The Power of the Pen…

Here's a quick update to the Esso story. It seems that a senior executive at Imperial Oil read the clear comms blog post titled “J.T.’s Gift to Esso”. Despite earlier assertions that they were acting quite reasonably, and well within the law, it seems this story has changed their view.

Some corporate officials believe that being able to win in a court of law is the true test of whether or not their actions are appropriate. Others, few and far between as they may be in some organizations, recognize that there is another “court” that will hold them to account: the “court” of public opinion.

This story will have a far-reaching, national-level impact on the Esso gift card program. Firstly, Imperial Oil has said that the manager responsible for dealing with gift card “issues” is no longer functioning in that capacity. Secondly, Imperial Oil has committed to never again treat a customer with an expired gift card in this manner; they are mailing me a replacement card. It seems that the story, when read in the cold, harsh light of day, painted a not-so-flattering portrait of their company. Chalk one up for consumers!

The PR lesson here is that the “power of the pen”, or the keyboard, remains remarkably impressive. While telling the story may seem like a lost art, we must never underestimate its power. Don’t be Esso: you need to recognize the value of having an independent professional review your policy “story” BEFORE it's told.