For the past few months, I’ve been closely following the development of BP’s catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and, as most of the world, am outraged by the devastation it has caused. But, there’s also a deeper issue that fuels our anger: we feel swindled that we bought into BP’s image of being ecologically and socially responsible.

In 2000, BP unveiled its new green and yellow Helios logo. On its website, the radiating, sun-inspired symbol is compared to “the living, organic form of a sunflower,” and “heat, light and nature.” Compared to the strong, harsh, geometric logos of competing energy companies, BP’s look was fresh and welcoming. It unrolled advertising campaigns with clean sleek graphics that would seemingly lead us into a new age of green living. The content of its website reinforced its brand with heavy focus on its code conduct and core values to work responsibly, support the community and preserve the environment by setting high standards with a commitment to integrity.

BP did a great job of convincing the public of its ethical image for years. Most consumers felt so assured by BP’s marketing that few questioned BP’s operations and practices until the recent Gulf spill even though the facts have been easily accessible on the internet and in the media. In 2009, OSHA issued a record-breaking $87 million in penalties to BP North America for its failures to correct potential employee hazards. Between 2007 and 2010, BP’s oil refineries received 760 citations for “egregiously willful” safety violations while the other 53 refineries received only one such violation. Its latest offense: violation of consumer trust. 

 Branding is about more than looking pretty—it’s the essence of a company’s culture and values. It’s holistic. It’s substance with style. As we Belmonsters love to preach, a key component to successful brand implementation is ensuring that employees and internal practices align with their company’s core principles. As evidenced by BP, a company that does not live its values both internally and externally will eventually manifest its inauthenticity, resulting in loss of consumer confidence and credibility.