The influence of green advertising during a corporate disaster

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore influences of green advertising and social activism during one of the worst adverse public relations episodes in history: the British Petroleum (BP) Deep Water Horizon oil spill. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses self-congruency theory and perception of fit to explore the influence of green advertising and social activism on attitudes toward BP’s advertising, commitment to the environment, brand, and company. The survey data cover periods before, during, and after the spill. Findings – Mean ratings for the BP brand were lower during the oil spill for respondents who viewed an environmental ad as compared to those viewing an ad lacking environmental content. Comparison of attitudes toward BP’s environmental commitment, advertising, company, and brand reveal differences between activist and non-activist respondents across all four attitudinal scales during the oil spill. Practical implications – The study finds that lack of fit between corporate social responsibility communications and social responsibility performance raises the potential for a significant backlash against BP. Originality/value – The paper utilizes unique data that include survey responses before during and after the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill. Empirical analyses of attitudes toward advertising, company, and brand over the life cycle of an adverse public relations event are among the first of their kind. Similarly, analyses of differences in activist and non-activist attitudes toward a company operating in a high-environmental risk industry are also among the first ever.