It will come as no surprise to regular readers of PR Week that the
true value of good public relations is now being recognised ... by the
animal kingdom.
I speak, of course, of Dolly, the world’s first successfully cloned
sheep and a media superstar in her own right.
Yes, it seems that Dolly - who entertained the world’s media at her
Edinburgh pad last week - has her own PR agency. Biotechnology PR
specialist De Facto has dealt with over 200 enquiries about Dolly since
news of her existence broke two weeks ago.
Representing her creators - PPL Therapeutics and the Roslin Institute -
De Facto went into crisis mode, distributing masses of press information
on Dolly.
PPL chief executive Dr Ron James and the lead scientist Dr Ian Wilmut
did at least 50 interviews each with media from as far afield as New
Zealand.
The agency is now talking to the trade media about longer term in-depth
coverage. After all, a real star needs longevity.
Meanwhile, Dolly - named after Dolly Parton - proved herself a true
professional.
Having been created by humans she showed no signs of fear as the
shutters clicked and even gave the odd baa for reporters. Following her
success in front of the camera Dolly may even be on the brink of a
career in television and has been approached by several documentary
makers.
’She has been a star’, said De Facto joint managing director Sue
Charles.
’She has blinked and smiled beautifully.’
