Dudley has unfortunately reverted to the CEO mean and is now a candidate for the National Day of Apology like his predecessor Hayward. He was talking to a bunch of lobbyists, so he must have felt he was among friends.
Veep (10/28):
Is this part of the PR recovery plan drawn up with BP's $20 million PR firm? He's got some guile to make a comment like that when the oil is still under the surface. Clean it up, Bob, then start talking your smack. Otherwise you just look like an idiot to the public and your queasy shareholders.
Joe Honick, GMA International Ltd (10/28):
Why are we even spending so much time on this corruption that seems to have no criminal investigation when there is a war on that no one is talking about at election time and people are dying there every bit as much as they have in this mess?
You may have caught the fellow wearing a pin that said "You mistook me for someone who gives a damn!" As the biggest oil supplier to the US Government, neither Dudley nor BP as a hole(sic)could give a damn about all this ranting, especially now that they have found some spotlight turned on that always available satan of industry: Halliburton.
Wes Pedersen (10/28):
Everyone involved in this is dirty. No defenses. |