The Simple Menu Chevron Should Have Offered Following Gas Well Crisis
I recently learned what “SMH” means in “social media speak”. I know . . . I’ve been using social media for YEARS and I’m ashamed to admit that while I knew LOL, LMAO and other common social media “shorthand”, SMH alluded me for far longer than it should have. If you are reading this wondering what it means too — then we should be friends.
But, let’s move along to my reason for writing and why you are taking time of out your busy day to read my thoughtful prose. (a little much?) Ok…on with it. A recent PR stunt by a well-known energy company had me “shaking my head.” THERE — now you know what SMH means…
How is it possible a company (Chevron) with 2013 earnings exceeding $21.4 billion could be so tone deaf as to think for a minute that buying people pizza would make them feel better about a major gas well explosion and fire that resulted in one death and another worker injured? Shake. My. Head.
You would think that common sense should prevail — especially for a mammoth corporation who should know better. In my professional (and personal) experience, figuring out how to deal with such situations from a PR standpoint involves common sense, empathy and honesty (or transparency). That’s it. No gimmicks or tricks. No outside of the box thinking is needed. We’re talking about the loss of life and deep, deep human fears about a controversial subject—fracking. There is no place for cute. Upfront, real and maybe even raw honesty is required. It must be immediate and authentic.
Loren Steffy, contributor with Forbes, laid out an excellent plan for how Chevron should have reacted and what they should have done in his recent article, “Chevron’s Free Pizza Offer Only Feeds Public’s Distrust.” You will see that it’s not rocket science he suggests. It’s simply using good business sense — doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.
As PR professionals with a good degree of crisis communications expertise on our staff, we are frequently asked how we would handle a crisis scenario. It’s almost as if the person asking thinks there is a some magic formula only a professional in the PR field will know, but it’s simply not the case. We aren’t magicians and while crisis communications is the most strategic and sensitive work we do, it isn’t brain surgery. Those who know us well would agree we have a keen sense about human behavior. In essence, we’ve studied it for years. We can cut through the B.S. and get to the real story in no time. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. We understand what makes people move and what falls flat.
In the case of Chevron, it isn’t clear where the directive came from to hand out gift certificates for pizza and pop to 100 members of the community impacted by the gas well explosion/fire — only that it was Chevron’s Community Outreach Team who sent the letters and certificates. If Chevron had sought PR assistance, any agency or consultant worth their salt would have advised them against the stunt that was no doubt well-intentioned but came across as condescending and insincere.
So, while what we do as PR professionals is rooted in common sense and honesty — something most people should have, it’s clear there is still very much a place for the guidance only a seasoned PR professional can offer.
Sometimes corporations are so caught up in the business of their company they forget what really matters — people who are impacted by their business. No amount of pizza is going to bring back a friend and loved one or make them feel better about the safety of other nearby wells.
Right now, those in the Greene County, Pa. community affected by the gas well incidents need to know Chevron cares deeply about their well-being and will do whatever it takes to make this wrong, right. Now should be the start of a long-term effort to rebuild trust through honesty and education — which is exactly why companies working in this industry need trusted PR professionals with boots on the ground who understand the community’s needs in a way that out of town executives simply can’t.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Hollie Geitner is vice president, client services for WordWrite Communications.You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG. 
