When people are unhappy they seek someone to blame. In a planet of 7 billion, the number of citizens willing to admit they are pleased with the cost of pumping oil into a vehicle is approximately the same as the amount of heterosexual men who would turn down a night out with Jayde Nicole. The cost of light sweet crude is increasingly bitter to swallow.
With Goldman Sachs predicting $200 a barrel in the next few years and profits for oil conglomerates at record highs, the ire of the public is squarely on the overlords of black gold. Barack Obama has called for a windfall tax on the “excess profits” raked in by the likes of Exxon and Shell. Critics less eloquent than the leading Democratic presidential candidate want the heads — and bank account numbers — of everyone from CEOs to rig supervisors.
The response from those under attack? As empty as the wallet of an SUV owner with a fresh tank.
Commercials and newspaper ads are one thing, but a fully conceived public relations campaign is much more powerful. Oil titans need to take this tack and not be afraid to stand up for themselves. If they allow themselves to receive the piñata treatment for long enough they will certainly see their profits raided by the likes of Obama.
Here are some suggestions by Elevation PR for the oil industry as it deals with a crisis in public image:
1. Put a face on the industry.
That face should be an everyman or everywoman. An entry-level roughneck, maybe. Someone who works 12 hours a day and makes less than $30 an hour and can comment on how the oil industry impacts his life in a positive way.
2. Shift the blame.
People may despise corporations but they love hating politicians more. The oil industry should point out a major reason for the spike in prices is because of politics. Whether it’s brouhahas in Nigeria that curtail supply or high taxes by North American governments that increase sticker shock, politicians are easy to single out. According to the Tax Foundation, the governments — and not oil behemoths — are the greatest benefactors of gasoline sales.
3. Spin the news.
The “big oil is evil” headline is old news. The media wants something new and the oil industry can exploit that fact by getting their story out and making sure to tie it to the human element.
4. Point out the facts.
The oil industry is already the most heavily taxed group of corporations in the United States. How much more taxation is reasonable? Also, the oil industry is not immune to inflation. Recently, Penn West Petroleum, the largest oil and gas income trust in Canada, saw profits drop 20% despite increasing revenue by 95% year-over-year.
