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BP and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: A case study of how company management employed public relations to restore a damaged brand

ABSTRACT The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also known as the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill, is considered the largest marine accident in the history of the industry. The 2010 incident in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the killing of 11 crew members, posing serious health risks to thousands of people and creating massive damages to wildlife habitats and fishing and tourism industries. This case study investigates how British Petroleum dealt with the crisis that left lasting serious negative impacts on its brand and reputation. The investigation reveals that BP used a wide range of public relations activities to rebuild its reputation, but the company was not well prepared to handle such a disaster. The authors report that BP also originally made grave mistakes in: (1) trying to spin its way of the crisis rather than tackling the challenges head on and (2) focusing heavily on advertising during the clean-up operation. The authors conclude that BP’s corporate brand continues to lag behind that of competitors such as Shell and Exxon, but that a change in company leadership has undertaken a more ethical communication strategy that is showing signs of success.