BP has a PR challenge of a different magnitude to deal with as oil continues to gush out of a malfunctioning well 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, threatening vast swaths of the ecosystem. The company has been promoting itself as "Beyond Petroleum" since 2000, and branding experts are of two thoughts about whether that positioning has built up enough good will to enable it to weather the current disaster, Todd Wasserman reports. BP had been No. 1 on Brand Keys' Customer Engagement Loyalty Index for the gasoline category since it launched the "Beyond …

Jack Neff got an insider's look at Procter & Gamble and its public relations firm, Paine, as they sprang into action late last week following indications that a controversy over Dry Max Diapers causing diaper rash was going to hit national media big time. The company maintains that its product has been tested extensively and is safe. Not that P&G was caught by surprise. A handful of employees are regularly stationed in the brand's "listening post" to monitor and categorize social-media chatter. Management has been following consumer reactions closely. "We've been having daily 7 a.m. conference calls among all …

The results are trending heavily toward "No. These "street" campaigns have become tiresome and bogus," based on a very small sample. Have your say!

Former Wal-Mart Stores vice chairman Don Soderquist delivered a keynote presentation at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas yesterday that's described as "part leadership seminar, part pep-session and part homage to Sam Walton." Soderquist described leadership as a journey in the talk, titled "Ethical Leadership; Imagine the Possible; The Impact of Culture on Success." One critical area, he said, is to create a culture based on values. Audience members agreed with his premise that business ethics are deteriorating. Walton encouraged everyone in the company to think big, Soderquist pointed out. "I had no vision of the scope …

Tracy Mullin, who is retiring today after 14 years as president/CEO of the National Retail Federation, tells Jayne O'Donnell that the biggest change she's seen during her tenure is industry consolidation as national chains gobbled up regional department store. It has been good for the consumer -- resulting in lower prices and quicker replenishment of hot items -- but makes for an entirely different atmosphere at the NRF's conventions, where regional players used to compare notes congenially. "You don't really see that anymore because they're all competing for the same consumer dollar," she says. CEOs that really stand …

Constellation Brands, the world's largest wine producer whose 75 labels include Robert Mondavi, Ravenswood and Estancia, is planning some marketing "tricks" that are new to the industry, Laurie Burkitt reports after a chat with CMO Chris F. Fehrnstrom. The intent is to woo wine drinkers under the age of 35. It's testing a mobile app, for example, that allows shoppers to scan a bar code for more information -- including video -- about where the wine was grown, how it tastes and what to eat with it. Users can also create personal profiles and send recommendations on social media. …

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has broken a series of print ads under the banner of "Beef Checkoff Program." The ads pitch beef as a good source of protein and promote the variety of lean cuts available, Elaine Wong reports. The tagline is "29 lean cuts. One powerful protein." "We're on a storytelling journey with our 'Beef. It's What's for Dinner [campaign],'" Kim Essex, svp-marketing at the NCBA, tells Wong. "We're keeping those equities that are really recognizable to us," but at the same time, stressing the lean side of beef, she says. The target consumer …

Starbucks is launching integrated TV/online campaigns this week for the national grocery launch of Via as well as for its customizable Frappuccino beverages, Emily Bryson York reports, as the company simultaneously builds on its foundation of coffee lovers and segments its marketing efforts. "It's the next level for Starbucks," says Chris Bruzzo, Starbucks vp-brand, content and online. "It's a level of integration and activity in the marketplace that is much more significant than we've ever done before." Ads for customizable Frappuccino -- variations on the ice-blended cappuccino beverage include soy or non-fat milk, extra shots, various …