13 June 2008
The International Marketing Council (IMC), custodian of Brand South Africa, is embarking on a journey with South Africans to begin collectively to create a South Africa that we all want.
The first phase of the journey started on 12 June with the launch of the “South Africa you want to live in” campaign, which asks South Africans to describe the country they want to live in.
Over the next two weeks, South Africans can share their visions, views or comments on the country they would like to live in by:
- Phoning 083 900 WITHU (9484)
- SMS-ing WITH U to 32310
- Logging on to www.itstartswithyou.co.za
Community radio stations are also being roped in to allow for toll-free submissions.
The IMC will then collate the feedback, divide it into different categories, and channel it back to the nation through an extended advertising campaign – with the aim of inspiring South Africans to take action to make their vision a reality.
IMC acting CEO Moeketsi Mosola said in a statement this week that the campaign was about “social conversations, difficult or easy. This is the beginning of a journey for the country”.
The jouney started, Mosola said, with each of us making a small change in our lives. “We should all not buy stolen goods, not bribe policemen, we should vote, pay taxes, be good hosts when tourists come to our country – so that we can all begin to be the drivers of change.”
IMC marketing manager Sophie Masipa said the campaign aimed to get South Africans to “take a collective view around what we see as a South Africa we want to live in”, and to see that “achieving this reality will mean each one of us must participate.
“It is also to say that no matter how insignificant you think you or your actions may be, every little bit makes a difference, and if we can mobilise the collective, we can make a substantial difference.”
The campaign feeds into the broader Movement for Good, a countrywide network of organisations that have come together to inspire South Africans to become “active citizens for good”. South Africans can join the movement by SMS-ing “Good” and their name to 32197, or by logging on to www.itstartswithyou.co.za.
SAinfo reporter
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