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Are you positive about SA?
There seems to be a 'day' for everything these days, and today is National Be Positive Day, in case you were unaware of the importance of November 5! There are various initiatives underwritten by various organisations and companies to inspire and get South Africans to be more positive about South Africa.
Be Positive Day is an annual initiative launched by Stephanie Vermeulen, founder of National Be Positive Day and author of EQ: Emotional Intelligence for Everyone. While conducting seminars on emotional intelligence, she became deeply aware of the level of negativity in the country. In 2000 she decided to do something about it, and the Be Positive initiative was born.
Vermeulen comments: "Nowadays, many companies have come to the fore with patriotic advertising campaigns and, with the efforts of the International Marketing Council of South Africa and Proudly South African, we now have more and more proof that attitudes in South Africa are shifting. Research Surveys recently conducted a national study showing that South Africans are happier and more content than we have been in a long while."
This, Vermeulen believes, is good for the economy and the country as a whole. From the thinking on EQ, she knows how much the idea of having faith in ourselves impacts upon our ability to make our own lives work. On a national level, the benefits escalate; so when millions of people are positive, the force becomes really potent. Building on the positive mood in the country, Vermeulen is calling on South Africans to project into the next 10 years and to 'make a difference'.
So, apart from being awarded the 2010 World Cup, what have we got to be positive about? In his book South Africa: Reasons to Believe, Guy Lundy provides a host of reasons that can be used to proudly fluff out our South African feathers:
For the second year running, the International Marketing Council is supporting the Be Positive Day initiative, as it helps to amplify the organisation's efforts to change perceptions about South Africa both locally and internationally. International Marketing Council CEO, Yvonne Johnston, says: "We see our involvement with National Be Positive Day as a natural part of the work that we do. We are very privileged in this respect, as in the course of our normal working day we come across many examples of extraordinary achievements by ordinary South Africans, who make this country a great place to be. These everyday heroes can be found in every sector of our business and society - there are so many contributions to creating a better nation. Increasingly, our research shows that South Africans want to be part of the positive wave that is moving through our country, so that, through their contributions, they can help to make South Africa a country which is truly 'Alive with Possibility'. "
The B+ logo was designed by Indicate! - a brand management company - as part of its contribution to South Africa. Penny Orsmond, joint MD says, "Indicate! embraced the concept of National Be Positive Day because we are tired of people being full of doom and gloom. This is a much-needed initiative and we challenge all South Africans to find ways to make a difference and become a lot more positive!"
The International Marketing Council, a public/private sector partnership established by the Cabinet in 2000, is tasked with creating a positive and united image for South Africa through the Brand South Africa campaign. To access useful information on South Africa, log onto www.southafrica.info. For more information on the International Marketing Council and to subscribe to the International Marketing Council's fortnightly newsletter of South African success stories, please refer to www.imc.org.za.
