Satirical social networking groups over shadow BP’s communication efforts

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BP released a statement on July 1 reiterating its media access policy; however satirical social networking groups and alternative twitter feeds draw far more attention.

Beyond Petroleum, the company formerly known as British Petroleum or BP issued a statement on July 1 reiterating its media access policy, stating that its employees are free to talk to the press. However the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20 which cost the lives of 11 workers and lead to the worst environmental disaster in history has spawned numerous social media groups critical of BP and the actions it is taking. The popularity of these groups has since over shadowed BP's official media communications.

The apology by Texas Congressman Joe Barton to BP and BP chief executive Tony Hayward on behalf of America, for the fine levied on them by the White House led to the formation of satirical website www.apologizetobp.com  

The website hosts sarcastic messages from disgruntled Americans and concerned citizens from around the world, apologizing to BP. One anonymous message submitted July 2, reads ‘To think I tried to save the planet by not driving much and walking more. I didn't realize it would cause you to cut back on safety measures and profit, I'm really sorry'. A Facebook page associated with the website has 653 members and the website is also available to follow on Twitter.

Several other Facebook groups also express anger at BP including ‘boycott BP' which has 766,144 fans and the lengthy titled ‘Stop the oil spill by stuffing BP executives into the leaking pipe' group which has 296,056 fans.

In comparison the BP Facebook page has 6,453 fans and BP's twitter feed is overwhelmed by a parody version http://twitter.com/bpglobalpr