As Worlds Collide - BP Meets the Age of Transparency
Jun 16th, 2010 by David Svet
The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is an unprecedented tragedy. The extent of damage to the ecosystem, economy and lives of countless people is staggering. But it has also been enlightening. Our always on connectivity, social networks and the instantaneous spread of news by citizen journalists has shown this crisis to be a potential turning point in how businesses can operate.
BP has shown itself to be a callous, indifferent gambler with little regard for anything other than their bottom line. None of that may be true, but it is how they have come across in the American news media and social media space. They are operating as they always have with typical crisis communications and damage control advertising. The problem is that the world doesn’t work like that anymore. Information moves too fast, we see far more than we have ever seen, we have far more editorial input than we have ever had and we can share opinions in a viral manner that takes over the news cycle. This is an unprecedented tragedy caught in the grips of the new communications reality. The net result — transparency is mandatory.
It is no longer possible to cut corners. Risks must be far more carefully considered. Doing the right thing and having a forthright corporate conscience is no longer an alternative, it is a mandate for survival. The protest chant from the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, “ The whole world is watching,” has never been truer. Not only are we watching, we watch 24/7 in the palm of our hand using the same device we use to make stock trades. In the age of transparency, good conduct may be rewarded, but bad conduct will be punished swiftly and harshly.
Licensed under a Creative Commons License.
