BP Public Relations

BP Public Relations



BP Public Relations

Introduction

Grunig and Hunt (1984)'s four models of public relations are perhaps the most commonly used theories in the field. They are useful in that they divide a complicated subject matter into four fundamental areas which can then be separately addressed. Corporations may refer to these models in establishing their CSR efforts (Grunig, 1984). For me, the 4 Models became more than a teaching tool. When Grunig & Hunt published their theory, I was a full-time PR practitioner working for marketers who saw PR as promotion and publicity, period, and with no ethics component. The 4 Models helped me see the potential of public relations and, in part, inspired me to open my own shop so I could get beyond marketing and do some serious PR. In this paper I analyzed the BP Public Relations and how the Oil and Gas industry industry could potentially use Public Relations.

Analysis

British Petroleum (BP) is the 3rd largest oil/energy company in the world whose annual sales and other operating revenue tops $240 billion. Originally, British Petroleum began as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company which itself had a history emerging from the oil operations of multi-millionaire John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil Company, a huge oil conglomerate which became the target of an anti-trust suit that forced the company to halt operations after which Rockefeller transformed Standard Oil into several smaller and still profitable companies (Wilcox & Cameron, 2006).

Today this is a name that does not fit the company particularly well either, as they have diversified widely. Some of these interests have been separated from their main energy ones, but they all belong under the same umbrella. It has also re-branded itself as simply BP, preferring to be associated with energy rather than oil and probably wanting to sound more internationa (Grunig, 1984).

BP has started advertising its plans to invest in alternative energy. They have invested to a degree, which will reduce its dependence on unpredictable oil. It has, however, no intention of cutting back on fossil fuel extraction in the near future. On its website sustainable energy and the environment are regularly mentioned and their slogan is 'beyond petroleum', but it is still primarily an oil company. It is a vertically integrated oil company, involved in all stages of the process. The process begins with extraction and finishes with selling the final products to consumers in the many BP petrol (gas) stations (Grunig et al, 1995).

For example, the first area (Press Agentry) deals with the activities of those who will do anything to gain publicity. Perhaps Bransonesque stunts are not appropriate for establishing convincing social responsibility, but certainly widespread advertising of a particular endeavor (such as BP's cleaner fuel promise) will be beneficial. The Second model describes the modern complexities of the growingly accurate one-way information for corporations (Mackey, 2004).

An effective example of this can be seen in Shells unexpectedly honest environmental reporting; companies wishing to be seen as ethical must adopt similar ...