|
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 12:45 |
When Brazil was awarded the rights for hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, analysts were astounded not so much by the fact that Rio de Janeiro came out on top, but that it won so convincingly. Everyone in Olympic circles had expected that the presence of Barack and Michelle Obama in Copenhagen would tilt the voting towards Chicago.
Outshining the Obama factor
In the end, Obama was upstaged by the Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose impassioned speech to the IOC members won over a majority of the members. He was in tears when he realised the games had been awarded to Brazil.
As Da Silva said: “All those people who thought we had no ability to govern this country will now learn we can host the Olympics. The world has recognised that the time has come for Brazil.”
|
|
Thursday, 01 October 2009 12:45 |
In a recent contribution to the 2010 Nation Branding Debate, titled A branding bridge too far for a demoralized nation, a senior Business Day analyst argued that South Africa is “a country in crisis”, faces “a political, institutional and social crisis of unprecedented proportions” where “retributive justice has become the norm … local government has become ineffective … and crime is rampant and getting worse”, concluding that “a branding exercise similar to Germany's, with its concomitant successes, is simply not possible in SA”.
 Whilst correct in pointing out South Africa's current brand gap in delivering the national brand promise of being ‘Alive with Possibility' (borne out by the fact that SA has dropped from 22nd to 37th place in the Nation Brand Index), the conclusion of dismissing 2010 as an opportunity to rebrand the country is missing the second dimension of nation branding, that is fostering social cohesion, which is a critical component in validating a country's external reputation.
|
|
Tuesday, 22 September 2009 12:45 |
When South Africa's new coat of arms was launched on Freedom Day, 27 April 2000, the motto chosen, ‘Unity in Diversity', called for the nation to “unite in a common sense of belonging and national pride” . Holding up the elephant tusks that symbolise wisdom, strength, and eternity on the national coat of arms, ‘Unity in Diversity' thus constitutes South Africa's "Brand Essence" - "a single thought that captures the soul of the brand" (David Aaker). Termed the Rainbow Nation by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and subsequently adopted by President Nelson Mandela, SA's brand essence stands to gain the most when the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off. As evidenced by history, hosting the FIFA World Cup holds significant potential for healing racial divides and uniting the nation behind a common goal. |
|
|
|
|
Page 2 of 2 |
Building your Brand from wit...
