How not to do PR

This "branding Malta" campaign has certainly got off on the wrong foot.

When I first saw a billboard with the words "Brand Malta" on it, I presumed it was a PR campaign for Brandstatter. You see, the Playmobil FunPark is a favourite place to take children for a fun afternoon out, and everyone refers to the company as 'Brand'. A foreign PR consultant would not have known this. Therefore when I received something in the post about "Brand" I tore it up, thinking it was junk mail. It was only upon reading irate letters in The Times about "branding Malta" that the penny finally dropped! Apparently I was not the only one to have misunderstood the billboards.

I agree that the campaign for "branding Malta" is a waste of money so far. With my writing experience, I know something about communication. Billboards are not magic. They should be witty, thought-provoking with a combination of visual image and words to get the message across in a split-second. You can use the word "brand" around the conference table but it only confuses the public. It wasn't even put in inverted commas or in a different colour.

I really care about tourists and I often think about what can and should be done to improve the tourism sector. What every tourist wants is to be welcomed, not to be ripped-off, get value for money, to be safe, entertained and to be able to relax.

What Malta has to offer is the following: The weather - let's face it, without it we're nothing. Therefore beaches, outdoor dining, the sea, promenades and gardens are all priorities. People go abroad to see something different. We speak English well and other languages too. We are still relatively safe. We offer good nightlife and cuisine. The women are beautiful. History and culture abound. It's easy to get around. A variety of sports can be enjoyed. We are a curious mix of Arab and European worlds and religious and secular lifestyles. We are both cosmopolitan enough and relaxed enough. All of the above need to be fostered and have a campaign designed around them.

However, our biggest challenge is that the public in general do not care about tourists and even feel antagonistic towards them. Employees in the tourism sector and its ancillaries are too often sour-faced and impolite. Add that to expensive prices, greed, a general malaise of corruption and mediocrity and we have a crisis. In the past we were famous for our friendliness. How do we get it back? Drama classes?

The country will continue to spend thousands on PR campaigns because PR people need to justify their fees. We do need ongoing creative thinking but also down-to earth practicality which doesn't cost much. Is the MTA ignoring the filth in Valletta itself?