Perhaps the staff responsible for MSoft's astroturf campaign are available?
--MW
Buckingham Palace seeks royal image-maker
Copyright 1998 Nando.net
Copyright 1998 Scripps Howard
LONDON (April 21, 1998 09:13 a.m. EDT http://www.nando.net) --
Buckingham Palace is asking Britain's biggest companies to supply a
public relations supremo to help overhaul the palace's out-of-touch
image.
A head-hunter has written to the chairmen of 100 leading companies to
ask if they will provide a senior communications expert to the palace
for at least three years.
The new communications director would have direct access to the Queen,
with a brief to advise her on presentation and dealing with the media.
Tyzack & Partners, selected from five companies to recruit a suitable
royal spin doctor, had to make presentations to the palace on how they
would find the right person to revive the monarchy's flagging public
appeal.
Managing director Nick Watkins said: "The palace felt there could be a
top-class communications director in a top company who had dealt with
important issues and advised on strategy."
A former senior royal aide said that the skills involved in handling
press relations for a huge company such as Glaxo, ICI or British Telecom
were not dissimilar to those required by the royal "firm."
Although a palace spokesman denied that the appointment was triggered by
deficiencies exposed in the aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of
Wales, he did admit that the palace wanted to recruit from "broader
life" and "to get away from the idea that we are all stuffed with
retired colonels."
Many captains of industry have already politely rejected the approach,
however.
Whitbread, the brewing and leisure group, said it had told Tyzack it
could not spare one of its three-strong public relations team for so
long, while BG, the gas supply company, also said it had no one
available.
However, NatWest.said it would consider Tyzack's request, and the
chairman of a leading leisure group has already set up a meeting with
the head-hunters.
Candidates for the post will be interviewed by a four-member panel, and
the Queen will interview and sanction her would-be image-maker.
By LISA BUCKINGHAM and JULIA FINCH, The Guardian
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