Just as oil is everywhere in Americans’ lives, spills of it seem to be spreading into more places around the country, too. Not only are we fighting the effects of an unprecedented oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, but smaller leaks, like the current one in Michigan, can bring the oil to our backyards.
How oil leaks and spills happen and can be better prevented is a matter for engineers. Executive managers and communications professionals engaged in the oil industry must concern themselves with how to respond to the crisis of a leak or spill. One critical lesson offered by past crises, such as the BP leak in the Gulf and the Exxon spill off of Alaska: act fast. (Or, at least appear to act quickly.)
Americans consume 20 million barrels each day. Is disaster inevitable? If you are an oil company, perhaps you should plan as if it is a when-not-if scenario. First on the to-do list is mobilize quickly to address the problem. It is important to not only attack the cause but visibly attempt to remedy the situation.
The media reports what is sees and hears, and it will eventually set the tone of public opinion on the oil company’s behaviors. But so far the media is reporting in the favor of the culprit, a Houston company called Enbridge. The Associated Press’ headline reads “Oil company ramps up effort to clean Mich. oil spill.” The writer waits until the twenty-second paragraph to mention the numerous other spills attributed to the company in just the last decade. So, if you work for Enbridge, planning for a spill crisis is more like a not-when-but-how-often scenario. More importantly, the media coverage so far leads with how great of an effort both Enbridge and the EPA are making to contain or correct the spill.
But Enbridge can be doing much more to avoid a full-blown crisis. It ought to be throwing the kitchen sink at the issue…and make sure everyone sees them do it. It ought to not cancel press conferences as it did today due to “scheduling conflicts.” It has failed to schedule a new briefing.
This summer BP and the US government were heavily criticized for not acting urgently enough (even if they actually did). After the Exxon Valdez ran a ground and began leaking thousands of gallons of oil in 1989, critics claim Exxon failed to act quickly and with enough resources.
Message to oil companies: when a spill occurs, put every available resource on the case immediately and discuss your efforts openly with and through the media. Being seen as taking responsibility to solve the problem is far better than playing defense in response to accusations causing it and not making amends. You can minimize the impact of the crisis.
Source: Andre Jackson, Detroit Free Press
JOUR 840: Crisis / Image Management 
Just as oil is everywhere in Americans’ lives, spills of it seem to be spreading into more places around the country, too. Not only are we fighting the effects of an unprecedented oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, but smaller leaks, like the current one in Michigan, can bring the oil to our backyards.
How oil leaks and spills happen and can be better prevented is a matter for engineers. Executive managers and communications professionals engaged in the oil industry must concern themselves with how to respond to the crisis of a leak or spill. One critical lesson offered by past crises, such as the BP leak in the Gulf and the Exxon spill off of Alaska: act fast. (Or, at least appear to act quickly.)
Americans consume 20 million barrels each day. Is disaster inevitable? If you are an oil company, perhaps you should plan as if it is a when-not-if scenario. First on the to-do list is mobilize quickly to address the problem. It is important to not only attack the cause but visibly attempt to remedy the situation.
The media reports what is sees and hears, and it will eventually set the tone of public opinion on the oil company’s behaviors. But so far the media is reporting in the favor of the culprit, a Houston company called Enbridge. The Associated Press’ headline reads “Oil company ramps up effort to clean Mich. oil spill.” The writer waits until the twenty-second paragraph to mention the numerous other spills attributed to the company in just the last decade. So, if you work for Enbridge, planning for a spill crisis is more like a not-when-but-how-often scenario. More importantly, the media coverage so far leads with how great of an effort both Enbridge and the EPA are making to contain or correct the spill.
But Enbridge can be doing much more to avoid a full-blown crisis. It ought to be throwing the kitchen sink at the issue…and make sure everyone sees them do it. It ought to not cancel press conferences as it did today due to “scheduling conflicts.” It has failed to schedule a new briefing.
This summer BP and the US government were heavily criticized for not acting urgently enough (even if they actually did). After the Exxon Valdez ran a ground and began leaking thousands of gallons of oil in 1989, critics claim Exxon failed to act quickly and with enough resources.
Message to oil companies: when a spill occurs, put every available resource on the case immediately and discuss your efforts openly with and through the media. Being seen as taking responsibility to solve the problem is far better than playing defense in response to accusations causing it and not making amends. You can minimize the impact of the crisis.
Source: Andre Jackson, Detroit Free Press
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