Yvonne Johnson, Council CE, says that arriving at the slogan was no easy task. 21000 South Africans were asked to typify what they felt was South Africa's biggest selling point. The IMC ran a series of specialist focus groups, drawn from among opinion formers, tourists and figures regarded as national icons.
"Every other country that has gone into this branding exercise has limited it to tourism. We wanted to give SA's appeal a hard business edge as well," says Johnston, pointing out that in the global age countries not for water or land, but for a share of the world's economy. "We need to take the brand and incorporate it into a holistic communications strategy in such a way that it touches the lives of all South Africans, from the poorest rural people to the most sophisticated urban dwellers.
"Ultimately we want all SA's communication speaking with one voice and to be fully aligned. Business will be one of the key beneficiaries of a better marketed country."
