In this interview, Brands, public relations and reputation management advisor, Meka Olowola, shares insight how to bridge the communication gap among stakeholders in Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector. The Managing Partner of Zenera Consulting Limited; also has advice for the industry regulator.
In your view negative public perception remains a major challenge among oil and gas companies, how is this come about and what do you think could be done to change this?
The oil and gas industry has a public perception problem globally. Most times, companies struggle with challenges ranging from carbon emissions, oil spills, regulatory bottlenecks to fractured relationships with important stakeholders, especially in host communities. In recent times, with the harp on sustainable development, companies in the sector have also come under more regular scrutiny, becoming particularly vulnerable to the market forces of public opinions.
For organisations that want to get ahead in the tough terrain, strategic communications in all its forms—public relations, investor relations, advertising, branding, crisis management, internal communications—must remain at the core of all activities.
Contrary to what a lot of people think, public relations and reputation management are not ‘green washing’ strategies. They are integral to business continuity and acceptance. No oil firm can survive without public acceptance, and this is exactly why we work with them to strike a mutual understanding with all stakeholders in a sustainable way, irrespective of their level of interest and influence. We work to improve the public image and enhance bottom line of our oil and gas clients by accentuating the positive stories around their brand and projecting them as industry leaders operating with a purpose beyond profit. Even for those who are already immersed in controversies, our time-tested recovery strategies ensure they gradually win back the trust of society and the confidence of all shareholders.
What is the interplay between media, technology advancement and the oil and gas sector?
The relentless pace of change and innovation birthed by technological advancement and environmental awareness place pressure on oil and gas companies. A pressure to evolve and adapt to an age of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, to embrace sustainability and ‘green’ initiatives across board, to trump competitors, while also advancing and safeguarding a solid corporate reputation, which is an intangible, yet the most important asset.
Whether upstream, midstream or downstream, companies in the oil and gas sector must continually present themselves as uniquely positioned change-drivers. However, when it comes to perception management, technology is a double-edged sword for companies. While it has opened up a plethora of channels through which they can connect with stakeholders and showcase activities, it can also expose companies to complex reputational risks because of the way technology escalates crises.
Oil and gas companies must build credible relationship with neighboring communities, the government, and other relevant stakeholders, with a full understanding of the media as an amplifier of both the good and the bad. In the same vein, all efforts geared towards contributing to human development, as well as energy systems that are cleaner, better and kinder to the environment must be told in the media through compelling narratives.
Why should companies pay more attention to perception, considering that there are many challenges plaguing the oil and gas sector?
We have realized that members of the general public who are interested in energy and the environment have become the most important target audience and arming them with the right information about our clients is our prerogative.
Public perception does not exist in a vacuum, it is formed from various interacting factors within and outside the sector itself. Challenges in most oil companies are both internal and external, and how these are handled, reflect on companies’ reputation. Zenera Consulting understands how the oil sector works, its current challenges and future opportunities. In working with some of the biggest oil companies in sub-Saharan Africa, we have mastered the art of helping companies win advocates, drive conversations in their industry, influence policies, attract investment opportunities and navigate through catastrophic events. We place them at the fore-front of conversations in the industry, leveraging on a robust database of key media influencers, editors and correspondents, both mainstream and new media. With our media monitoring and social intelligence tools we are also able to predict sentiments towards our clients and turn the tide of negative media reportage to positive reportage.
Tell us about Zenera Consulting’s major services
Zenera Consulting offers services that include advertising, branding, crisis communications, media relations, reputation management, public relations, investor relations and digital marketing. We have a practice that focuses on investor relations- ZeneraIR and a partner firm fully focused on advancing sustainability in business- CSR-in-Action. CSR-in-Action is one of the foremost sustainability consulting firms in Africa, offering end-to-end CSR implementation and training programmes. BuzzDigital, our digital marketing arm, help corporate and retail brands optimize conversion online, earn positive perception and greater mindshare across all new media platforms. Zenera Consulting also owns RedBee, a high-end creative event solutions company, which delivers strategic planning, and flawless production for our clients.
At Zenera Consulting, how do you help companies in this sector navigate challenges relating to communication with relevant stakeholders?
Our dedicated team of sector-focused professionals bring to the table over 45 years of combined experience in providing an array of strategic communications services to help our clients establish and maintain close relations with those who matter to their business and to help them propel themselves to the modern-day playing field. We have a thorough understanding of our clients’ businesses and leverage on our knowledge of the business terrain to deliver clear-cut key messages adaptable to a myriad of platforms.
What we have done over the years working with clients in the oil and gas sector in Africa is to help them build brand loyalty, improve their brand equity, increase share of voice, boost positive perception and effectively manage crises in a proactive rather than reactionary custom. We create captivating messaging and identify opportunities for clients to tell stories in ways that best resonate with key audiences.
