Information System (GCIS), at the 2010 National Communication Partnership
Conference, Johannesburg
15 August 2006
2010 â Expectations and commitment, the communication challenge
Programme Director,
Ladies and gentlemen:
Background to the partnership and the conference
When South Africa was given the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup there
was a surge in all the indicators of how South Africans feel about themselves.
The consumer confidence index (CCI) underwent what was probably its biggest
ever leap.
In fact as it turned out we were seeing a spike in a rising trend in the
national mood - growing confidence in the direction of the country and in our
capacity together to deal with whatever problems and challenges we face and to
continue on the path towards the goals inscribed in our constitution, high
levels of national pride and a steadily but surely increasing sense of national
unity.
I mention this as part of the context in which government and others began
in 2004 to think through the communication implications of having won the right
to host a tournament that engaged the passions of our country and the whole
world.
It was also a time in which the countryâs communicators in all sectors were
feeling their way towards a shared vision of the nation that we are becoming.
Out of discussion amongst communicators there emerged the idea of national
communication partnership for 2010 of which more later.
The government has to ensure both that it fulfils its obligations to FIFA
for the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and that as a country South Africa
takes advantage of the opportunities that come with hosting. These include the
possibility to:
* market our country to billions of people all over the world
* boost our tourism and sports industries
* speed up programmes to address infrastructure backlogs
* unite all South Africans behind concrete popular objectives within a concrete
timeframe, promoting both unity and development.
What government is doing?
Though it goes beyond branding and communication, it should be said at this
point that the recent Cabinet Lekgotla discussed the strategy for ensuring that
we do indeed fulfil our obligations and make the most of the opportunity.
Preparations for the event are proceeding well but there is no complacency
given the tight timeframes. The necessary institutional structures are in place
and fully functional. An Inter Ministerial Committee is in place to co-ordinate
all government efforts assisted by a Technical Coordination Committee chaired
by the Deputy Minster of Finance.
A transport plan was presented to the Lekgotla. It includes upgrading road,
rail, air and non-motorised transport. It caters for long distance linkages,
intercity travelling and transportation within host cities. The upgrading of
infrastructure has already begun with airports upgrade being the most advanced.
A public transport fund has been set up in the Department of Transport to focus
primarily on 2010 initiatives. Going beyond 2010 these measures will ensure
that South Africa will indeed be a better place for all afterwards a reliable,
efficient and affordable public transport system is among the legacies that we
want 2010 to leave our country.
An operational and resource plan for all aspects of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
has been completed. The government will work with all stakeholders to:
* ensure that infrastructure projects are completed on time and undertaken with
confidence and efficiency
* ensure common action across the three spheres of government, State Owned
Enterprises (SOEs), big and small business, the football authorities and across
society as a whole
* encourage the development and implementation of a vision for the national
soccer team
* monitor preparations and implementation of the security strategy and
transport plan, and communicate them widely to ensure that South Africa and the
world appreciate this work
* promote international marketing on a massive scale to take advantage of this
unique opportunity to improve perceptions of our country and continent.
Partnership for 2010
Fundamental to governmentâs approach towards accomplishing this enormous
task is partnership in all areas including communication:
* The 2010 National Communication Partnership is premised on the need for a
joint effort around 2010 of communicators across society and in all creative
and communication disciplines;
* It is informed by an understanding that the countryâs communicators do feel a
common responsibility to help meet the challenge of translating the positive
trend that we now call the âAge of Hopeâ into united action to continue
improving our society and to improve our image and that of our continent.
Before the 2006 World Cup final the partnership - about which more will be
said later - focused on building capacity to do the things that need to be done
after the 2006 final when we would be able to communicate. Though launched at a
workshop last November, this is the first public conference, the first of what
is to be an annual event. It helped shape the national approach to 2010
communication outlined in this presentation and in the conference packs. One
can add that this communication approach has been shared with FIFA.
Opportunity of a lifetime
Two terrains of communication
The point of departure is that the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup brings
a unique opportunity that extends well beyond football. Defining it requires a
distinction between two terrains of communication.
The one is the terrain of mandatory communication in which South Africa must
fulfil communication obligations on behalf of FIFA whose World Cup it is.
But beyond that there is an optional terrain, the space South Africa can
create without infringing on FIFAâs rights to draw benefit from the hosting of
this very large event for our country for all sectors of our society and
working with other countries for our region and our continent.
Communication objectives
All the things that can be achieved from hosting 2010 require communication
to one degree or another that is focused on a few key objectives.
A national, nation building perspective
If 2010 is to be a catalyst for change then we need to fix our sights beyond
that year and to think of:
* who we are; how we want to be seen then by ourselves and others; how we want
to have changed; what message we want 2010 visitors to hear?
* linkages between 2010 and milestones of our history (2010 is the 20th
anniversary of the start of negotiations and release of Nelson Mandela) and
where we are going (2014 is the end of the second decade of freedom and the
year by which we want to see poverty and unemployment halved).
An African World Cup
Creative attention will have to be given to building African solidarity and to
communicating 2010 as an African World Cup in the continent and globally.
Working with institutions such as the African Union (AU) Commission and the
New Partnership for Africaâs Development (NEPAD) Secretariat and by building
communication partnership in the South African Development Community (SADC)
region and across the continent, strategies will need to be developed to ensure
that the continent leverages the positive mood created by the preparations and
hosting of 2010.
Leverage for marketing and speeding up development
Year 2010 brings exceptional domestic and global media platforms;
infrastructural development and visitors on a scale that creates immense
opportunities to establish linkages across government and the private sector
that will enhance development efforts through investment promotion;
international marketing; tourism and government programmes.
Mobilising the nation
A successful 2010 cannot be achieved by the soccer authorities and government
alone. It will require the participation of all South Africans in their
occupations, as volunteers and as brand ambassadors. Promoting that kind of
participation is a prime communication objective.
Creating a favourable environment - setting the agenda
The next three to four years are a time to set the agenda of public discourse
about South Africa in particular in the foreign media so that the communication
environment becomes more favourable to making the most of 2010.
Learning from the communication experience of others
The experience of other countries that have hosted major events like this has
important lessons for us if married with our own perspective and character.
Hence the attentions are paying to the Olympics Championships in Barcelona and
Athens and to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Structures
With so many organisations and interests having a stake in 2010 and with
such intense international scrutiny there is a premium on co-ordination and
integration in communication.
Government
Overall government leadership of South Africaâs hosting and communication takes
place under the oversight of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, some of whom sit
on the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Board and its Technical Co-ordination
Committee (TCC). Structures co-ordinating governmentâs 2010 related
communication are led by Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)
and link to the TCC.
Communication partnership
The National Communication Partnership (NCP) for 2010 links to the overall
framework through the TCC and also works with the LOC.
It is a public private partnership (PPP) working through the International
Marketing Council and GCIS in consultation with organisations such as the 2010
LOC, SA Tourism and other stakeholders. Its purpose is to promote co-ordinated
local and international communication to maximise the benefit of hosting
2010.
Critically, the partnership is just that, a partnership. It is not an
organisation. It is not an agent for 2010 World Cup communications or for the
LOC. It is not an agent for government or for the host cities.
Its task is rather to ensure that these different strands communicate a
common message in a coherent way, conveying a shared vision in alignment with
the national brand. It should become a point of reference for all who engage in
communication in the period leading up to 2010.
The partnership is championed by a core group of activist members broadly
reflective of sectors represented by the International Marketing Council (IMC),
advertisers, marketers, parastatals, media, market research and government. It
has effective linkages with the LOC and South African Football Association
(SAFA). Between core group meetings the process is driven by a task team
working on areas including: issue management and promoting âgood newsâ flow;
opinion research; web presence and building networks.
Consultative workshops promote alignment and co-ordination through
information exchange and sharing of strategy and plans. The task team engages
with stakeholder sectors and encourages the formation of sectoral and
discipline groupings within this broad approach to 2010 communication.
Phasing and messaging
Phasing
A campaign over the four years and beyond will need to be phased in ways that
keep pace with World Cup technical milestones and with the hosting
preparations. The phases would need to be developed into detailed communication
programmes. In the first phase which ended with the 2006 final the focus was on
building co-ordinating capacity and the management of issues in the current
period.
Core message
Wit respect to content we need to combine two things. We must use the platform
to build our brand. And we must also convey messages specific to 2010 that
mobilise and inform in specific ways that are necessary both to make a success
of our hosting and to take advantage as a country of the opportunities.
Consistent branding will be premised on the brand South Africa.
With regard to the specifics of 2010 in the current period particular
emphasis is required on sustaining and building confidence in our capacity to
deliver a successful World Cup a specific instance of the national brand and to
creating an environment for South Africa and the continent as a whole to take
advantage of the opportunity. Hence our core message for the current period and
perhaps beyond derives from that of our bid:
âAfricaâs time has come â South Africa is readyâ
More detailed messaging with emphases appropriate to each phase and to
particular circumstances will be developed and disseminate through the
partnership.
Conclusion - The communication challenge
Part of the title of this presentation is âthe communication challengeâ
Research has shown two interesting findings. Asked in a national survey done
by Markinor in April this year if it was a good thing for South Africa that the
world sees 2010 as an African World Cup and whether 2010 would strengthen
relations between South Africa and the rest of the continent some 80 percent
said âYesâ. Asked in a national survey by the Human Sciences Research Council
(HSRC) towards the end of last year if they thought South Africa would be ready
for 2010 some 80 percent said yes.
These are high number by any account and they point to a favourable
environment for communicators.
The challenge is this - as communicators are we ready!
Issued by: Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)
15 August 2006
