South Africa is in need of Brand Ambassadors - To Inspire and Ignite the nation
Some might say "But, we have Ambassadors in most of the countries of the world, where there is a commercial, goodwill or political relationship/arrangement with other nations in place". For any country or brand to succeed, it's imperative to have initiatives/actions or plans in place to ignite and inspire the people/consumer to subscribe to what that country or brand represents.
There have been one or two initiatives recently, to prolong the World Cup spirit of togetherness and unity among South Africans. To those organisations who are involved and who are as passionate as most of us are about our country, congratulations and well done with all your efforts. One initiative, Keep flying the flag, comes to mind; awesome concept, which is visible in the media currently. Unfortunately for us, the reality regarding the state of affairs in our country has once again resurfaced. The honeymoon is over and our pre-World Cup challenges are once again dominating our conversations. Our people (Brand South Africa) are at the receiving end.
How do we get people to take ownership, to be more responsible, contribute to the goals and ideals of our country and ultimately, to be excellent Brand Ambassadors for South Africa? We are in desperate need of new role-models from all walks of life. Not politicians, not sports or business people, but people from the communities, where we grew up and come from, people who are making a difference in our country, under the radar. The Youth today is no longer inspired; we have heard and seen that drug and alcohol abuse/addiction among the Youth, starts with kids as young as nine years old. Crime related incidents, where the youth is involved, is also on the increase. How is this possible? The reality is, it is happening, because the Youth and some people in our country have nothing to look forward to, because of the negative elements, which consumes most of us currently.
As people, we are quick to blame or point fingers, some of us wait for others to provide us with direction or solutions. The time is now to inspire and ignite our country and the leaders of tomorrow. Give them (youth) something to look forward to in the areas where they grow up and discourage the quick-fix-get-rich schemes and perceived bling and entitlement expectations, behaviour and life-style. Let's celebrate the achievements of the people who are really making a difference in our communities and to do justice to our Constitution and Democracy.
When we say keep flying the flag, our people need to know what that flag represent in their lives. The flag must symbolise certain values, aspirations, ideals, promises, possibilities, opportunities and acceptable behaviour, which they can relate to and apply daily.
We want Brand Ambassadors for our country in the areas where we live, where we go to school, at work, where we socialise and at home.
Become a Brand Ambassador today and make a positive contribution and difference where you are.
It starts with you and I!
