Subculture alert: Black Diamonds

South Africa has many different subcultures across all nationalities that live in the country. A subculture is defined as a group within a larger culture which differentiates itself by status, ethnic background, religion, or any other factors that unify a group which acts in a certain manner collectively. Subcultures also act as a way in which to brand people and classify them. By monitoring a person’s behaviour you are able to get an idea of their interests and disinterests leading you to classify them with people who act in the same distinctive manner.

I had a brief at school where I had to pick a South African subculture and represent it with a font extended into a booklet in celebration of Heritage day which takes place annually on the 24^th of September. After much deliberation the subculture I chose to represent was Black Diamonds, one which is unique to South Africa. The term Black Diamonds was originally coined by the TNS Research Survey (Pty) Ltd and the UCT Unilever Institute to refer to a fast-growing, affluent and influential black community. This growth was accelerated by Affirmative Action, act which was introduced in South Africa in 1998. Many black people who benefited from the act got involved in South Africa’s lucrative gold and diamond mining industries, this involvement is what contributed to the term Black Diamonds being coined.

What started out as a term meant celebrate the arrival of a people soon turned into one defining a black elite middle class plagued with a love for material possessions, power, status and money. My 16 page booklet chronicles the evolution of the Black Diamond from what it was to what it is now. The font is inspired by diamonds and the clasps which hold the diamond in place on a ring. Feel free to leave a comment or any suggestions you might have on how I can make the booklet better.

 

 

Reference: 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/subculture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Diamonds_(racial_term)

Proudly South African Campaign

 Figure 1: Proudly South African logo/icon.

 Figure 2 & 3: Proudly South African product advertising.

Proudly South African is a multi-million rand initiative by government. It was first conceived in 1998 at the Presidential Job Summit under the leadership of former South African president Nelson Mandela. After much refinement the campaign was officially launched in 2001 with assistance from government, Organised Business, Organised Labour and Organised Community. 

To ensure public awareness and increase visibility Proudly South African launched a thirty million rand campaign, and it secured thirty two million rand in sponsorship from Eskom, Old Mutual, Telkom, and SAA for its first three years in business. Bearing the Proudly South African logo offered companies a chance to stake their claim as being a product of South Africa. Not just any South African company could qualify though, there is a bar test of high standard that each and every one of them has to pass first. They first have to show that at least 50% of the production value of their products (including labour and marketing costs) has been incurred in S.A. They must also practice fair labour and adhere to environmental standards. This method of weeding out companies ensured that consumers not only got the best value for money, but also that the products and services are of international standard. Companies that did pass to bear the mark gained recognition and favourability among consumers over foreign brands competing with them. Proudly South African promoted loyalty to brands bearing the icon by emphasizing the benefits of buying products and services from these brands. One of them was that by buying a Proudly South African product or service the consumer was helping to create jobs and therefore alleviate hunger in poor communities. This lead the consumer to feel good about supporting these brands which meant they were continually purchased, quite clever actually.

The Proudly South African initiative was and still is a brilliant concept to me. It meant that government could boost the economy while inspiring patriotism among its citizens. The campaign’s drive has been slow recently as I have not come across any advertising or promotional material, which is kind of odd since it was in every South African citizen’s face via media outlets. Its little disappearing act is quite sad really, especially when you think of its success and potential to grow. I vividly remember during its heightened moments how I would check that every item I picked from the grocery aisle was Proudly South African or not. So what do you make of the Proudly South African campaign, was it or is it still a success on your eyes?

Reference:

http://proudly.co.za/proudlysa-co-za/6/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proudly_South_African

http://www.pbmr.co.za/index2.asp?Content=180

http://www.proudlysa.co.za/consumer-site
http://www.info.gov.za/events/2001/proudlysa.htm
http://www.proudlysa.co.za/about-our-logo

Rebranding a Company

Every now and then companies seek out the assistance of a graphic Designer with their brand image, to either elevate it or change it completely. When a company rebrands it is either because their brand is is failing to succeed or it is ready evolve in the business world and gain further recognition. Rebranding is a strategy undergone by a company to change its name, term, symbol or design thereof. The intention is to re-establish the brand in the minds of the consumer, Investors and competitors. These changes are aimed at dispelling any negative connotations which were previously associated with the brand. In rebranding a company is able to reposition itself and communicate effectively.

A company may also want to rebrand if it is entering into a new line of business that is not in line with its current brand identity e.g. Apple changing from being Apple Computers so simple being known as Apple. Relevancy is also a cause for change as the identity must reflect the company’s current positioning of itself. And sometimes competition can serve as a catalyst for change; a competitor’s image can render your company’s as old outdated. Rebranding may be the only way for a company to regain its foothold in the market. A shining example of this is Microsoft, a company which has undergone a gradual rebranding of its products between 2011 and 2012 following the release of the Windows Phone 7. It also changed its logo, services and website to adapt to the market and compete with frontrunners like Apple and Google in its sector. It is considered wise for a company to inform its customers of its rebranding so that they won’t be completely shocked when it does happen.

For a past school project I had the opportunity to pick a company I thought needed a new identity and rebrand it completely. The company I chose is Retrofontein, a street wear brand characterised by its use of bright bold patterns in its clothing designs. The company started in 2012 and is based in Johannesburg. The target market is 16 to 25 year old males and females living in urban areas attending high school and tertiary. The problem I found with the company is that its previous logo did not reflect its products and neither did the brand extension (of which there was very little). So I was tasked with the creation of a brand identity which would stand out amongst the competition and reflect their offering to the market. I came up with a logotype for them with a repetitive pattern in movement and then I abstracted an element from it to create a pattern for the brand extension. The new logo and brand extension I created for them reflects who they are what they do and it gives them a new competitive advantage.  So what do you think of the new brand identity?

Old logo.

New Logo.

Business card.

Letterhead

Flyer.

Poster/Magazine advert.

Billboard.

References:
http://aytm.com/blog/research-junction/rebranding-essentials-why-rebrand/
http://www.pencilscoop.com/2013/04/5-amazing-examples-of-successful-rebranding/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebranding

kulula’s controversial rebranding

Figure 1: kulula airline


Figure 2: South African Airways airline

To recap on past branding events you might have missed, in March 0f 2013 kulula revealed their new branding strategy. This branding was primarily focused on rebranding their line of fleets with the slogan ‘The Most South African Airways’. Now if you happen to ignore the first two words in the phrase you might notice the distinct resemblance it bears to the brand name of another well known airline. At the official press conference Nadine Damen, kulula’s Marketing Manager spoke of how proud they were of the slogan and hoped it would be received well by their target audience. It goes without mention that the company being copied, South African Airways was pretty peeved about the move.

Now since its inception in 2001 khulula prides itself in being the only privately owned airline in the country, now South African Airways on the other hand was founded in 1934 after the South African Government acquired Union Airways. South African Airways has higher brand recognition because of how long it has been with the country. The re-branding proposed by kulula boasted the phrase “The Most South African Airways” written on the side of the planes in a font suspiciously similar to  the one used by South African Airways to brand their planes. To put the last nail in the coffin the back tail of their planes utilised the South African flag in graphic representation similar to the South African Airways logo.

A few days after the unveiling of the “new” branding strategy kulula held yet another awkward press conference promising to review their proposed branding. This came after a number of people voiced their concerns over the company’s proposed rebranding of their fleet and South African Airways having lodged a complaint with The Advertising Standards Authority.

This was not a wise move for kulula as they went through all that trouble to be labelled as copycats at the end of the day. One out of plain curiosity is compelled to try and decipher why they would go through so much trouble to rebrand themselves in a way which would make them  similar to their biggest competitor. The last time I checked company’s re/branded in order to stand apart from their competitors. This little stunt they pulled is akin to Nandos advertising, its hilarious.

Reference: 

http://www.news24.com/Travel/Flights/kulula-launches-controversial-rebranding-20130306

http://wallstreet.platinumdeplus.com/south-african-airways-against-kulula/

http://www.flightsforafrica.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/9.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Airways

Graphic Design and its role in the South African economy

Design has always played a role in how a society functions in relation to its surroundings. Graphic Design is a term first coined by William Addison Dwiggins in 1922. It is a discourse in which a designer seeks to convey a message to an audience specific to the client. While the discipline has witnessed tremendous growth and acknowledgement around the world for its role in driving the economy, South Africa has only just begun to understand its importance. South Africa is yet to see design as a powerful national resource. The discipline can assist the nation into developing local markets, competing on a global market place and meeting the requirements of social reconstruction. Graphic Design should begin to take a pivotal position in the South African economy. Since Graphic Design is so young in the country, it is only beginning to find its unique creative expression. The expression was evident during the world cup through campaigns such as ‘Fly the Flag’ and ‘Football Friday’. This also demonstrated the passion which the Nation can exude when behind a credible and cohesive brand image. Now imagine if that same kind of immense energy and unity could be channelled by the country through its national branding initiative. There is no doubt in my mind that the South African brand lacks that unique visual nuance to make it unforgettable.  There is a vast amount of Graphic Designers and design houses in the country which would be more than willing to assist in re-branding the nation. The evidence can be found in Design Indaba’s Brand the Beloved Country initiative and the amount of visual material designers create themed around the national flag.

Refferences:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

Marian Sauthoff, 2004, Walking the Tightrope: Comments on Graphic Design in South Africa, Design Issues: Volume 20.

South Africa and the 2010 FiFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is a chance for soccer fanatics to kick back their shoes and watch back-to-back soccer matches for a whole month. The hosting country on the other hand has to be up on its feet the whole time to not only making sure that the event runs smoothly, but also has a positive impact on the country’s image. The 2010 World Cup was hosted by none other than South Africa and the country was hoping that the event would have a long lasting effect on its business, tourism and overall brand. The main aim of hosting the event was for the country to embed its image into foreign minds. An important aspect of pulling this of was for South Africa to get its citizens in on the campaign and live out the brand in order to make it more enticing. So the country started their branding efforts a year prior to the event with a television commercial bearing the slogan “It starts with you”.

Melanie McShane [1]states that sport is the new way to promote a country to its counterparts. Countries such as Spain are using their famed football clubs to start conversation among potential tourists and lure them into their shores. With teams such as the world renowned Barcelona Football Club on their side I would say that it is indeed a wise marketing strategy.

Whilst an event of World Cup magnitude brings about positive aspects it can also expose a country to criticism. It sets the tone for a country to deliver an unrivalled sporting event. Melanie McShane also equates hosting such an event to letting people into your home where they are able to see all the clean rooms, but also the untidy little corners. In the South African context those untidy little corners would be the nation’s sky high crime rate and rational inequalities which still exist to this day nearly twenty years post-apartheid.

After winning the bid to host the world cup South Africa sought help on branding the event from IMO[2] for this task the agency consulted private companies such as Uniliver for tips on how to create a unified brand.  Their branding strategy for the country included approaching it like a company looking to get listed on the London Stock Exchange. In their defence for using this tactic IMO stated that approaching Uniliver for advice on branding was inspired by the fact that the company is global while still retaining a local identity and loyalty. This is an argument which is plausible to me since I thought, for the longest time, that Uniliver was a South African company. Although the world cup played a pivotal role in South Africa’s branding McShane agrees that it should act as an opportunity for the country to reposition itself and look beyond the event to build on what has been established. Anitha Soni from the International Marketing Council (IMO) believes that had South Africa publicised a strong united brand it would have helped the country to have a stronger presence on a global scale. 

This post was inspired by Jo Roberts article'South Africa united behind a single brand'.

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[1] She is a strategist at Wolff Olins.

[2]]The International Marketing Council of South Africa, which is also responsible for Brand S.A.

Reference

marketingweek.co.uk

NBI (Nation Brand Index)

Countries are constantly in competition with each other to attract investors, tourists and build up an image for themselves to inspire support from their respective citizens. The success of a country in doing so is measured using the NBI (Nation Brand Index). The NBI was developed by Simon Anholt a world leading specialist in creating strategies for countries, cities and regions. When it was launched in 2005 it was referred to as the ‘Simon Anholt Nations Brands Index’ and it was fielded four times a year.

Nation branding is practised by many states including South Africa, America, Europe, Canada, France, Japan, China etc. In these countries it is officially referred to as public diplomacy. These Countries Governments have resources dedicated to nation branding. They do this in hopes that it will improve their global standing, as a well put together image of a country can influence its success in attracting investment, tourism and increase its political influence in the world.

The NBI is also parent to another survey known as the ‘Monocle Soft Power Survey’ which was established in 2009. This survey ranks nations according to their attractiveness and level of influence on the world. The following elements of a country are evaluated: Diplomatic infrastructure, cultural output, level of governance, appeal to business and capacity of education. The list is then calculated with the use of an estimated fifty factors which indicate the use of soft power. These factors include but are not limited to: Olympic medals, cultural missions, business brands and the quality of country’s architecture.

South Africa is not doing too well on either of these surveys. On the NBI it is sitting at number thirty six and on the Monocle Soft Power Survey it is at number twenty. South Africa did not make it to the top ten of either survey. This essentially means that South Africa has very little influence globally despite the fact that it is the largest exporter of gold, other minerals, and has and internationally revered political icon in the form of Nelson Mandela. South Africa has all the potential to make it to the top of the rankings yet it lacks what it needs most at this point; a carefully articulated and successful brand image.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_branding

http://mountainrunner.us/2011/01/bruce_gregory_reading_list_54/#.Ue0srNL-HTo

http://www.southafrica.info/business/investing/anholt-241012.htm#.Ue0paNL-HTo

Branding South Africa

Have you ever thought about whether countries brand themselves, and how some manage to keep their image intact no matter what situation they come across? Well then just like companies have structures in place to promote and maintain their image countries do the same, but the only difference is the type of branding countries undertake is slightly different and referred to as 'policy based branding. What this essentially means is that all the money spent on it directly benefits the economy.

Every country is united under its largest symbol, its national flag. The flags are symbolic representations of everything the country stands for and it is also through these flags that countries identify each other e.g. In the South African flag the black, yellow and green are colours used by the democratically elected ruling party the ANC, the other three colours red, white and blue were used on the old flag of Transvaal, and the blue and white were also found in the old South African Flag. This fusion of colours signifies a country embracing its past, present and future. Some countries such as America have created successful brand extensions of these flags with strategic placement for maximum visibility e.g. the uniform worn by the American Olympic team. This allows them to imprint their brand image on everyone’s mind repetitively.

South Africa has been trying to build a brand for itself of similar calibre ever since 2002 when Brand S.A was established. It is a marketing initiative mandated by former president Thabo Mbeki to Change the country’s image locally and internationally. Unfortunately it has not achieved much within the last decade, which is disappointing considering the ample amount of time and money given to the cause. My research paper seeks to understand why South Africa’s image has remained stagnant and how it can be saved.

References: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_South_Africa