One thing spin doctors cannot do is provide substance. The image makers can get a message across, grab headlines and catch the eye but, after that, the proof of any pudding lies under the crust.

And that's the biggest advantage the regional development agency One NorthEast has in its three-year campaign entitled "Passionate People. Passionate Places".

The aim is to boost awareness, both at home and abroad, of what the region has to offer. To drive home the message that this is an ideal region to live, work, visit and raise families.

The massive plus point is that we can be confident that, if we can get tourists and businesses here in the first place, they won't be disappointed. Visitors are assured a warm welcome, companies a dedicated workforce.

I suppose that, as a board member of One NorthEast, I'm biased but I do feel the new campaign hits exactly the right note.

In tourism terms, the region is now being marketed as North-East England. This may seem a small detail but it is far more accurate and will be welcomed by those in Durham and Cleveland who have previously been confusingly marketed under the Northumbria Tourist Board logo.

Instead of going down the here-today-gone-tomorrow celebrity path, the campaign focuses on real people speaking about their neck of the woods. The hope is that other North-Easterners will be encouraged to do the same. Show pride in the region and talk it up when the opportunity arises. The coast and countryside of this region can match the best in Britain and whether it's castles, museums, shopping, sport or nightlife, you can find it all here.

But it's not just about tourism. Depressingly, in a survey of teenagers in the region, over half felt they would have to move away to find work. We desperately need to attract cutting edge businesses so we can halt this skills drift.

Of course, there is only so much a single campaign can do and it is crucial that the Government does its bit to help reduce the North-South divide whether it's in terms of productivity or opportunity.

The North-East has never had so much representation in the corridors of power as in recent years, but a Prime Minister, a Leader of the Opposition and a host of Cabinet members don't seem to have grasped the nettle in terms of boosting the region.

If politicians could be prosecuted for allowing unfair competition in tourism then the Government would be big trouble. Just look at the host of free - in other words publicly subsidised - attractions on offer in London. Museums, galleries and concerts, to say nothing of the numerous parks and the Changing of the Guard.

We don't need subsidised attractions to attract visitors to the North-East but there are a few simple steps the Government can take to help level the economic playing field.

Investing in the region's transport links, allowing a deep water port on the Tees, moving civil service jobs to the region and granting a regional casino licence will all have a positive impact.

I'm confident pressure can be brought to bear on the Government but this needs to be backed up by local people doing their bit, backing the campaign and speaking up in support of their North-East.