Brand Recognition

Brand recognition refers to how people connect a brand with a product, name, tag line or other attributes. Which gets me thinking how is South Africa as a brand being viewed?
As a country we have been getting lots of negative publicity e.g

• The mine workers strike.
• 45 mine workers loosing their lives during the strike while fighting for better wages.
• Julius Malema disrespecting our president in  the media.
• Truck drivers strike and some trucks getting burned in the process.

South Africa as a country is a brand and whatever happens in this country is a reflection of our brand to other countries. Brand recognition refers to what people are familiar with and it is both the brand it self and the traits associated with the brand. Brand awareness looks at both the negative and the positive, looking at South Africa the negative seem to be out shinning the positive publicity that we get as a country. the negative publicity still cast cloud over  positive publicity or positive thing that we do as a country, and one of the reasons for that is the media, yes it si their job to be watchdos of society but they seems to be focusing on the negative than positive.

We can not blame other countries or people for having bad perception about our country, because people act on their perceptions and facts that are presented before which is the negative media coverage that we ahve been getting as a country.

Women and child abuse campaigns effective enough?

Each and everyday women and children are
being striped of their dignity
picby: www.zeldaily.com

Each and very year the government sets a budget that will go towards campaigns against women and child abuse, not to mention that last month we were celebrating Women's Day, the truth of the matter is women and children are still being abused each and everyday. Minister of police Nathi Mthethwa announced that the latest statistics on sexual offence decreased by 3.7% and rape decreased by 1.9% but according to the National Freedom Party says the sexual offence against women and children are still too high in South Africa compared to other countries, to read More....www.timeslive.com

This is a job well done to the Minister of  police, but with all the money that is being invested in campaigns, adverts and programmes that the government has inverted to fight against children and women abuse, I cant stop to wonder if these campaigns are effective enough t? do we lack resources to deal with such crimes?

Minister Nathi Mthethwa has put a strategy in place, that more resource are needed and better training of police to deal with such crimes. There is a lot to in to have  an effective campaign , I think the Minister should rethink  the strategies that he puts in place because there is no use in investing in  programmes that are not beneficial or do not make a difference.

Is this becoming a trend and does the media have a role in this?

'let call a National Platinum strike" says National protest leader , which got me thinking whether this is just a trend or formation of a public opinion. Public opinion is a collective views of expression by a group of people that have the same interest or concerned at that particular time, when opinion becomes strong enough they lead to verbal or behavioural action, one could not stop to  wonder whether this is the situation in Mines, as more mine workers have joined the Lonmin Mine workers on their strike that started two months back  and in the process 45 people lost their lives, to read more... www.timeslive.com
 


miners sing and chant outside the mine as the strike continue
picture by: www.ctpost.com

The issue at mines is regarded as hot issue public because the miners started being active after media exposure, this bring us to my question whether the media is the driving force behind these continuous strikes?  this seems to be the trend in the mining industry , does the media have a role in influencing mine workers from Anglo American Platinum and Gold Field to join in the strike, or does this seem as the right thing to do at the moment?



characteristic's of Public Opinion

• It has an objective
• It last until the objective had been meet
• It has a scope
• It has a long lasting implications
• It has a structure and can influence pattern or behaviour

There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel as Lonmin mine strike seems to be wrapping up.