Africa's time has come - is South Africa ready?

Marketers and communicators packed The Forum conference centre at The Campus in Brynston, Johannesburg, yesterday, sitting in the aisles as seats ran out, to listen to the presentations from top Government, international and local World Cup and marketing and branding experts at this, the first event to unpack the brand message and communication opportunities for 2010 for marketers.

In a valuable, but tight conference programme that had speakers racing through their presentations as if on speed - Government, the International Marketing Council (IMC) and international veterans of Germany 2006 and the Barcelona Olympics, seem loudly optimistic and upbeat that South Africa is ahead of the game and well in reach of the prize of staging a "spectacular" World Cup tournament in 2010 that will showcase South Africa's democratic ideal far and wide, while at the same time polishing up Africa's reputation as a continent.

And that's exactly how they should be. The outcome every proud South African should want is a successful World Cup that brings investment to curb existing problems, is profitable and unites the nation under one banner in the long term beyond 2010 - and hopefully gives the continent of Africa a PR miracle in the process.

Kickoff

The final whistle of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany signaled the start of South Africa's campaign to market the country for the 2010 World Cup. The International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC), on behalf of the 2010 National Communication Partnership Task Team, invited marketing and communication stakeholders to attend the conference yesterday with the aim of mobilising all those who will be promoting South Africa before, during and after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Essop Pahad, Minister: Office of the Presidency, was one of the founders of professional soccer in South Africa in the days when there were no soccer fields for aspirant players. He told a poignant story of their struggle to establish professional soccer in South Africa in the shadow of apartheid. "Many who worked for this dream of hosting a Soccer World Cup in Africa are no longer with us."

He said for communicators to seize the opportunities for 2010, they will have to be effective in dispelling negative vision. "The years leading up to 2010 will definitely be the catalyst for our vision in building a democratic non-racist South Africa. All South Africans need to work together to ensure an unforgettable experience for all - and we will need to work with African communicators across the continent... [this] requires all communicators to pull together..."

The game

Themba Maseko, CEO - Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), outlined the Government's commitment to and expectations for 2010.

"South Africans are more united than ever, but various developments could evoke negativity and fragmentation: World Cup processes bring their own potential for negativity and fragmentation. The 2009 elections on eve of tournament, for example, will need a political party effort to make the World Cup a point of consensus.

"The gap between foreign perceptions of South Africa and its real strengths has narrowed, but is still too wide: While the 10 year celebrations [of democracy] did much to shift international media perceptions, South Africa no longer has its previous international media profile. We are continuously reminded of the potential for negativity to reassert itself... We need to send out positive messages about our country," Maseko explained.

Maseko says South Africa needs to combine the consistent branding of the country premised on the brand essence of 'BrandSA', with messages appropriate to 2010.

"For this period, our core message along side the country brand is: 'AFRICA'S TIME HAS COME - SOUTH AFRICA IS READY'.

More detailed messaging with emphasis appropriate for each phase of the campaign and the particular circumstances will be developed and disseminated through networks and co-ordinating structures, he said. The IMC is expected to be appointed brand custodian to co-ordinate the branding effort.

Thaninga Shope-Linney, NEPAD GM: Communications and Outreach, said images portrayed of Africa did not inspire hope, despite strides in corporate governance and peer-review programmes on the continent. "Africa is seen as a continent of refugees... of a continent at war with itself... 2010 provides an opportunity to change that image. It's all about IMAGE IMAGE IMAGE," she emphasised.

"We need to create a common African brand identity... speak in a unified voice... as Africans... and take full advantage of the attention focused on Africa."

Half time

Making the most of the opportunities presented by 2010, Maseko emphasised:

• To sustain integrated and coherent communication over four to five years we need co-ordination in government and a partnership of all communicators.
  
• Intense world attention makes it essential that the many role-players with a stake in 2010 speak with one voice.
  
• This requires building structures and linkages for a common approach and co-ordination in dealing with issues as they arise.
  
• As a country the opportunities that come with the hosting of 2010 include the possibility to: market our country to billions of people all over the world; boost our tourism and sports industries; speed up programmes to address infrastructure backlogs; unite all South Africans behind concrete popular objectives within a concrete timeframe, promoting both unity and development.
  
• All of these to one degree or another require communication focused on a few objectives.

To create a truly African World Cup, Maseko said it was imperative to:

• Creative attention to building African solidarity, projecting 2010 as an African World Cup, in the continent and globally.
  
• Working with the rest of Africa, as part of international marketing to improve the image of our continent.
  
• Promoting our region and beyond to visitors.
  
• Building links with communicators across the continent to promote a common approach.
  
• Research says South Africans are positive about this - 82% think it a good thing that the world sees 2010 as an African World Cup.

The final whistle

In developing its 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup strategy, South Africa will be relying on the lessons learnt from other cities and countries in hosting the world cup, as well as the Olympics, and has mobilised the international experts in this regard to share best practice with the Local Organising Committee.

"The experience of other hosting countries, married with our own perspective and character, has important communication lessons," Maseko pointed out.

From Barcelona, he said we've learnt the successful integration of events in long-term marketing and development of the host country. Athens has taught us that stereotypes unchallenged well in advance of the event can impact on the possibilities of positive communication; and effectively combining required communication for FIFA with national communication opportunities requires strong national structures, Germany has just learnt.

It also needs to be communicated to stakeholders that FIFA's sponsorship control of all rights at stadiums limits opportunities for local marketers and that a limited number of tickets will disappoint many South African soccer fans.

Government coordination and action will be as follows:

• Government's institutional structures are in place: the Inter-Ministerial Committee co-ordinates all government efforts, assisted by a Technical Co-ordination Committee (TCC), chaired by the Deputy Minster of Finance.
  
• An operational and resource plan for all aspects of 2010 has been completed. Government will work with all stakeholders to ensure common action across the three spheres of government, SOEs, business, SAFA/LOC, and across society as a whole.
  
• The TCC has a communication cluster, and a communication coordinating committee has been established involving all departments and spheres, agencies and SOEs.
  
• A partnership of government and private sector communicators working through IMC and GCIS in parallel with organisations such as the 2010 Local Organising Committee, SA Tourism, and other stakeholders to promote co-ordinated local and international communication to maximise the benefit for all from the opportunities of 2010, beyond the fulfilment of our obligations to FIFA as host.
  
• Providing a national framework and vision and/or a point of reference for all who engage in communication in the period leading to 2010 to facilitate coherent and coordinated communication and activities.

If the confidence and enthusiasm of Government, the IMC and the LOC and impressed international speakers visiting SA are anything to go by, South Africa will most definitely be ready for 2010 - the key is getting everyone on the team with the same goal in mind.