When search terms are too much, too late

The sheer amount of money lost might have led BP's chief executive to make the final step towards resignation, but could better social media communication (as well as limiting the yacht trips) have helped his and the company's reputation?

With the USA administration hanging on to every word, 'PR gaffes' as they've now been dubbed were always going to be hard to avoid, but the BP team did find time to lay down the law online - or at least try to.

By purchasing the search teams 'oil spill' and 'gulf spill' BP plumbed new depths in social media terms by seeming to try to control who saw what. It also ensured a prominent link to its site and clean-up methods. But with pictures of the damage already being posted by others, and the disaster the talk of twitter days earlier, was it all a bit much, too late?

The communications team's response that the intention was to make the information on the leak more accessible may well be true, but unfortunately a sceptical public and media all thought it a little too slick.

Michelle