BP CEO Yachting Race Public Relations Gaffe Totally Preventable, Says Florida-based PR Crisis Management Expert

Glenn Selig, founder of The Publicity Agency, says Tony Hayward and BP could have minimized bad press by getting out in front of the yachting gaffe.

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(PRNewsChannel) / June 21, 2010 / TAMPA, Fla. / BP (NYSE:BP) officials scrambled over the weekend to respond to another public relations gaffe caused by chief executive Tony Hayward. An incident, Florida crisis management PR firm founder Glenn Selig says could have been prevented.

“Tony Hayward knew in advance that he would be celebrating Father’s Day with his son by taking part in a yachting race. And he, and his team, should’ve known how that might come across to those along the Gulf suffering money trouble because of the mess caused by BP,” says Selig, founder of The Publicity Agency, the Tampa-based crisis management PR Firm. “BP and Hayward should have gotten out in front of the issue and explained that he was participating in the yacht race with his son because of Father’s Day.  By allowing photos of Hayward at the event to just appear was the worst way for the public to find out.

Selig says some may have understood that this event was planned well in advance of the spill and he was participating in the event only to be with his son on Father’s Day. 

“In the statement he put out before the event he should’ve also pre-empted the criticism he would likely receive,” says Selig. “He could say that he recognizes some may be critical of him because of his decision to go considering the situation in the Gulf.  He should say that he understands their feelings but this was a personal decision that he made and he apologizes in advance if he upset anyone as a result.”

At least then, even though he might get backlash, he can’t be criticized of being clueless.  He could only be accused of making a bad decision.  But, Selig says, some might not view it as a bad decision because of their own love for their children.

Hayward and his 52-foot yacht “Bob” were part of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. As a BP spokesperson explained it, “He was having some rare private time with his son.” BP also pointed out it was Hayward’s first break since April 20, when the Deepwater Horizon rig BP was leasing exploded, killing 11 workers and spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

“For BP to say this was his first ‘break’ since the spill is ridiculous.  What about the people of the Gulf who have nothing left and get no break?  That wording seems so callous and signals to the people of Louisiana and Florida that BP just doesn’t get it,” says Selig.  “Don’t make a bad situation worse by trying to justify his taking a holiday during the worst oil spill disaster in U.S. history.  Justify it because he wants to spend time with his son.”

Selig says it would have been far better for Hayward to bow out of the race, rather than participate at all.  Maybe his son could’ve joined him at the spill site.  How strong of a statement might that have sent?

“But sometimes clients or bosses want to do something and you can’t talk them out of it.  You, as the crisis management PR person, need to roll with the punches and deal with the situation best you can,” says Selig.

Gulf residents are outraged by Hayward’s decision to take the day off. "That's the height of arrogance," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. "He is the CEO of BP and he testified in Washington before congressional committee the other day. Now he's gone over to be on his yacht over in England. I can tell you that yacht ought to be here skimming and cleaning up a lot of the oil. He ought to be down here seeing what is really going on, not in a cocoon somewhere."

Thousands of boats are on the water trying to collect the oil in the Gulf. A newly expanded containment system is capturing or incinerating more than one million gallons of oil a day. BP hopes that by late June it will keep nearly 90 percent of the flow from the broken pipe from hitting the ocean.

BP has also paid out $104 million to Gulf residents harmed as a result of the spill. It has also established a $20 billion fund

Source: thepublicityagency.com

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