Thank you to...Jan Smith, RAC

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One of a series of thank yous to people who have helped me over the years.

Shortly after I joined the RAC in 95, Jan Smith became Marketing Director with the challenge of taking the RAC from a brand of the past to a brand of the future. Jan led the development of a striking new brand positioining and corporate identity alongside visionary advertising.

More importantly (to me), Jan gave me the space to run with my crazy idea to develop what became the RAC's award winning and pioneering website as a central part of the brand repositioning when everyone else said "What's the point of the internet?"

The brand was perceived as being old fashioned, elitist and aloof. Our challenge was to reposition the brand as modern, advanced and approachable. The new RAC website was one of the UK's first ecommerce sites pioneering online membership, route planning, live traffic news and a hotel finder.

The website included a 'clunky' early example of 'social media' with a forum to encourage customers and prospects to post articles about motoring related issues. The first article said the new RAC corporate identity was "rubbish". Fortunately the 2nd post said it was "brilliant". Publishing both gave a bold statement that the new RAC was approachable, willing to engage with the community and confident enough to take the odd negative comment. Jan, enigmatic as ever, raised her eyebrow which I took to be a very positive reaction!

This was the start of my internet career which now accounts for 95% of my work.

Thanks Jan

Published 29th April, 2011

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