Further evidence that direct marketing has shaken off its crown as public enemy number one has emerged following news that DMA chair Mark Runacus has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List for services to advertising.
Runacus has been in the industry nearly 25 years, starting at the now defunct Carlson Marketing in the mid-Nineties. He then had spells at OgilvyOne and RMG Connect, before co-founding Crayon, which was bought and folded into Karamarama.
Runacus has also been a long-term diversity campaigner and spent years as chair of the DMA Awards committee.
Last year, Runacus joined forces with Matthew Brown and Mike Colling as key business “dragons” behind agency start-up Wax/On, formed by former Karmarama duo Ben Hooper and Paul Jacobs.
He said: “As an industry, we create content that is capable of influencing huge swathes of the country, and as such we have a huge responsibility – and opportunity – to ensure we use our collective voice for good.
“Banging the drum on behalf of all LGBTQ folk out there to ensure the ad industry portrays them more fairly, accurately and without stereotyping, is just an instinctive reaction of mine.
“While it is a huge honour to be nominated for an MBE, I accept it on behalf of all the people I work with – and have worked with over the years – in my various capacities both professional and voluntary. I’ve lost count of the people who have inspired and influenced me, driven me to push harder in my lobbying or simply worked tirelessly alongside me and all my other colleagues to the same ends.
“I’m a firm believer that lobbying for what you believe in is the most effective way to bring about positive change so I simply use my natural confidence and years of experience to push the agenda forward.”
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