An Impostor's Tweets Show BP PR How It's Done
If you like to follow certain brands on Twitter, you might feel a bit duped by the imposter using the Twitter account @BPGlobalPR, who has been posing as a BP oil executive cavalierly tweeting about the silver lining in the horrible dark cloud of oil that is ravishing the Gulf of Mexico. And, it might serve as a strong reminder to check for the “Verified Account” badge the next time you went to ensure the authenticity of the company ‘spokesperson’ you track for corporate updates.
On the other hand, if you are a member of the real PR team handling the BP oil spill, you probably feel a bit ashamed that the poser is actually attracting more followers than you are. The real corporate communications team for BP Oil, @BP_America has just under 6,600 followers, while the fake Twitter account has accumulated nearly 53,000 followers with its sardonic updates from the ivory tower of corporate America. @BP_America is not a Verified Account, however.
@BPGlobalPR’s recent posts reflect a disdain for the company’s ownership of the problem and their disaster recovery plan. The writer has captured the tag #bpcares - and is using the slogan to sell t-shirts raising money for healthygulf.org - to gain the attention of potential followers looking for the latest BP updates.
@BPGlobalPR “A lot of people are asking if we could have prevented this mess. Honestly, we have no clue. Our hindsight is 20/80. #bpcares”Meanwhile, tweets coming from @BP_America suggest the company uses the social media platform for push communication, like a broadcast news wire, opting to post headlines meant to inform the public, but not to build a relationship with their consumers.@BPGlobalPR “People are really out to get us. I haven't seen the public attack somebody this unfairly since poor Jay Leno had to move his timeslot.”
@BP_America “BP has started“top kill” operations to stop the flow of oil from the MC252 well in the Gulf of Mexico. #oilspill #BP #topkill” Continued on the next pagePage 1 2
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