Dealing with a crisis has totally changed because of social media but apparently BP didn’t understand this point, as it did not have a strategic plan on how to defend its response to the oil spill on social media, and failed to communicate honestly with the public.
BP’s minimal presence on Facebook and Twitter has proved to be mostly worthless because it lacked a crisis plan. In fact, the top social networks for the most part have done BP more harm than good in recent weeks.
For instance, a search for BP on Facebook is far more likely to produce “Boycott BP” pages – one of which have more than 690,000 followers – than the oil company’s own pages. And a phony BP Twitter account that pokes fun at the company has more than 175,000 followers, whereas BP’s official Twitter account has about 15,000.
This goes to show the importance of social media promotion. Social networks can be a double-edged sword for companies trying to get through a public crisis. If used well, they can help get important messages out to the public. If not used well, they can badly hurt a business’s reputation. More-effective use of social networks could have helped the beleaguered oil company better communicate with the world.
The BP affair could prove very instructive for companies needing to handle problems like this in the future. I can’t think of another company that has faced as big a crisis as BP since the advent of social media.
Short URL & Title: Dealing with a crisis has totally changed — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/pze
More and more companies use social media and in particular Youtube to apologize to their customers and as a key tool in crisis management:
KLM’s President and CEO Peter Hartman apologized due to the unprecedented ash crisis in Europe
Toyota commercial director Jon Williams explaining just how sorry he was about all the drama they have been having over the last couple of weeks with recalls of their cars
The Domino Pizza incident where two of its kitchen staffs deliberately contaminated the pizzas and posted the video in YouTube created a huge drama in the media, including the social media. The CEO apologized via YouTube
Lexus Group President and General Manager Mike Templin recorded a personal message on YouTube for their customers, in response to Consumer Reports’ review of the rollover risk of the GX 460 SUV
Since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill began on 20 April, BP has been getting a lot of negative press, has been the butt of many YouTube parodies and has been generally lambasted on Twitter, Facebook and the rest of the Web:
Attacked on Facebook by a boycott movement called “Boycott BP,” urging a worldwide boycott of all BP brands and services
Now the turns comes to BP’s CEO Tony Hayward. The videos include a formal apology: “The gulf spill is a tragedy that never should have happened ….. To those effected and your families, I’m deeply sorry.” Hayward talks about what BP is doing to help solve the crisis, protect the shorelines and clean up the mess.
Comments have been disabled on Hayward’s apology video, but that hasn’t stopped YouTube users from responding with their own video clips.
Maybee it would have been appropriate to apologize for the things he had said earlier:
“The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume” (Source)
“I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to have been very, very modest.” (Source)
What do you think of Hayward’s Youtube apology?
Short URL & Title: YouTube apology campaign — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/weq
Lately we have seen big brand being attacked on social media:
Intel was attacked by activists opposed to minerals mining in the Congo inundated Intel’s Facebook page
Nestlé, maker of Kit Kat, was attacked for using palm oil from companies that where trashing Indonesian rainforests
Shell was attacked by human rights group Amnesty International for their activities in the Niger Delta
BP was attacked on Facebook by a boycott movement called “Boycott BP,” urging a worldwide boycott of all BP brands and services
But remember that your employees are also users of social media. They can generate content as well as anyone else and have the power to smear your reputation.
Two Domino’s Pizza employees thought it was funny to film themselves abusing takeaway food and breaking the hygiene standards in one of Domino’s Pizza store kitchen.The video was uploaded on YouTube and received more than one million views before it was pulled down.
This scandal resulted in a multi-million dollar loss and caused great damage to Domino’s 50 year old brand reputation.
Criminal cases had been filed against the employees.
Luckily, Domino’s was fast in responding to this scandal. It immediately created its very own Twitter account to promote positive coverage and address customers’ concerns. A YouTube video apology, featuring the CEO was also posted in an attempt to repair part of the damage.
Vodafone was forced to issue a grovelling apology to its thousands of followers on Twitter after one of its customer service staff broadcast an obscene message on the micro-blogging service. The message appeared on Vodafone’s official Twitter account, which is used by the company to deal with customer complaints. Instead of the usual helpful hints on how to make the most of its range of handsets or direct responses to individual customer service queries, VodafoneUK’s followers were treated to a message reading “VodafoneUK is fed up of dirty homo’s and is going after beaver”.
Vodafone UK later released a statement indicating the message was the work of a rogue member of staff. It read: “This afternoon an employee posted an obscene message from the official Vodafone UK Twitter profile. The employee has been suspended immediately and we have started an internal investigation. This was not a hack and we apologise for any offence the tweet may have caused.”
It is really unfortunate that companies have little control over irresponsible employees on social media. Whatever little we can do, we should. It is important to educate employees about the use of social media and its impact. Probably these employees were ignorant of the consequences of their act.
Short URL & Title: Educate employees about the use of social media and its impact — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/ihd
When most business leaders think about the advantages of using social media for business, they immediately think of the marketing benefits. However, when a crisis or emergency erupts, the power of social media can be an amazing tool for businesses.
YouTube is the most popular video search engine, and no doubt the best and fastest way to send out a public announcement when your company needs to make a statement about an ongoing situation.
Lately Lexus Group President and General Manager Mike Templin recorded a personal message on YouTube for their customers, assuring that Lexus is dedicated to building high-quality vehicles that surpass expectations and, in response to Consumer Reports’ review of the rollover risk of the GX 460 SUV, are voluntarily recalling this model to upgrade and improve the vehicle’s stability system.
Short URL & Title: The use of social media when a crisis or emergency erupts — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/dtl
For instance, a search for BP on Facebook is far more likely to produce “Boycott BP” pages – one of which have more than 690,000 followers – than the oil company’s own pages. And a phony BP Twitter account that pokes fun at the company has more than 175,000 followers, whereas BP’s official Twitter account has about 15,000.
