"Junk Shot" Crisis Communication

Crisis Communication or Issues Management as many are calling it these days, is possibly one of the most intriguing but also one of the most maligned Public Relations functions. Intriguing because of the myriad options, angles, tactics, messages and approaches crisis communication can take, and maligned because of its reputation for "spin".

Over the past two months we have witnessed major crisis communication in action. BPs massive oil leak due to the destruction of a drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico has been an event that, apart from its devastating environmental consequences, will surely be studied in countless PR classes over the next several years. So how is BP doing with its crisis communications? The Globe & Mail's Simon Houpt has an interesting observation.

In an article published Monday, June 7, Houpt compares BP's Issues Management to the way in which they have attempted to plug the leak.

"After more than a month moving through and then ripping up the handbook of how to fix a gushing well head one mile below the surface of the ocean, the oil giant now appears to be adopting the same approach for its public relations strategy, veering into territory that is both uncharted and potentially risky."

The company has opened a toll free number where members of the public can share their ideas on how to solve the problem, they have bought a 60 second television spot where CEO Tony Hayward tries to allay the fears and concerns of all stakeholders. It has employed two "BP reporters" who travel around the gulf writing upbeat first person accounts of the clean-up operation.

These are what Houpt believes are part of a "Junk Shot" strategy - the strategy engineers, who had run out of more traditional ideas, attempted. It involved pumping debris into the well head to try stop the leak. It was a last resort - they were in uncharted territory.

Some have said that by not communicating that they were in uncharted territory, by not admitting they were stumped, BP lost the battle to salvage trust, did not manage this PR nightmare and failed to get people on side.

This event is unprecedented and so BP's crisis communication plan is bound to be a "junk shot" of sorts. But when one of the BP reporters wrote an article entitled "Ballet at Sea" describing the boats laying oil containment booms; weaving their way over an oil slick - it only served to infuriate people. "Ballet at Sea"? Come on! Those are the ridiculous angles that give PR a bad name.

Another interesting observation in Houpt's article talks about the time crisis communications has to react. Because of the speed of information transfer over social media- companies used to have 24 hours to respond - these days they have 24 minutes. Scary. Almost as scary as this environmental disaster.