It doesn't all end on the 11th...

With World Cup fever reaching a climax this week, what mental ‘tag clouds’ are forming in our twitter-paced, global citizen, attention-span-as-long-as-an-ad minds? Boo refs? Ooo vuvuzelas? Paul the Octopus paella?

How much more about South Africa as a destination do we really know? And how much more about South Africa do we want to know?

Because all the billions of dollars spent – the coveted successful bid, the years of planning, the hype and marketing communications – all of it boils down to one big investment: investing in ‘Brand South Africa’ (football fanatics breathe – there is a purpose to life other than kicking around a ball).

I read an interesting article today about exactly that, branding nations in Africa – yes I choose my wording very carefully – because there is a big difference between ‘Brand Africa’ and ‘Brand Nation-in-Africa’.

The title of the piece, “Is Africa Misbranded?” leads timely to the question – how has branding Africa as a whole affected the image of each of the continent’s 54 nations on an individual level? Should there even be a Brand Africa? After all, there isn’t a Brand Europe or Brand Asia – and this has, in my opinion, been to the strength of each country.

Africa is the most diverse continent in the world, ranging from desert to savannah to dense rainforest. With a billion people, over a thousand different languages, distinct cultures, traditions and religions, how can there be just one Africa?

Quoting from the article; “Africa is suffering from the ‘continent branding effect’ where every country shoulders the reputation of the others.” The reality is that the untapped potential for investment and tourism is huge. Look at Condé Nast or Travel + Leisure ‘Top 100’ lists and you will invariably find that the best up-and-coming resorts in the world can be found in Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa – and they wouldn’t survive if each of these countries did not have such unique, rich experiences to offer.

At the moment these countries have only captured a niche market. Yet with effective branding that builds on the specific assets of each destination – not just its nature and wildlife, but its music, its arts, its traditions, its distinct vibe and its people – and a marketing campaign that effectively portrays the unique identity of each, perhaps the countries of Africa will no longer be lumped into the (so far “beyond hope”) Brand Africa basket, but will each be recognised for their distinct appeal.