29 Sep 2016
Brand South Africa will, in partnership with the University of Pretoria, host a one-day seminar on the discipline of nation branding and how the South African Nation Brand is faring in this endevour. The dialogue will attempt to evaluate the current efforts of building a cohesive nation brand and will position South Africa as a thought leader within the academic discourse of nation-branding.
Nation-branding is a multifaceted discipline and the variety of leading, specifically selected academics will reflect on the complexity of this.
Speakers on the day will include: Prof George Angelopulo, Prof Justine Burns, Mr Lindokuhle Njozela, Prof Scarlett Cornelissen, Prof Nadia Kaneva, Prof Nicola Kleyn.Mr Tendai Mhizha, Prof Garth L le Pere, Prof Mageshen Naidoo, and Prof Mzukisi Qobo.
Prof Mzukisi Qobo, who specialises in the discipline of international political economy will focus on the regional dimensions of how the South African Nation Brand is managed and positioned.
Inherent in the discipline of nation branding is the promotion of the norms and ideas embodied by a country. Prof Qobo will therefore analyse the norms which South Africa has articulated in the SADC region and how this perceived. Regional formations are a crucial platforms through which country’s project their norms, values and leadership.
Qobo seeks to explore the articulation of South Africa’s norms and leadership projections within regional integration and evaluates if, this has reinforced the country’s brand equity. By evaluating the success of integration, Qobo argues will enable us to measure the country’s brand equity.
From the regional perspective of the South African Nation Brand, Prof Nadia Kaneva, an Associate Professor in the Department of Media, Film, and Journalism Studies at the University of Denver will look at critical theories of communication and culture and explore the construction of identities in various contexts.
Prof Kaneva will explore the limitations of utilising nation-branding, in reconstructing national-identities among societies which have undergone significant political, economic and cultural transformation. Particularly, Kaneva’s address will look into the normative aspect of nation-branding and the utilisation of nation-branding to advance nation-building efforts. Prof Kaneva, states that employing this normative aspect results in national-identities assuming market-orientated and external concerns.
Prof Kaneva’s perspectives on the limitations of nation-branding and identity construction are particularly salient for post-conflict and post-colonial countries, like South Africa.
The University Dialogue, is in line with Brand South Africa’s objectives of developing and implementing proactive and coordinated marketing, communication and reputation management strategies for South Africa. This conversation will assist with efforts to build a cohesive nation-brand. The dialogue will further advance Brand South Africa’s nationwide program of fostering and inspiring an engaged citizenry, who will contribute to positive change.
Limited spaces are still available at this inaugural event. Please RSVP to sacf@brandsouthafrica.com.
Follow the conversation on #SANationBrand
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