BrandSouthAfrica.com

IMC appoints MS&L as part of our strategy staff to focus on the reputation management of Brand SA

The International Marketing Council of South Africa, the custodian of the South African national brand, has announced the appointment of MS&L Worldwide as its global strategic communications advisor. The appointment follows a lengthy evaluation process which included 16 responses to a public request for proposal and a six-way competitive pitch between short listed agencies.

“The appointment of a strategic communications partner comes at a time of great significance for South Africa as a country. The introduction of a new government and national leadership creates a unique platform to profile our country, its economic policies and our global competitiveness. Even more important is the realisation that we undertake this effort within the context of substantial international economic uncertainty,” said Paul Bannister, the acting CEO of the International Marketing Council.

“Working with a global agency network such as MS&L will allow the IMC to build the reputation of BrandSA and promote the global competitiveness in markets where we do not have a direct presence. This is a very good fit with the IMC’s collaborative approach to reputation management,” he said.

MS&L will service the Brand South Africa team in 10 key markets globally and provide additional market support in countries requiring economic, trade and investment profiling. The 10 key markets include China, India, Brazil, UAE (and broader Middle East region), Egypt, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, United Kingdom, European Union and the USA.

“As an agency we have been living, eating and breathing corporate brands for many years. Building the nation brand is not only an exciting challenge, but also a great responsibility – one which we are taking on with honour and pride,” said Amanda Singleton, managing director of MS&L Worldwide | South Africa, the agency’s hub for Africa.

About the International Marketing of South Africa (Brand South Africa)

The International Marketing Council of South Africa was established in August 2002 to help create a positive and compelling brand image for South Africa. At that time, the world was unsure about what to think of South Africa, with many different messages being sent out by various sources. This did very little to build the country’s brand and it was evident that to attract tourism and investment there was a need to co-ordinate marketing initiatives to make them more effective. This led to the creation of the IMC, whose main objective is the marketing of South Africa through the Brand South Africa campaign. There are many benefits to having a consolidated brand image, with the most important being that a consistent Brand South Africa message creates strategic advantages in terms of trade and tourism for the country in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

About MS&L Worldwide

MS&L Worldwide is a leading global communications firm made up of a network of communications brands and consultancies with 54 offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Mid East, Africa and Asia, as well as an extensive affiliate network in an additional 40 markets. The agency specialises in using research, insights and technology to create and execute powerful reputation strategies that are critical to long-term client success. With a unique combination of advice, advocacy and action, MS&L delivers measurable business results for many of the world's largest companies and most successful brands. MS&L Worldwide (www.mslworldwide.com) is a member of the Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris: FR0000130577), the world’s fourth largest communications group.

For further information:

Margaret Dingalo
Director: Stakeholder Relations
International Marketing Council of South Africa
Tel: +27 11 483 0122
Web: www.brandsouthafrica.com

Amanda Singleton
Managing Director
MS&L Worldwide | South Africa
Tel: +27 11 235 4300
Web: www.mslworldwide.com