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

Brand Brazil

Brand Brazil is one which has recently emerged as a top player in the nation brands. The Country is the world’s 5th biggest online market, a fact which comes as no surprise since the country has a lot of buying power when it comes to digital media. This can be attributed to the fact that in 2007 the Mayor of Sao Paulo Gilberto Kassab banned all forms of outdoor advertising in the city, which happens to be Brazil’s largest city and the world’s 7^th most populous. This all happened after the Clean City Law was passed to the disappointment of many brands.

Another major boost that the country’s brand is that it will be playing host to two of the world largest sporting events consecutively, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Successfully hosting these two events should do wonders the increasing the country's Soft Power and moving it up the ranks on the Nation Brand Index.

 Figure 1: Brand Brazil logo

Brazil’s brand logo speaks volumes about the country and its values. The logo is fun and vibrant with flowing secular lines which communicate happiness. It is also very colourful, looks friendly and inviting. The logo in essence also reflects the countries key attractions; the beaches of Bahia, the beautiful Amazon forest and the countries playful culture exemplified by the mammoth festivals held there annually e.g. Carvanal in Salvador, Reveillion party on Rio’s Copacabana beach, Belem festival on the River Amazon etc. Even the logos created for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games look like brand extensions of the nation’s logo, which for me is a feat on its own. I like how they look different to each other and relevant to their own cause, but they can still be traced back to the same family with their aesthetic and emotional appeal.

Figure 2: 2014 FIFA World Cup Logo.

 Figure 3: 2016 Olympic games.

In my opinion Brazil is one of the most well branded countries in the world as their brand identity speaks of who they are and communicates what we have come to know about them. They are a colourful, fun, loving and happy people. I’d like to know what you think of Brazil’s branding and extension thereof. Is it checking all the branding boxes for you?

Reference:
http://www.google.com/think/articles/branding-brazil.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/travel-tips-and-articles/68292
http://www.logodesignlove.com/images/sports/world-cup-logo-2014.jpg
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eglg45gdjd/risky-but-less-than-you-think-2/

Propaganda Branding

Brands have the ability to influence a person’s perception about themselves and the people around them. They do this by using repeated imagery/symbolism to make a point, one which the consumer is meant to accept on a conscious or subconscious level. Some brands, especially nation brands, create a following by exaggerating facts to the point where the receiver accepts them as the whole truth. In this case, more often than not, we refer to their tactics as propaganda branding.

Propaganda is set communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community towards some cause or position by presenting one side of an argument favourable to the sender. It utilises various forms of media repeatedly to get its message across. Propaganda presents information to influence an audience. It is also used to further a religious, political or commercial agenda. For it to work there has to be a careful selection of facts, usually blown out of proportion to further an agenda. Propaganda works exceedingly well with visually engaging imagery and to prove this I have provided an example of one nation branding campaign which used propaganda to sway people into believing a certain ideology.


Figure 1 & 2: German Nazi propaganda posters

Hitler was a master of manipulation with his Nazi campaign. He was able to convince an educated German population that annihilating other cultures in and around Germany, which didn't fit his perfect blue eyes blonde hair mould, was the only way to go in building a bigger stronger Germany. How was he able to do this you may ask? By presenting the population with carefully tailored facts which furthered his cause in the form of books, pamphlets, posters, banners etc. He had the symbol (swastika), he had the phrase “final solution” and he had acquired different mediums in which to further his cause on a national scale.

You may be asking yourself, “Don't brands of today use the same vices to get their message across?” The answer is yes and no. Yes brands have a symbol, message and various media forms which they use to market themselves, but they don’t use guilt in their branding to elicit feelings compelling you to accept their argument, and that is where propaganda steps in. as you can see there is a silver lining between the two when defining them individually. So what do you think of propaganda branding, should nations utilize it in their branding strategies?

Reference: 
http://brandingmumbojumbo.com/is-propaganda-branding/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/posters/dove.jpg

Australia's Tourism Branding Campaign

Nation branding is when a country consciously works on its image in order to elevate its reputation globally and unify its citizens. It refers to a country’s whole image including political, economic, social, environmental, historical, and cultural issues. In today’s post modern society countries are in constant competition with each other and one of the most prominent ways in which they compete is in the tourism sector.

     

In 2006 Australia released an advertising campaign titled “So where the bloody hell are you”. The campaign was an initiative by Tourism Australia created by the Sydney office of the London advertising agency M&C Saatchi, and it cost them a whooping $180 million dollars to produce. The Television advertisement featured some well known Australian landmarks, citizens of the country speaking boastfully about its many attractions and model Lara Bingle ending it off in a shot where she is stepping out of the ocean and enthusiastically asking “So where the bloody hell are you?”. The use of profanity in the catch phrase, although memorable and amusing, would prove to be the campaigns ultimate downfall. The word ‘bloody’ was the reason behind the commercial being banned by the Broadcasting Advertising Centre in the United Kingdom in March 2007. It was also banned by regulators in Canada because of the implication of “unbranded alcohol consumption”, by the commercials opening line “We've poured you a beer”.

Despite all the controversy surrounding it, The Age newspaper credited the campaign with a $1.8 billion increase in tourism spending in the country, but tourism figures compiled in late 2006 lay counter to this argument. Apparently German tourists were down 4.7% and UK tourists by 2.6%. Copy write plays a vital role in branding so much so that the Australians catch phrase for their campaign caused a reaction counter to one which they had anticipated. So what do you think, should the Australians have paid closer attention to linguistics or are people too sensitive?

Video link to the commercial

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_where_the_bloody_hell_are_you%3F

http://www.thejournal.ie/tourism-campaigns-gone-wrong-629791-Oct2012/

I have recently come across a really cool blog which talks about branding and uses a cool concept of placing logos similar in form and concept next to each other to see whether or not they stand apart from one another, and how recognisable they are. Heres the link if you're interested.
http://ideasinspiringinnovation.wordpress.com/page/2/?blogsub=confirming

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

Personal Branding

The art of personal branding has seen a sharp rise within the last few years, partly because of the overwhelming popularity of social networks which have made branding more personal and within reach for a lot of people. Personal branding is defined as the act of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands. The theory of personal branding suggests that a person can market themselves as a package. The idea of personal branding was first introduced in the 1937 book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

For celebrities it involves applying one’s name or image to a product e.g. international footballer’s name Messi being applied to a branded pair of Adidas soccer boots sold worldwide and South African media personality Minenhle Dlamini  being the face of the new range of Motions’ line of hair products.

If you want to find clues as to what your personal brand might be just recall key words (humorous, well spoken, intelligent) that your fellow peers have used to describe you. How people perceive you can be the strongest indication of where your brand strength lies. Another point worth mention is for a brand to be distinguishable it has to possess a niche whereby it can stand alone, in other words it has to be authentic.

A commonly shared misconception amongst people, me included before I read up on the topic, is that personal branding is a self centred act when in fact it is about sharing yourself with an audience. You are basically attempting to fill a need your audience has. 

A personal brand is also faced with the task of having to prove it can deliver what it promised, which is why a personal brand should be aligned with your strengths. And last, but not least it is important for a personal brand to avoid negative behaviour, as seen with Oscar Pistorius after murder charges were brought against him sponsors and the public were quick to turn against him. His personal brand went from him being the man who proved anything is possible by competing in the Olympics even with his disability, to him being labelled a murderer and woman abuser. On the same day of the incident prominent sponsors such as Nike and Oakley, pulled out all campaigns featuring the athlete in fear of being associated with a murderer, guilty or not.  So the question I have to ask you is; Do you have a personal brand that you are pushing and what do you think of the idea of personal branding?

 Minenhle Dlamini for Motions

 Messi's Adidas soccer boot branding

 Oscar Pistorius Nike  brand campaign

Reference:

http://mashable.com/2009/02/05/personal-branding-101/

http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/13342/top-10-secrets-to-mastering-your-personal-br

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