BP paid search PR propaganda

Public relations commentators are backing BP's latest PR strategy to manage the Gulf oil spill crisis, in which the company has been buying up Google search terms to direct visitors to its official crisis response page.

The British oil giant has been spending around $10,000 a day on sponsored links on Google, Yahoo! and Bing to ensure it has first say on the environmental catastrophe by taking prime position in results pages for search terms relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

But despite the opinion of sceptics, who believe the company should be channelling all its efforts directly into cleaning up the mess, PR experts believe that the money is being very well spent.

Not only is BP's response essential in locking the company into positive messages about the way it is handling the clean-up operation, but it is also providing a wealth of resources to help everyone caught up in the crisis.

The website features a list of contact numbers, such as where volunteers can enlist their help, where companies can register their professional services and a hotline for affected communities.

 It also features other invaluable information, including links to its compensation claims portal, press releases, pictures and video updates.

PR experts have stressed that the public has a right to the most accurate and up-to-date information and that BP is best placed to deliver it.

And few would disagree that BP has demonstrated this by directing visitors to a well-conceived, practical and helpful website.