Harnessing the support of major food producers and retailers is essential to the success of a food assurance scheme, which spans the food industry. Telling consumers about the scheme and what it represents is also vital to encourage them to look out for the scheme's logo in-store at the point of purchase. In response to these demands, we developed Red Tractor Day and secured the support of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair to launch the initiative with a national photocall. We took a full size Red Tractor into Downing Street as well as high profile representatives from the food industry to join Mr Blair. It was a mean feat that paid off... The photo opportunity was picked up across trade and consumer press, generating industry debate and initiating support from major players within the food industry such as McDonald's. In total, 14 million opportunities to see or hear about the Red Tractor scheme were generated in the media. Over three quarters of the coverage included the endorsement from the Prime Minister and all coverage successfully communicated key messages about the scheme. The day was also supported with in-store activity in major multiple retail outlets..
