The Cellar  

Go Back   The Cellar > Main > Current Events

Current Events Help understand the world by talking about things happening in it

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-20-2007, 09:57 PM   #1
yesman065
Banned - Self Imposed
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,847
BP Touts Greenness, Then Asks to Dump Ammonia

Oil Giant's Image Could be Tarnished by Move to Increase Discharge Levels

Published: August 20, 2007

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- "We'd like to have them live up to their advertising."

That remark came from Sudhu Johnston, chief environmental officer for the city of Chicago, in response to oil giant BP applying for -- and receiving -- a permit from the state of Indiana to dump more toxic discharges from its Whiting, Ind., refinery into Lake Michigan.

The move, which allows BP to dump 54% more ammonia and 35% more suspended solids into the lake, enraged officials in the Windy City and raised the specter of consumer boycotts of BP, which has its U.S. base in Chicago.

But mainly the matter drew attention to the cardinal sin of touting an environmentally conscious image in marketing—the central focus of BP's advertising for the past several years—and failing to live up to the message.

BP's "Beyond Petroleum" corporate branding positions it as a green brand, and "if you give [consumers] physical proof the opposite is true, you're sunk," said Randy Herbertson, founder of branding-strategy firm Seesaw, New York.

'Kind of stuff all activists love'
Research shows that consumers assume advertising is hype, Mr. Herbertson said, and they assume oil companies are big and greedy. This maelstrom is just the "kind of stuff all activists love to use to fan the fire," he said.

However, BP's green positioning has resonated with U.K. consumers who ranked BP ninth among their top 20 "green" brands in an online survey by Landor Associates.

To mitigate the backlash, BP started advertising in regional newspapers several weeks ago to clear up misconceptions about the issue, a spokesman said.
yesman065 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2007, 10:26 PM   #2
xoxoxoBruce
The future is unwritten
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
I'd like to see how they explain the "misconceptions".
__________________
The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.
xoxoxoBruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2007, 10:32 PM   #3
rkzenrage
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Yeah, that will be educational.
  Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2007, 10:38 PM   #4
yesman065
Banned - Self Imposed
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,847
I think we sh9ould come up with a new moniker for "BP" like
Bullshitting People
yesman065 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:26 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.