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Case Studies

Issues and Crisis Management

The issue

In 1990s, the Royal Dutch/Shell Group came under great public pressure to respond to allegations of environmental degradation and human rights abuses in Nigeria – a major part of its global oil and gas operations.

At the same time, Shell was being criticised by the environmental group Greenpeace and others for its UK Government-approved plan to sink the redundant Brent Spar offshore oil storage platform in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. These dual events created a crisis for the reputation of the Shell Group.

Solutions

VASGAMA became part of a team put together to respond to the situation. The range of responses included:

developing an overall corporate position;
briefing the media and other interested groups;
developing a range of communication tools;
dealing with attacks on the Shell reputation from the media, the public and environmental/human rights groups.

Outcome

Shell's response to this crisis formed the basis for an overall review of the Group's approach to managing its global reputation.

Stakeholder Engagement

The issue

Poor urban communities in Colombia, South America, face high levels of violence in their daily lives. Violence, unlike poverty, is not always visible and is surrounded by fear and distrust. So it is often difficult to understand poor people's perceptions and solutions to this social issue.

Solutions

VASGAMA worked with the World Bank to develop a communication tool (a 26-minute video) to help researchers, development workers and policy makers study violence from the perspective of the poor.

The video uses footage shot on location in Colombia and follows the work of 21 researchers who used Participatory Urban Appraisal (PUA) methods during a World Bank study in 1998. The study's aim was to create better understanding of poor people's perceptions and solutions to violence in a number of different urban areas.

Outcome

The video now forms part of the World Bank's business tools used globally to help development workers and researchers use PUA methods and study poverty from the perspective of the poor.

Strategic Communication Planning

The issue

The UK-based Institute of Petroleum has a mission to be the most respected independent European-based centre for advancing technical knowledge within the international oil and gas industry. This focus on research and technology can at times mean that the Institute's profile is overshadowed by the political and economic issues of the industry.

The question raised was: how could awareness of the Institute's role be broadened among its many audiences – while making the most of its resources from a Public Affairs and Communications point of view?

Solutions

VASGAMA was commissioned to carry out a Public Affairs audit of the Institute. A 10-point approach was developed looking at a broad range of options. These varied from increasing the Institute's profile on both the national and international front to assessing its Public Affairs needs for the next 3-5 years.

Outcome

The audit formed the basis for a broad review of the Institute's approach to its Public Affairs planning.

Major Project Management

The issue

Expansion into the private sector and the international market by construction group Alfred McAlpine was inhibited by an outdated image and a traditional, public sector approach.

Solutions

A raft of internal and external communications projects were developed to change how the company was perceived by customers, investors and employees. These included:

An overhaul of corporate identity to reposition the Group as a sophisticated, commercial engineering and construction business;
Major restructuring with a complementary communications strategy to develop a new culture with pride in its expertise;
Creating a professional corporate communications function to deliver the vision.

Outcome

Alfred McAlpine could compete successfully in the chosen new markets.

Professional Development

The issue

Shell International needed greater functional leadership and co-ordination of Shell's global External Affairs (EA) capability after a major re-organisation.

Solutions

Analysis and review of the 600-strong global function was followed by a series of projects to create an EA community and develop expertise. These projects included:

Internal and external bench-marking studies;
Introducing competency frameworks and talent planning systems;
Producing Knowledge Management resources (a best practice website and definitive set of publications on reputation management);
Creating e-communication tools to encourage global networking between teams.

Outcome

A more unified, professional function operating at the leading edge of external affairs.

Crisis Management

The issue

Costain Group found its reputation under serious threat from involvement in the Anglo-French Channel Tunnel project, a major mining disaster in the USA, a crash in property values, wide-ranging asset disposals, plummeting share price, and controversy surrounding the Newbury Bypass highway contract in the UK.

Solutions

A comprehensive communications strategy was put in place to limit damage.
This included:

Liaison with investors, the media, customers and government;
Management of the issues and briefings for key players – providing ammunition to combat criticism;
Strong internal communications to update staff of events and the company position;
Revising Costain’s environmental policy and communicating its public stance.

Outcome

The Group’s professional reputation was protected and customer respect retained.