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International Marketing Study Program 2002
BP, London
14 January 2002
The group visited BP at their offices in Old Broad St in 'the City' for a fabulous day exploring the revitalisation of the BP brand. After a number of difficult years, BP has emerged as the second largest oil company in the world, acquiring Amoco, Arcol and Castrol, creating a complex brand heritage. To overcome the issues associated with such a brand heritage, the company implemented a major brand relaunch, encompassing a number of elements such as a new logo (the BP 'helios'), a brand engagement program, a diversity and inclusion program and an external brand development program. BP views itself as so much more than an oil company.
Internal Brand Engagement
The group was welcomed by Caleb White, Group Manager - Brand Engagement at BP. Caleb explained his role as encouraging BP employees to understand and live the values of BP of:
- Green;
- Progressive;
- Performing;
- Innovative.
With employees coming from four different companies, each with distinct brand heritages, BP has undertaken a major change management process, creating a common set of principles for its employees, on which to build the company's future. Caleb also explained the significance of the company's recent Helios awards, a world-wide competition for the projects in BP that best represented BP's new values. The group was interested to note that the winner for the 'Green' award was an initiative of BP Australia, installing solar panels in remote Phillipines villages for lighting and other basics that Westerners take for granted. One of the key aspects of BP's change management process is that it does not stop with the brand launch, but rather is an issue of continual brand engagement; BP's rebranding is a journey, not a destination.
BP's Longer-Term Vision
David Rice is Director - Group Policy, and spoke extensively to the group on BP's longer term vision, and the challenges faced by BP as a global energy company. In particular, David saw significant challenges in BP simultaneously meeting the expectations of:
- Customers;
- Society; and
- Employees.
However, he also saw this challenge as not insurmountable, and believed that the philosophy of no accidents, no harm to people, and no damage to the environment were worthwhile and realistic goals to follow. David concluded his presentation by speaking of meeting societies' longer term energy needs, and the gradual trend of the world's energy consumption patterns away from solids (wood, coal), through liquids (oil), and increasingly into gases (natural gas, hydrogen).
Diversity and Inclusion
David Henderson (a recent Monash University graduate) presented on the company's diversity and inclusivity (D&I) policies, and the role of his department in promoting D&I throughout BP. In the BP context, D&I includes acceptance of employees regardless of race, religion, language etc. BP sees a significant financial benefit from following D&I policies in terms of allowing all employees to contribute to 100% of their potential. Furthermore, David cited recent research that showed that properly implemented, diversity in teams could increase overall team performance.
Investor Relations
Karl Weckel presented on Investor Relations in BP, and the process of communicating with key investor groups. He described the circular process of passing information on BP's strategies and activities to the market, and in turn learning from the market as to how BP and its environment is perceived by the market, and then building on those views in the next 'round' of communication from BP. Karl also spoke on the challenges of keeping all parts of the market (eg. private investors, institutional investors, securities analysts) continually up to date on BP's activities, while simultaneously ensuring that no one group had access to price sensitive information that other groups did not also have access to.
Human Resources
Peter Moore spoke of his personal perspective on BP, having worked with the company for 24 years and 11 days, and issues relating to translating BP's four core values of performance, progressive, innovative and green into serving people, learning, environmental concern and success.
External Brand Relations
The day concluded with a presentation from Michel van Eesbeck, Director: Group Advertising, on external relations, and in particular his responsibilities for the development and maintenance of positive relations with key stakeholder groups (defined as opinion shapers, and opinion influencers). Michel talked on BP's ongoing dialogue with key non-governmental organizations (NGO's) such as Greenpeace, and the World Wildlife Fund, and screened video examples from BP's current communications and advertising campaign showing in North America. These videos clearly showed BP's efforts in communicating its new, more open and environmentally conscious strategies.
Conclusion
The group thoroughly enjoyed the day with BP, and the very broad perspective of BP's branding and communication activities that was presented. Overall, it was very clear that BP is an company that not only espouses modern and relevant values, but is serious about 'living' them through all aspects of its operations, and indeed is increasingly being recognised for this by the broader society.
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