First, the Texas oil refinery disaster.  Now the Gulf of Mexico.  BP’s brand risks freefall. 

Before the merger with Amoco, BP was renowned for its progress with safety and ethics.  Its late ’90s approach to managing corporate memory and knowledge was world-leading.

Now, we see how easily culture can move (for worse, as well as better).  And the risk that takeovers have for the parent company. 

The wider lesson?  Who do you give your personal brand to?  What might a poorly managed alliance do to you, your team or your organisation?

Tags: brand, choices, culture, organisation