N Cape communities to engage in Know Your Brand campaign

The campaign event is to be addressed by Premier Dipuo Peters and will seek to be a unifying event, bringing together the diverse regions of the province, incorporating cultures, backgrounds and individual beliefs. Four to five hundred guests, comprising high-ranking personalities from the national, provincial and local political and business arena, together with community champions, tourism stakeholders and the media, are anticipated.

Create brand recognition

This aim is to create brand recognition and awareness within the Northern Cape and follows on the launch of the new NCTA brand at the Tourism Indaba in May 2006. This logo is in turn a result of last April’s White Paper launch, when the Kimberley Declaration was signed.

“We aim to highlight and showcase the Northern Cape Province, celebrating its uniqueness with the very community whose spirit this brand embraces. ‘Know Your Brand’ is about truly getting an experiential grip on the new Northern Cape brand, which embodies the rich cultures existing within our province,” says Pieter Willem Saaiman, MEC for Tourism, Environment and Conservation.

Echoing the MEC’s sentiments, NCTA’s CEO Sharron Lewis adds: “We’re truly chuffed to be behind a campaign that pulls the various stakeholders in the Northern Cape into an initiative that allows them to engage with the greater significance that the new Northern Cape brand holds for their future.”

Brand champions

Brand champions for aspects of Northern Cape Tourism, Environment and Conservation-related matters are currently being identified by the Northern Cape Department of Tourism, Environment & Conservation, as well as the NCTA.

Known as the ‘Know Your Brand’ brand champions, they are expected to be announced to the media in a matter of days.

“It’s the people, of course, who connect with the visitor during their stay,” Lewis asserts. “What better way, therefore,” she adds, “than to tell our story through Northern Cape ‘Know Your Brand’ brand champions.

Offering further context to the ‘Know Your Brand’ campaign, Lewis cites research conducted previously by the NCTA, which identified strong Northern Cape attributes as follows: authentic natural wonder; untouched; openness; blue skies; cultural and heritage resources.

The following, in turn, play a role in epitomising these attributes: the red and white sands of the Kalahari, the mountains, unique flora such as the quiver tree – and of course blue skies.

RSVP

Media wishing to attend must RSVP soonest to Greta Wilson (. The possibility of media accommodation for the Friday night is being explored, with travel costs to and from the event for the media’s account.

For more information, go to the Northern Cape Tourism Authority website at www.northerncape.org.za, tel +27 (0)53 832 2657/43 or +27 (0)53 831 2789, or email . The Northern Cape government website can be viewed at www.northern-cape.gov.za.