StatoilHydro : Moving content

A response to disaster is reflective of management culture.

The Site

StatoilHydro, the Norwegian oil and gas producer, responded quickly and conspicuously to tragic news.

StatoilHydro normally has a state-of-the-art multimedia magazine-style home page led by a main video panel on an energy issue theme; this is supported by Latest News and selected other links. Earlier this week it reverted to a more conservative version of the format, with a headline and two paragraphs of text announcing confirmation that three company employees were among the passengers on the Air France flight from Brazil to Paris that disappeared over the Atlantic on 1 June. An accompanying photograph showed the Norwegian national flag flying at half-mast outside (presumably) StatoilHydro’s headquarters.

A ‘Read more’ link opened the full news release of the announcement, published late on 1 June. This was repeated in the Latest News links along with a related headline from 2 June that linked to a release with personal details and photographs of the three employees.

The Takeaway

StatoilHydro’s decision to ‘hold the front page’ and focus on the loss of three employees in the air disaster is a graphic reflection of the “deep impression on us as colleagues and managers” referred to by the chief executive, Helge Lund, in the news release.

As well as showing its human side, the fact that the company was able quickly to alter the tenor and content of its home page demonstrates two things about the site. Its importance as a communications channel is recognised; and the home page is – and can be – actively managed as occasion demands. It’s not impossible that a contingency was in place for this type of disaster. More likely is that senior managers and the site team had the authority, as well as the editorial instinct, to act.

First published on 04 June, 2009