Making a truly sincere apology that demonstrates BP is committed to preventing disaster's like the Deepwater Horizon spill in the future would help BP improve its reputation. Unfortunately, BP has yet to make a real apology. Very soon after the incident, the CEO said he was very sorry, but then followed his words with statements about how other companies were to blame, and it really wasn't BP's fault. This type of "apology" obviously did not help the Americans who lost money in lost business, and it didn't suggest how BP would help those people or fix the actual spill and the environment. Of course, the CEO's apologetic statements came too soon for the magnitude of this disaster, but they didn't make an apology at all, as they put the blame on other companies.
Almost a year later, the new CEO apologized for the disaster at a petroleum industry meeting/convention. This apology was more thorough, but it was not directed at the American public. Therefore, this apology failed to reach the appropriate public.
Although BP has set up a $20B fund for reparations for the incident, which is one of the best responses of its type from any company in the past, the oil corporation has yet to actually admit responsibility for the disaster. It cannot give full admission due to the legal issues and lawsuits that would ensue. It is understandable that in an effort to not lose their business, BP cannot fully admit fault. However, it can do everything possible to prevent a disaster like this oil spill in the future. Unfortunately, in the wake of the disaster, BP decided to shut down a company unit focused on safety complaints from within the company. BP claimed this was because the unit was redundant, but this was a massive PR mistake, as it appeared the company was little concerned with safety and just concerned about profits.
In order to truly apologize, BP cannot make mistakes like this, and it must make clear that it is doing all it can to prevent oil spills in the future (using campaigns, donating to organizations which research cleaner energy options, etc). An apology like this would improve BP's image to people around the world and reinstall BP's self-given reputation of a green company.
Almost a year later, the new CEO apologized for the disaster at a petroleum industry meeting/convention. This apology was more thorough, but it was not directed at the American public. Therefore, this apology failed to reach the appropriate public.
Although BP has set up a $20B fund for reparations for the incident, which is one of the best responses of its type from any company in the past, the oil corporation has yet to actually admit responsibility for the disaster. It cannot give full admission due to the legal issues and lawsuits that would ensue. It is understandable that in an effort to not lose their business, BP cannot fully admit fault. However, it can do everything possible to prevent a disaster like this oil spill in the future. Unfortunately, in the wake of the disaster, BP decided to shut down a company unit focused on safety complaints from within the company. BP claimed this was because the unit was redundant, but this was a massive PR mistake, as it appeared the company was little concerned with safety and just concerned about profits.
In order to truly apologize, BP cannot make mistakes like this, and it must make clear that it is doing all it can to prevent oil spills in the future (using campaigns, donating to organizations which research cleaner energy options, etc). An apology like this would improve BP's image to people around the world and reinstall BP's self-given reputation of a green company.
I think BP's response is on the right track (the reparations fund, second apology, etc.), but a question you may want to consider in your essay is to whom the reparations should be paid. Obviously, local fisherman and ocean-based businesses should receive a share, but should anyone else? If so, how would the amount be decided?
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