Big Oil Launches PR Campaign

[Hidey]

Oil Lobby Reaches Out to Citizens Peeved at the Pump

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/08/AR2008050803143_pf.html


Faced with a national outcry over the high price of gasoline and soaring profits for energy companies, the oil and gas industry is waging an unusually pricey campaign to burnish its image.

The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's main lobby, has embarked on a multiyear, multimedia, multimillion-dollar campaign, which includes advertising in the nation's largest newspapers, news conferences in many state capitals and trips for bloggers out to drilling platforms at sea.

The intended audience is elected officials and the public, with an emphasis on the latter. The industry is trying to convince voters -- who, in turn, will make the case to their members of Congress -- that rising energy prices are not the producers' fault and that government efforts to punish the industry, especially with higher taxes, would only make pricing problems worse.

....

"There's no expectation that the public will end up loving the oil and gas industry," he said.

[Hidey]

1. How much does it cost?

Cavaney will not disclose how much his institute is spending on its campaign, except to say that it is less than $100 million a year, which was roughly the size of the "Got Milk?" ad blitz that featured famous people with milk mustaches.

So why not just give us all a break at the pump, rather than spend so much money on propaganda?

Because Shell alone posted profits of 1.5 Million an Hour.

Collectively the cost is pennies to them. If the effort helps keep the greed fest rolling for an extra week or so, it's more than paid for itself.

[Deja Q]

3. Did they get famous people to put oil mustaches on themselves?

I wouldn't kiss them...

And you're right; the predominant purpose for advertising is to make people aware of a new and/or obscure product. I do not believe oil is really new or obscure, but YMMV.

[Hidey]

5. RE: "Did they get famous people to put oil mustaches on themselves?"

LOL! LOL!

[killbotfactory]

2. They've thwarted all attempts at alternative energy for decades

And now they are raking in money hand over fist on oil, insisting that they are developing alternative technologies. What they will never publically admit to is that while they are making a killing on oil, they will have absolutely no intention of seeing alternative technologies be anything other than an expensive, unfeasible niche market. To expect social responsibility from companies whose overriding goal is to increase profit, and who are legally obliged to pursue this goal over all other, is ridiculous.

[LTR]

4. Well, perhaps they should consider reinvesting some of those billion dollar profits

When's the last time a new refinery has been built? How much do they spend on R&D?

They're in CYA mode. It all rings so hollow.

[Hidey]

6. Refineries, R&D

When's the last time a new refinery has been built? How much do they spend on R&D?

The early seventies and I'm sure they aren't opposed to alternate energy sources.. The problem is finding one they can maintain a hammerlock over, as is currently the case with oil.

Otherwise they'd have to compete.

They hate that.

[jaxx]

7. a multiyear, multimedia, multimillion-dollar campaign

That ought to tell us something. Prices won't be going down, it's somebody else's fault.

[Dukkha]

8. So their $1,500.00 per SECOND profit was not their fault?

fuck. you. big. oil.

[killbotfactory]

9. Yep. They went to the white house and have dictated our energy policies

for the last eight years, but they have nothing to do with any of it.

[flashl]

10. That announcement followed this ...

Oil companies settle MTBE groundwater suit

About a dozen oil companies agreed to pay $423 million and clean-up costs to settle litigation over decades of groundwater contamination from the gasoline additive and possible carcinogen MTBE, lawyers said on Wednesday.

The settlement affects public water utilities and public agencies in 17 states, attorneys for water agencies said. Refiner Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) confirmed the agreement but added that the court must affirm it.

BP America Inc (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Chevron Corp (CVX.N: Quote, Profile, Research), ConocoPhillips (COP.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Shell Oil Co (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Marathon Oil Corp (MRO.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Venezuela's Citgo Petroleum Corp, Sunoco Inc (SUN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Valero agreed to the deal, involving a key ingredient to gasoline for three decades.

Reuters