Matching spirit and standing

Over the past five years since its inception, Tsogo Sun has focused on establishing its five casinos as leading entertainment destinations with strong individual presences and brands in the areas where they operate. Tsogo Sun Gaming is owned by Tsogo Sun Holdings, which also owns Southern Sun Hotels.

The five-fold rationale behind Tsogo Sun's decision to reposition its corporate identity is:

• To establish a highly reputable corporate brand.
• To provide a brand and image that reflects the values and personality of the company on which the five casinos can position their respective branding without compromising their own identities.
• To reflect its position as preferred employer among its own employees and potential employees.
• To reflect its numerous groundbreaking marketing initiatives among the group's casinos.
• To facilitate and enable the effective leveraging of strategic alliances from a group perspective.

Antoinette Bender, marketing manager of Tsogo Sun, explains that the target market for this new CI includes its shareholders and potential shareholders; the business community, including business and marketing media; as well as its employees and potential employees.

She adds that while the individual casinos within the group have done an excellent job of positioning themselves in their respective target markets, the umbrella organisation's entrepreneurial spirit and leading position in the business community has not been sufficiently positioned at this stage.

"We recognised the need to change the situation and we duly briefed an agency, Salamandra Design and PR, to create an identity that truly encapsulates our brand strengths, our courageous personality as a dynamic and innovative leader in entertainment; as well as our qualities that exude the flair and glamour of first world, cosmopolitan Africa."

Urban and chic

"Working closely with Tsogo Sun Gaming, we conceptualised an urban and chic clean look with lots of African textures, to complement the sophisticated personality of the brand," explains Christine MacKay, CEO, Salamandra Design.

Bender adds that the new corporate identity has a fresh and contemporary look that cleverly keeps the South African market in mind. "It shows that we know our customers, we understand that they are cultured; they value understatement over brash modernism; and that they enjoy the sophisticated local flavours and differences in this country."

Vibrancy and stylishness

The new Tsogo Sun CI colour palette is inclined towards warm and spicy earth tones that reflect the vibrancy and stylishness of the brand.

The signature line on all generic Tsogo Sun advertising is "Another TSOGO SUN GAMING experience" and is one of the most important elements of the brand, according to Bender. It will be used throughout selected communications for the five casinos and create unity among the different entities. The pay-off line establishes the fact that they all belong under the Tsogo Sun umbrella.

The corporate identity has been applied to a number of applications, including corporate clothing, billboards, corporate gifts and adverts, which will shortly be seen in strategically placed mediums. "Our message is directed at a very specific market and this will be reflected in the application and placement of our new identity," comments Bender.

Bender concludes, "Tsogo Sun Gaming has, in its relatively short history, made significant strides in establishing itself as a marketing-centric and astute operator, known for its 'out of the box' thinking and cutting edge activities. We believe this new corporate identity will reflect and grow our brand in the markets we are targeting."

The five Tsogo Sun Gaming casinos are Montecasino in Fourways, Johannesburg; Suncoast in Durban; The Ridge in Witbank; Emnotweni in Nelspruit; and Hemingways in East London.