Fiona: A social media superstar

Fiona the hippo is now a household name, thanks in part to the communications team at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, which kept followers up-to-date on the premature baby hippo's progress through social media.

Her story is everywhere, and fans the world over come to Cincinnati just to catch a glimpse of her bobbing in the water at Hippo Cove.

Fiona's story has inspired a local brewery and T-shirt company; a seven-episode Facebook series; a limted-edition ice cream flavor; countless mentions in national news; and an entire nation. Next year, Thane Maynard, the zoo's director, is releasing a children's book called "Saving Fiona: The Story of the World's Most Famous Baby Hippo," which will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

“People tell us all the time that Fiona is something everyone can agree on,” says Amy LaBarbara, the zoo’s coordinator for marketing and events. “We have heard from countless people online that Fiona has been uniting the United States. We hear from people going through chemo that tell us she is the only bright spot in their day.”

Read more about our local superstar here.