Citgo takes the branding high road
Dealing with negative issues head on is as smart in branding as it is in life. In this case, I’m referring to Citgo’s recent hard-hitting print ad in which it addresses the controversy regarding alleged ties to Hugo Chavez and Venezuelan oil interests. Rather than sidestepping the issue, Citgo took the strategic high road. It stated, for the record, in black and white terms, that Chavez did not control the company, nor had any influence on Citgo’s business practices.
Branding is a long-term initiative. Stuff happens along the way, in the market and in the world. Taking on tough issues as they come up is part of the equation. Dealing with the less than favorable isn’t fun, but to mitigate loss of brand equity it’s a necessary strategy. Citgo did the right thing. If I were to be so bold as to offer advice (which I am), I would suggest that Citgo do one more thing. Hold off running any traditional image advertising until things cool down a bit. It’s hard for consumers to get two completely different signals from one brand simultaneously. They get confused. Which is not good for any brand. But, in branding, as in life, things move on. Citgo is moving in the right direction.