Opinion
- Editorial- Commentary
Richard
Braithwaite :Lessons
from 'Ryder-Scott'
In
a brief interview following his presentation
at the South Chamber's recent Energy Conference,
Herman Acuna a Senior Vice President of Ryder-Scott
expressed some surprise at the widespread misinterpretation
of the Ryder-Scott Report. He apparently had became
a bit dismayed when a reporter implied that the
Ryder-Scott Report had predicted the "collapse" of
the local oil and gas industry within 12 years.
Another
senior executive shared Acuna's concern and remarked
privately, "imagine after two
hours of detailed presentations by international
experts, someone could still talk about a collapse
of the gas industry". Just a few weeks ago,
in an excellent article in the bpTT Insight magazine,
CEO Robert Riley talked about the misconceptions
concerning a so-called "boom" in the
energy sector and that "some serious misunderstandings
about the Ryder-Scott report have not made the
delivery of the message any easier".
All these misunderstandings, misconceptions and
misinterpretations are indicative of a major communications
problem that confronts the local energy sector,
especially the state-owned companies and agencies.
While
in past decades the traditional Public Relations
approach to communication was fairly effective,
many of the more popular PR techniques are useless
in today's environment. In many respects the old
PR is incapable of "making the delivery of
the message any easier." First of all, the
media, both print and electronic, has expanded
rapidly and the internet in particular has made
communications instant and information easily accessible.
In
addition, the traditional audiences have also
changed with a more cynical and sometimes disillusioned
public at the receiving end of thousands of messages
on a daily basis. Consequently, the "sound-bite" has
become the preferred style of communicating especially
with the electronic media making it often impossible
to discuss any issue that is complex and multi-dimensional.
In such an environment, trite slogans, outlandish
statements and dramatic public gestures are inevitable
as persons seek to capture media attention and
communicate a particular perspective. Unfortunately
many of the issues in the energy sector cannot
be debated via sound-bites or slogans. For instance,
the elucidation and derivation of proven, probable
and possible reserves, and the methodology for
calculating as well as the appropriate use of the
reserves to production ratio cannot be fully articulated
in a full-page ad or a 30 second interview.
The
challenge, therefore, is to design comprehensive
communications programmes that are more long-term
and seek "to get the right
message, through the right media, to the right
audience at the right time and with the right
effect". It requires research and analysis
and a greater emphasis on Strategic Communications
and less on Public Relations and Advertising.
A strategic communications plan is significantly
different from an advertising campaign where
the bias is typically towards publicity and photo
opportunities..
In "getting the right message to the right
audience with the right effect" it is incumbent
for communicators to understand the particular
issue and not get carried away by the sound of
their own voices and their pictures in the newspaper.
In the final analysis it is credibility not visibility
that is the most potent weapon in the communications
armoury.
Trinidad
and Tobago will be celebrating "100
years of oil" this year and this is a much
longer period than most other countries in the
world. Given the enormous influence that the energy
sector has on the daily lives of citizens, it is
important that efforts continue to be made to inform
and educate the public and to clarify the various
misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
As the process of industrial expansion continues,
the demand for effective change management will
also become more forceful. Rapid industrialisation
means rapid change not only within the energy sector
itself but within the surrounding communities and
the wider national community. Whether it is a man-made,
offshore island ,a steel plant or a new refinery
, the 'people' issues will constantly return to
the front-burner. A Roman Catholic priest recently
called for greater 'empathy' in dealing with the
social impacts that arise from industrialization.
It is a valid recommendation and it also highlights
the tension, anxiety and uncertainty that usually
accompany periods of transformation
In this regard the need for a more pro-active
and systematic approach to communication is critical
especially within a sector that is facing unprecedented
change, technical as well as social.
Richard
Braithwaite, is a Strategic Communications Consultant
and a Director of Caribbean Energy Specialists.
Petroleumworld does not
necessarily share
these views.
This
commentary was originally published by Trinidad Express, Wednesday,
March 5th 2008. Petroleumworld
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News 03/09/08
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