It will assess the theoretical discourse around the discipline of nation branding in order to enable South Africa to evaluate how the current efforts to build a cohesive nation brand can be strengthened.
Addressing delegates at the Nation Brand Forum, which was recently hosted by Brand South Africa on 24 August 2016, the Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi said, “Building a national brand depends on nation building and how cohesive we are as a nation. We are a developing country and as such, an enhanced image will create more favourable conditions to attract both domestic and foreign direct investment, tourism, trade and foster greater political relations with other countries.
“South Africa has a good story to tell. So let’s come up with a branding that enhances our standing before the community of nations.”
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 is best achieved by building an awareness of how each citizen impacts on the Nation Brand, its reputation and perceptions associated with it, in a consistent way.
A key outcome of the Dialogue will be the compilation of all the papers presented on the day in a peer reviewed academic journal, thus positioning South Africa in the thought leadership space in the field of nation branding.
