Mark Carbery does not make a credible judge and jury (PR Week, 20
October) when it comes to PR campaigns. His article on the RAC National
Day of Courtesy was incoherent and illogical.
Mark tells us that a ‘message like this isn’t easy to brand’ yet the
article appears next to a photo showing a motorway message sign
displaying ‘Courtesy Day, Drive Safely’ with a fully branded RAC patrol
van driving past. The same photo appeared in national and regional
papers. The campaign was branded using bumper stickers and thousands of
motorists have written in for stickers - the stickers have even been
spotted on police cars.
Yes Mark, ‘It’s easy to digest fodder for the tabloids’. Our campaign
hit the broadsheets and involved over 90 television and radio interviews
from Radio 4 Today until News at Ten. For the first time ever we gained
access to the motorway signs to illustrate our campaign. The campaign
was endorsed by three government ministers, was mentioned in the
Transport Secretary’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference and
referred to by Jack Straw MP on Any Questions as a great campaign.
Edmung King, RAC head of campaigns
