Branding South Africa

South Africa has gone to great lengths to create a positive and united image for the country. In 2000, the International Marketing Council of South Africa was formed to do just that. It is intersting to think of a country as a brand, but the IMC of South Africa thinks of the country just like it would a product. They had a goal of creating a body that could cordinate and ensure that a standard and unified message was being portrayed to the world about South Africa. The IMC's main objective is the marketing of South Africa through the Brand South Africa campaign. Before this campaign, messages about the country were varied and coming from numerous sources of questionable reliability. That is what created a need for the council.

The council is focusing its efforts on Tourism, Trade and Investment. These three areas have tremendous potential for job creation in South Africa and by increasing employment they are attemping to put an end to poverty in the country. Delivering this unified image of South Africa through a clear, co-ordinated effort by the IMC will cost the country billions of Rands(SA Currency) in the form of brand building messaging reaching across the globe.