Editorial comment
The adage is that 黑料社榬eputation is the most important thing that a person owns黑料社�. But equally, you can黑料社檛 ever fully control what people think of you, despite your best efforts to influence.
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BP has been trying to salvage some control over its reputation by purchasing sponsored links appearing at the top of google and yahoo search pages, buying keywords such as 黑料社榦il spill黑料社� in an effort to direct information or opinion seekers to its own website first. It has also considered trying to close down a fake Twitter page that ridicules the company黑料社檚 positive PR efforts. BP has also controversially appointed Anne Womack-Kolton (former press officer for Dick Cheney) as the head of BP America黑料社檚 media operations. The result of all these actions is that the company has been criticised by the public for spending unnecessary time and money on managing its reputation rather than plugging the hole in the ocean.
BP黑料社檚 ethical reputation has been awarded a grade 黑料社楨黑料社�, the lowest grade possible, by Covalence, an organisation that monitors the ethical standing of large organisations.
Tony Hayward has been accused of 黑料社榮pin黑料社� in disputes with scientists over the amount of oil that was actually gushing from the well, and in response to his now infamous exclamation of 黑料社淚 want my life back,黑料社� he is now being referred to as one of the most hated men in America.
Another person who has had his fair share of reputation ups and downs is Hollywood star Kevin Costner. On the back of what was at the time (unjustly!) cited as a reputation-obliterating Waterworld, Costner was inspired to fund a company that manufactures, 黑料社淭he most effective and efficient tool for cleaning up oil spills that you have probably never heard of,黑料社� in Costner黑料社檚 words as he presented his solution to US Congress in Washington DC on 9 June. But unfortunately, Capitol Hill has been less hospitable towards Britain this week. If, in America黑料社檚 eyes, Costner is shaping up as the 黑料社楻obin Hood黑料社� amid the crisis, is the role of the villainous 黑料社楽heriff黑料社� enduring as a traditionally British one? Indeed it is, according to some interpretations of Obama黑料社檚 黑料社榓nti-British黑料社� rhetoric, which included referring to BP as 黑料社楤ritish Petroleum黑料社� 黑料社� BP黑料社檚 somewhat antiquated corporate identity. However, the US Ambassador to London has since assured, 黑料社淲hile it might seem a bit undiplomatic in terms of the words, trust me, it had nothing to do with the fact it was British or American. It was the fact it黑料社檚 a problem.黑料社�
BP黑料社檚 reputation will be badly affected for a long time to come. However, reputations shift, and blame is reapportioned. We should never forget that the LNG industry黑料社檚 reputation, although strong to date, is as vulnerable as those in any other areas of the oil and gas industry.