BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

While the massive oil spill making its way towards America’s Gulf Coast is the most high profile incident to impact BP’s environmentally-friendly “Beyond Petroleum” positioning, it certainly isn’t the first. In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hit BP with a largest-ever fine for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. In 2006, a corroded BP pipeline was found to have spilled more than 250,000 gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay. And in 2000, ... READ MORE

In this regular feature, Bulletproof interviews top plaintiffs' attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. Today, as Deepwater Horizon lawsuits continue to mount in number and scope, we speak to Kurt Arnold, of Houston’s Arnold & Itkin LLP. Mr. Arnold has filed a case, Burkeen v. Transocean, in county court in Galveston, Texas, seeking unspecified damages on behalf of rig workers Joshua Kritzer, Bill Johnson, and Nick Watson, ... READ MORE

Last week, when it seemed that the environmental impacts of an oil rig explosion off Louisiana’s coast were on their way to being contained, I wrote in this space about the need for British Petroleum (BP) to aggressively communicate the steps it had taken, and would continue to take, to protect the people and wildlife of the Gulf Coast region. Since then, the situation has deteriorated – both in the Gulf and in the media, ... READ MORE

When ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano disrupted air travel across Europe earlier this month, more than five million passengers found themselves in the same boat – booking hotel rooms and buying meals that would make their extended stays just a little more bearable. But when it came time to pay for these basic necessities, some travelers had expenses covered by their airlines, while others were forced to fend for themselves. That’s because laws governing passengers’ ... READ MORE

On Tuesday night, when an explosion rocked and subsequently sank a Deepwater Horizon floating oil rig off the Louisiana coast, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Just as Americans are beginning to warm to the idea of expanded off-shore drilling, opponents of such a shift in the nation’s energy policy have been handed a damning talking point in their favor – and powerful visuals to go along with it. But to its credit, British Petroleum (BP), ... READ MORE

With the market-moving news that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil fraud action against Wall Street’s most prestigious investment bank, Goldman Sachs, the fight for the company’s reputation continues, and moves to an entirely new level. The timing of this action (the Friday before a busy week in the U.S. Senate, as it takes up the Obama Administration’s financial reform package) has simultaneously raised eyebrows across the financial markets and provided an opening ... READ MORE

Every time you tune in to a morning show, open an Internet browser, or pick up a newspaper these days, it seems there is some “scientific” study claiming to find a new health hazard related to products we all use every day. Two weeks ago, it was a new study blaming high fructose corn syrup for obesity. Last month, it was a study warning of the addictive nature of junk food. For us non-scientists, this is all ... READ MORE

Yesterday’s Associated Press headline reporting that “a sense of normalcy” has returned to Augusta National says it all. Even before Tiger Woods hit his first professional golf shot since allegations of serial infidelity first broke back in December, it seemed that the fans, players, and press gathered at The Masters were ready to move past his well-documented personal problems and put the focus where it belongs at any major championship – the game. Even as salacious ... READ MORE

With 450 million global users and counting, Facebook has become the marquee marketing and communications tool of 2010. With countless companies and brands growing their rosters of fans on a daily basis, it’s becoming clear that no other social media platform in the digital realm provides the same opportunities to impact perceptions, supplement traditional advertising efforts, and address potential crisis issues before they reach other audiences. Of course, open forums invite candid conversations between brands ... READ MORE

The recent news that ongoing aid programs in Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, and El Salvador are rife with corruption is, unfortunately, no surprise. For years, it has been well understood that fraud and abuse are the greatest impediments to development assistance – and the problem is compounded in crisis situations because corruption controls are often relaxed to allow resources to reach people in need as quickly as possible. Because multiple layers of bureaucracy can’t be allowed to ... READ MORE