SA bodies unite to present single Soccer World Cup message

THE International Marketing Council (IMC), the custodian of Brand SA, launched its 2010 Soccer World Cup campaign at the Tourism Indaba in Durban yesterday, focusing on both the domestic and African markets.

The IMC has teamed up with SA Tourism and the 2010 World Cup organising committee for this campaign, allowing the bodies to present a single, united message.

Paul Bannister, IMC acting CEO, said yesterday there were essentially three campaigns — the domestic leg, which focus ed on getting South Africans excited and involved in the world; the African campaign, which will call on the rest of the continent to get involved in the tournament; and SA Tourism’s international campaign.

The domestic campaign includes a television commercial, which began airing on several South African channels yesterday, as well as an extensive online campaign component that includes a website, social media and “mobisites”.

An extensive editorial and public relations campaign is also in place. The theme of the African campaign is on this tournament being Africa’s World Cup, and television adverts to support this theme will also begin flighting across the continent shortly.

“From the onset, we have said that this World Cup does not belong to SA alone, but to all of Africa,” said SA Tourism acting CEO Didi Moyle yesterday. “In developing a communication campaign specifically targeting this aspect, and communicating in a manner that is widely appreciated, fun and contagious, we are firmly positioning this event and the host continent as alive and vibrant.”

The campaigns focus on both next month’s Confederations Cup as well as the World Cup next year.

On Saturday, SA Tourism launched its international destination campaign, which is expected to be viewed by 600-million people in the next year and will be aired on international channels such as CNN, BBC, Eurosport and Fox.

It will be aired in SA’s strongest tourism markets and, as SA edges closer to the World Cup, it will increasingly focus on the countries taking part in next year’s tournament.

Derek Carstens, chief marketing officer of the 2010 Soccer World Cup local organising committee, said its 2010 campaign was still being finalised and would only be launched later in the year.

“The focus is on the Confederations Cup next month, so it is great that the IMC is looking forward to next year and keeping the flame burning on 2010,” said Carstens.

By JULIUS BAUMANN
Aviation and Tourism Editor

Source: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/economy.aspx?ID=BD4A997753

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