BP’s PR Nightmare: Why Top Down, Command and Control Doesn’t Fly Anymore

This video was posted in my Facebook stream today.  It’s both humerous and sad at the same time.

This Could Be You…Unless

Here is what some PR experts around the web are giving as advice to BP.  Read these and see how you can apply these to your business today.

• 9-Steps from Matt Eventoff: This is a terrific article with great advice.  My favorite tips are those that complement BPs business and teh effect the spill has had on the community such as – contributing to animal help groups for the region.
• Since the spill, someone set up a fake Twitter account called BP Globaland then started posting fake tweets that spoofed how BP was handling the situation.  If someone is satirizing your brand, the best thing you can do is take it gracefully — AND be doing the right thing.  Show your humility and humanity, anything else is heavy-handed.
• Communications Executive gives great tips for managing your reputation and your brand using social media.
• The Customer Collectivehas fantastic ideas that don’t just apply to BP.  I love the idea of connecting to the humanity of the BP stations which are actually small businesses that are owned by your friends and neighbors.  Also love the idea giving your audience a space to vent – rather than having them create their OWN space not controlled by you.

These are just a few round-ups of lessons to be learned from the BP experience.  What are YOUR tips?

Tagged as: Business, Customer Collective, Facebook, Public relations, small business, Social media, Twitter

Author: Ivana Taylor

Name: Ivana Taylor
Email: ivana@thirdforce.net
Site: http://diymarketers.com
About: Ivana Taylor is the publisher of DIYMarketers.com and the President of Third Force a firm that specializes in helping companies find their best customers and be the one they choose – regardless of price. She's an expert and book editor for Small Business Trends and a contributor to AMEX Open Forum.See Authors Posts (256)