top of page

 Marketing/PR/Corporate Communications 

 “Oil  companies...sought...to  burnish  their  reputations...as  environmental  champions.” 

​

​

​

 “Climate  disinformation...reduces  public  understanding  of  climate  change...

​

 cancels  out  accurate  information...and  reinforces  climate  silence.” 

​

 

​

 "Confuse  the  public  and  decision  makers" 

 Public  Relations  Historical  Events: 

​

​

 Ivy Lee, Edward Bernays, and John Hill were three leading public relations pioneers. 

 Their connections with oil and mining companies 

 go back at least as far as the Ludlow Massacre in 1914.

​

​

 Following World War Two when "smog" became a big problem 

 in Los Angeles, (1946) fossil-fuel companies decided to 

 sponsor “research to inform and shape public opinion.” 

​

​

 E. B. Harrison "made his mark in 1962". 

 He is known today as “the godfather of ‘greenwashing'... 

 [which means] taking steps to 

 appear environmentally responsible without changing actual policies.” 

​

​

1971:  A PR campaign introduced the new idea of “littering”.  Start-up money came from beverage, can and bottle companies as well as “the tobacco industry [who] developed programs with Keep America Beautiful 

​

that focused on cigarette litter solutions acceptable to the tobacco industry such as volunteer clean-ups and ashtrays…

​

Keep America Beautiful's narrow focus on litter...is seen as an attempt to divert responsibility from industries that manufacture and sell disposable products.” 

​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

 Starting in the 1990’s, “The [plastics] industry sold the public on an idea it knew wouldn't work

 that...plastic could be, and would be, recycled — all while making [billions]...selling...new plastic.” 

 

 “The ads were paid for by...companies like Exxon, Chevron, Dow, DuPont. 

​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

In the early 2000's, the marketing/advertising/public-relations firm, Ogilvy and Mather, thought of revitalizing the litter-is-your-fault concept for their client, BP. 

 

“It’s here that British Petroleum, or BP, first promoted and soon successfully popularized the term ‘carbon footprint’.” 

 

They wanted to build an "emotional affinity beyond the product."

​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

 “Between 2005 and 2008, the Kochs alone spent nearly $25million...fighting climate reform,” 

 partly through the use of think-tanks

​

“Sold to the public as quasi-scholarly organizations, [think-tanks] real 

 function was to legitimize the right to pollute for oil, gas and coal companies.” 

​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

In 2008 big oil’s message was to shift the blame for pollution to auto-makers and car drivers: 

Improve your gas mileage”, they recommended.  

​

And, “It is important we reduce...emissions."  

​

"Improving the efficiency of the vehicles people drive is one way to do so.” 

bp footprint p r
keep america beautiful

​

 2019:  a  top  consultant  admitted  regrets.  “‘I  was  wrong’  Frank  Luntz  told  a...Senate...panel.”  

​

 “Luntz...helped  Republicans  hold  power…He  crafted  talking  points  for  the  Koch  brothers…” 

​

 He  had...urged  politicians  to  "emphasize  a  lack  of  scientific  certainty  around  climate  change.” 

​

 

​

2020:   “Subaru  is...hiding  its  slow  progress  on  EVs  behind  ‘green’  marketing.” 

​

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

Subaru  has  paid  organizations  that  appear  to  be  environmentally  friendly  -

​

REI,  the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA),  and National Park Foundation (NPF)  -

 

to  join  marketing  promotions.   Who  are  the  NPCA  and  the  NPF?

​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

The  NPCA  and  the  NPF  are  NOT  the  National  Park  Service, despite  similar  names. 

​

I  called  REI  about  their  contest  to  win  a  pollution-creating  Subaru.   I  was  dismissed.   

​

I  spoke  with  a  representative  of  Subaru  at  the  San  Francisco  Auto  Show:  same  result. 

​

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

The  Senior  Vice  President  of  Marketing  for  Subaru  of  America,  Inc.  stated

 

(in  a  press  release)  they  hope  to  “Keep  America...Beautiful.” 

​

 Corporate consultants try various tactics. 

​

​

 One is to hire their own scientists to rebut legitimate, unbiased science

​

​

"What they did was immoral. 

 They spread doubt about the dangers of climate change 

 when their own researchers were confirming how serious a threat it was." 

​

​

“Revelations about Exxon Mobil’s campaign came from...

 the Los Angeles Times [which] documented...

 efforts to manipulate public opinion.” 

 What  will  they  think  of  next? 

​

  •                                                                                     

  •  Astro-turf  groups  use  "paid  consultants...                           

  •  portraying  pro-petroleum  groups  as  grass-roots  movements’.”                                                                                                      

  • ​

  •  Marketers  "hire  social  media  influencers  to  make  cooking 

  •  with  gas  stoves  seem...trendy,  despite  the  indoor  air  pollution.” 

  • ​

  •                                                                                               

  • “The  Petroleum  Product  Marketing  course  consists  of  8  lessons...” 

  •                                                                                               

bottom of page