Rebranding Africa 13_07_2007 (1)

Our African Diaspora by Synthia Saint James Graffiti of the continent

Africa is no longer relying on development aid and many across thecontinent are coming up with creative solutions to tackle coreproblems. Businesses are being launched that are capable oftransforming the lives of millions. WGSN investigates.

The making of an African century

2007 has so far marked two major historical events for the continent.March marked the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave TradeAct and the month in which Ghana celebrated 50 years of independence.

As the world reflects on these momentous episodes, a pan-Africanrenaissance is quietly, but consistently taking place through governments,Africans and Africanists.

With new communication technologies, suddenly doors have been opened andentrepreneurs and governments alike are starting to make use of this with anew generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, artists and activists.

The African Union has formed strong links with the African diaspora aspart of the renewal of Africa.

The annual African Union Caribbean Diaspora Conference now refers to thediaspora as the sixth region of the continent and has committed to "Aunited action of Africans and the Diaspora in the Caribbean for a betterworld".

Ghana celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence

Ghana this year has launched The JOSEPH Project, which is driven by theconcept of attracting the diaspora home and is committed to making thethird millennium the "African millennium".

South African president Thabo Mbeki has also declared that the fundamentals

African Union - Establishedin 2001 the AU consists of53 states. Evolved from theAfrican EconomicCommunity (AEC) and theOrganisation of African Unity(OAU), the focus is onAfrica's democracy, humanrights, and sustainableeconomy, especially bringingan end to intra-Africanconflict and creating aneffective common market.

The African diaspora - theglobal dispersal anddevelopment of Africans andtheir inheritants throughoutthe Americas, particurlyBrazil, the Caribbean,Europe and Asia.

Related reports

Countries to watch: the "Next11"

Rebranding Africa

RACHEL LASEBIKAN, WGSN 13.07.07

Rebranding Africa 13/07/2007 http://www.wgsn.com/members/think-tank/features/ti2007jul...

1 of 6 24/02/2011 23:51

of the FIFA World Cup, set to take place in South Africa in 2010: "Lie in ourresolve to ensure that the 21st century unfolds as a century of growthand development in Africa".

South Africa celebrates winning the FIFA World Cup 2010

"Over the past few years, a growing number of people in the TED communityhave become passionate about Africa, a continent that appears to be atan important tipping point. Its problems and challenges are well known.Less well known is that across the continent, change is afoot," says theTechnology, Entertainment and Design ThinkTank.

A TED Global conference entitled Africa: The Next Chapter took place inArusha, Tanzania this June and it couldn't be at a more exciting time.

"Incomes are starting to increase in some countries and real growth is onthe way."

World Economic Forum creating the campaign at the Rebranding Africa workshop

New Africa needs a new brand

"Africa has an image problem," said Carol Pineau, a producer, director andjournalist, who participated at the World Economic Forum Africa -Strengthening Brands and Changing Perceptions.

The solution is in news coverage, Pineau says, pointing to news stories suchas that of the Ghana stock exchange - the fastest growing in the world.

With the rallying cry "Get ready to see Africa as you've never seen it before",Pineau has created the award-winning television series Africa - Open forBusiness, due to be shown on The Africa Channel this summer.

In Vanity Fair's recent Africa issue, U2's Bono - who acted as guest editor -also stated that it's about giving Africa a balanced image. Describing theAfrican continent as an opportunity, an adventure and not a burden he says,"Our habit - and we have to kick it - is to reduce this mesmerising,entrepreneurial, dynamic continent of 53 diverse countries to a hopelessdeathbed of war, disease and corruption."


2 of 6 24/02/2011 23:51

The Africa Channel Africa - Open for Business

WEF RebrandingAfrica workshop

African media Vanity Fair, July 2007

Don't miss out - Africa is happening. Get in early.

Participants at the WEF on Africa event in June 2006, including over 700government, business and civil society leaders, were asked at a workshop toenvisage the perceptions of Africa in the year 2008.

At the top of the list was "Africa is the next big thing".

Africa should be seen as the next China or India, because it is home to apotential market of 850 million people.

Africa must be seen as a continent that produces top quality added valuegoods and services at competitive prices to ensure long-term sustainablegrowth shared by all its people.

To realise this vision the groups suggested that teams across Africa getbuy-in on this, leading to brand franchising across the continent.

This perception of Africa in 2008 rings true. Rebranding campaignsincreasingly utilise notions of Africa as a "must have" continent, tradingpartner and place to visit and of Africa as a continent on the rise - a fertilefield for investment.

Campaigns

More and more African countries are investing in advertising campaigns aimedat changing the images of their countries abroad.

Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa have all launched major campaigns withinfluential international media outlets, including CNN.

An example of this is the Nigerian government's awareness that negativereports about Nigerian fraud proliferate overseas and create a halo ofnegativity. In response they launched The Heart of Africa campaign in 2006.

This initiative saw a wave of branding development including advertisementson buses, tubes and the London Underground. The campaign alsotravelled through the US last year to Washington DC, Atlanta and mostrecently Texas in February - all with high Nigerian populations.

The campaigns explains that: "China's transformation from communism andlow quality products to the world's fastest growing economy, India's lift frompoverty and low business character to being respected for their IT serviceexports, and Bollywood are examples of the types of transformation thatNigeria believes it will achieve."


3 of 6 24/02/2011 23:51

Proudly South African We've done it before campaign

When you realise that Nigeria is the largest market in Africa with 140 millionpeople, and that one in every four Africans is a Nigerian, it's easy tounderstand the scale of the problem, and the opportunities.

Nigerian-rebranding campaigns

Proud to be African

The rebranding exercise is also an internal one. Aside from investmentattraction an internal reorientation campaign has been launched by theNigerian Government to address attitudinal and behavioural change andtackle national brand eroders.

Ghana's JOSEPH Project also intends in 2007 to more closely unite peoplein Ghana and the diaspora, and establish itself as the true gateway to "theHomeland".

The JOSEPH Project

Yvonne Johnston, CEO of the International Marketing Council (IMC) of SouthAfrica, maintains that Africa is a brand, and that if Africans do not like theway the continent is portrayed, it is up to them to change it.

Companies who meet the standards set by Proudly South African can use thelogo to identify themselves, their products and services. Their recentpublication Proud is in its second edition and provides a "one-stop-shop forinspiring and entertaining stories about South Africans who are leading thecharge into the new millennium".

The IMC has also launched a series of TV commercials, the most recent inJune 2007, to boost the growing confidence among South Africans aboutthe future.

Known as the We've done it before campaign, the organisation explain that


4 of 6 24/02/2011 23:51

the ad is: "built on the premise that South Africans continue to defy allodds. It will stir emotions, make people proud and give them confidence thatwe will overcome all of our challenges, whatever they are - crime,unemployment, poverty... and World Cup scepticism".

Watch the ad here

More significantly perhaps, internal branding is coming from the bottomup and primarily from the citizens - the media and bloggers who arecovering Africa to an extent it has never been covered before.

We used to see stories about war from Uganda, but now in Kampala, Uganda,a fashion show is one sign of the changing times in this small East Africannation.

Sylvia Owori, fashion designer and one of today's leading figures in EastAfrica's media, modelling, advertisement and fashion industries, as well asthe recipient of the Presidential Transformers Award for encouraging socialtransformation in Uganda, put on a catwalk show that attracted socialitesfrom across the globe.

"Uganda, we want to, you know, move with the world. We don't want to beleft behind just because of our stereotypes and what we believe in," saysOwori.

Ugandan rebranding campaigns

Africa of the future

While swooping marketing campaigns may serve to accentuate a country'sstrength, there is the fear that the branding exercises will be pointlessunless the country itself lives up to that image in policy, business andother areas.

One thing is for sure, the way we all see Africa, as Africans and observers, isdestined to change for the better.

Expect to see an increasing number of the diaspora return to Africato live, exchange ideas, do business and to vacation as Africa continues tomarket itself and its brand assets.

The key pillar of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is based on creating a "sociallegacy" for the whole of Africa. Many African industries around 2010 willfocus on an Africa-wide perspective, and on issues other than footballand South Africa.

Expect to see the growth of infrastructure as television broadcasting,mobile and communications technology upgrade to Wi Max, to deliverthis special event to Africans around the world.

Africa - Open for Business challenges stereotypes and proves Africa cannotbe so easily defined. "Get ready to see Africa as you've never seen itbefore. Imagine an Africa with entrepreneurial spirit that is striving to takecare of itself."

The World Economic Forum on Africa 2007 - Raising the Bar, which tookplace in Cape Town, 13-15 June 2007, included a special session focusedon promoting social entrepreneurship.

Expect to see the escalation of African and pan-African investmentopportunities as African entrepreneurs, African products and businesses


5 of 6 24/02/2011 23:51

enter international markets.

Expect to see increased investment in the continent. According to UN tradefigures, Africa offers the highest return on foreign direct investmentin the world, at nearly 30 percent. Many Fortune 500 companies do briskbusiness in Africa.

© WGSN 2007


6 of 6 24/02/2011 23:51

Rebranding Africa 13_07_2007 (1)

Documents

Transcript of Rebranding Africa 13_07_2007 (1)