What CEOs Can Learn From Space Aliens - a New Years Commentary on Employing PR in Extraordinary Ways.

By Howard Oliver

Based on an analysis of the cloning controversy of a few years ago, What If What Next (TM) a Canadian PR firm presents intriguing ideas on PR for emerging technologies. The whole world listened somewhat skeptically. The Raelians, a sect that believes space travelers created the human race by cloning, announced in late December that it had produced the first human clone, a healthy seven-pound baby Girl. Dr. Brigitte Boisselier, CEO of Clonaid, a private company affiliated with the sect, said: "I am very, very pleased to announce that the first baby clone was born." Dr. Boisselier acknowledged the disbelief greeting her announcement, telling reporters that independent DNA tests would prove her claim in eight or nine days. Bioethicists, religious and political figures and world leaders, including The Pope, President Bush and the Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General, were almost universal in condemning the announcement. Through a spokesman, Mr. Bush repeated his call for a ban on human cloning. "Despite widespread skepticism among scientists and medical professionals about today's announcement, it underscores the need for the new Congress to act on bipartisan legislation to ban cloning," said the spokesman, Scott McClellan.

No matter what you personally think about her, the Raelians, or her technology--her PR was brilliant. She followed the basics of public relations and achieved astonishing results --worldwide coverage and more business than she will ever be able to handle no matter how many clinics she opens. Talk about buzz.

While she has retained Dr. Michael A. Guillen, former ABC News Science Editor, to probe the truth of her technology What If What Next™ would like to take a shot at independently investigating her PR Genius. We do PR work in the Net Services area and can see lessons in her PR approach. Here are some implications for .NET CEOs to think about over the New Year’s Holiday.

Both cloning and many emerging technologies will take years to gain acceptance. Dr. Boisselier got the buzz because she announced first. In emerging technologies in technical and business media those who are first to meet specific requirements with client applications in place will get attention. For example our client Metaverse, which recently announced a unique Word to XML converter created exclusively in .NET, released the news before others who may be in the field were ready to act.

The benefits of cloning are scary beyond belief but possibly clear for the desperately childless. (We aren’t endorsing it). The smart CEO will make the benefits of their applications for their target group abundantly clear.

Dr. Boisselier did not worry about standards but went ahead and claimed that she can do it. International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp and Sun Microsystems Inc. are all competing in Net Services. The approach that will dominate remains to be seen. However, getting specific applications announced will win customers and be noticed in the development and corporate user committees.

The cloning technology’s issues definitely created major controversy. What global issue in corporate life is your technology tied to? Would it be possible to create technology that would generate buzz? That would wade into the arguments about standards, take a stand and get attention? Can you start a development project with this in mind?

There are religious debates in the IT world over standards – the use of open and closed software. Can you as a CEO fashion you own course? Can you take a religious stand of these issues? Remember the Raelians as “different” as their religion is – have 50,000+ followers. How would you like to have that many customers?

We’d advise developing one part of your technology to target solving a significant problem and publicize it. Often stories overwhelming tied to huge story sectors will take too long to gain acceptance.

Let’s look at the story analytically because I think there is a big “uhuh” underlying the story that bears examination. The obvious first cut is that she got to be first in the race to announce the first clone baby. Secondly, her company is clearly outside the biotechnology establishment. She thumbed her nose at all those important scientific bodies much larger than her. I think there is a strategy underneath the story that is pure brilliance that we would like to break. IT has value for all CEOs introducing emerging technologies –especially ones have some controversies. In the Emerging technologies world there certainly is the underlying battle for market share and the emergence of technology standards which have not emerged--applications that are not there yet and will come only after a while.

You might not be in the position to pop such a huge story. But are you planning for it? Are you using the strategy of considering the impact of the big buzz to your businesses success in a year? Are you using the journalist’s craft grafted to passion of business development?

Finally, if you saw the CNN Press Conference, she did not run the slickest show. Your message will get legs even if you do not spend a fortune to send it if to begin with it is a good story. Over and over again, we find that it’s the story that counts—the source is secondary. Put your PR dollars into story development.

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What If What NextTM engages in a very specific type of integrated Business Development /PR services for emerging technology companies. We provide the capabilities of a full service PR agency.

What If What NextTM's perspective on PR is unique. Our mission is to create Buzz with TractionTM. We start from an inherently different position from other providers of marketing communications. Instead, we help our clients:
- Peer into the fog of the future they will inevitably face.
- Look at the incontrollable variables that will affect them.
- Live in scenarios that the variables dictate.

Most importantly, we help clients learn what solutions will help them thrive or survive in those multiple futures. This is not passive learning and not marketing hype but a clear way to talk about the future.

PR Contact:

Howard Oliver

What If What Next™ Consulting

416-638-8582 E-mail: holiver@whatifwhatnext.com