West Provincial Branding Conference
10 September 2007
Programme Director
Yvonne Johnson and Sophie Masipa from the International Marketing Council
Colleagues
Stakeholders here present
Ladies and gentlemen
I am confident that no one will contest my assertion when I boldly declare:
This conference was a resounding success! I am certain that I speak on behalf
of many of you when I say we emerged wiser and more knowledgeable than when we
entered the Convention Centre this morning.
To Ms Yvonne Johnston and Sophie Masipa: "Thank you for the free lessons in
branding and marketing." We emerged from this conference better armed to move
forward with confidence. The quality of discussions, the focused participation
by all of you and the expertise of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) all
conspired to deliver a conference that succeeded beyond our initial
imaginations.
The message that was delivered loudly today is that branding is not an
event. It is a long and hard road. Today's process has demonstrated just how
much hard work still awaits us and how complex and involved the process will
be. It was a critical milestone which will eventually culminate in a unique
brand for our province. The challenge for all of us is to keep the momentum
going.
We must all accept that success in promoting the positive imaging of the
North West will depend, first and foremost, on the attitude of the people of
the North West towards their own province as well as visible programmes to
address a number of perception challenges.
As a province, we will continue to pursue a process that is inclusive of a
broader group of stakeholders. We believe that this process will enrich the
branding process and help define the desired positioning of the province. Of
critical importance is to ensure that in positioning the province, there is
recognition that the provinces of South Africa are not in competition with each
other. Therefore, co-ordination and alignment becomes critical.
The provincial approach must eventually entail developing a brand strategy
that presents a co-ordinated and united image for the entire province, ensuring
that all tourism, trade, exports, investment and major events activities work
together to project a coherent, consistent and mutually reinforcing message and
image.
Let the hard work begin!
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
10 September 2007
Source: North West Provincial Government (http://www.nwpg.gov.za)
