12 May 2008
The “South Africa – Alive will Possibility” campaign continues to evolve as the International Marketing Council of SA (IMC) launches a multifaceted campaign aimed at building South African “brand champions”.
The campaign, produced for the IMC by Kaelo Worldwide Media, uses mass media as a tool to educate, stimulate debate and inspire, extended by direct training and engagement in organisations in order to have a powerful influence on behaviour.
Inspirational stories
Kicking off the media component, inspirational stories highlighting South African people and organisations who are making the country “Alive with Possibility” are being featured during e.tv’s Sunrise Edition for the rest of the year, every Wednesday and Thursday morning at 6.42am.
The stories feature the likes of fuel cell “Social Innovator” Rolf Papsdorf, “Trailblazer” Thabang Skwambane, an investment banker who cycled to Kilimanjaro for HIV/Aids orphans, and “Community Builder” Miriam Cele, the founder of the Gozololo Daycare Centre.
“South Africa needs to build an image of the nation, both within and beyond our borders, that matches its potential to grow,” says Margaret Dingalo, IMC stakeholder relations director.
“Through the Brand Champion campaign, we aim to communicate successes to potential brand ambassadors in an engaging way, both through a mass media campaign and through direct training activities.
Movement for Good
“The campaign is further linked into the recently launched Movement for Good, which offers audiences practical ways to get involved.”
In addition to the 90-second inserts broadcast on e.tv, the campaign will include story inserts on community radio, regular national print media features in community papers, a book, and online coverage on SouthAfrica.info, linked to the Movement for Good.
“Multimedia content focuses on those who embody the behaviours and attitudes South Africans need to embrace, emphasising that individuals can take action with the rallying cry: ‘It starts with you’,” says Dingalo.
Direct training
The Brand Champions campaign incorporates a direct training component delivered by specialist training organisation Converse. At corporate staff level, training takes the form of experiential theatre sessions to help staff develop “greater awareness of their own influence, and greater skill and motivation for shaping positive investor/visitor experiences.”
At executive level, targeting individuals with a direct influence on foreign direct investment in South Africa, masterclass presentations provide training on “issue management” in order to help drive the reputation of Brand SA.
Masterclass presentations are illustrated by real-life case studies, video material and storytelling.
According to Converse, training is currently being conducted throughout all levels of government with great success, while the issues management masterclass is being rolled out with leading executives across the country.
The multifaceted Brand Champions campaign extends the work already completed for Brand South Africa, and forms part of the Movement for Good, of which the IMC is a founder member.
“We are excited about this campaign, particularly as it links into a bigger picture that fuses multimedia communication with direct training and SMS technology,” says Dingalo.
“We are adding our voice to the broader Movement for Good, and hope to create a groundswell – connecting and mobilising people to work for good, and bringing their stories into the mass media to further inspire others.”
Source: Brand South Africa
