The oil crisis in the Gulf won’t be going away anytime soon and as the situation gets worse there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and his name is Darryl Willis. As he states in the video, “I’m Darryl Willis. I oversee BP’s claims process on the Gulf Coast. BP has got to make things right, and that’s why we’re here.” This is BP’s attempt to shift the attention away from Tony Wayward, who was recently blasted for attending a boat race while the disaster in the Gulf continues to spiral out of control.

Spin doctoring? Sure. But this is also just a sound choice for a company with the eyes of the world looking down on them.

The Centre for Continuing Education’s Communication & PR programs such as Public Relations (also available online!) are a great window into how to manage your companies public reputation.