Closing address by North West Premier E Molewa at the North West Provincial Branding Conference

Programme Director
Yvonne Johnson and Sophie Masipa from the International Marketing Council
Colleagues
Stakeholders here present
Ladies and gentlemen

I am confident that no one will contest my assertion when I boldly declare: This conference was a resounding success! I am certain that I speak on behalf of many of you when I say we emerged wiser and more knowledgeable than when we entered the Convention Centre this morning.

To Ms Yvonne Johnston and Sophie Masipa: "Thank you for the free lessons in branding and marketing." We emerged from this conference better armed to move forward with confidence. The quality of discussions, the focused participation by all of you and the expertise of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) all conspired to deliver a conference that succeeded beyond our initial imaginations.

The message that was delivered loudly today is that branding is not an event. It is a long and hard road. Today's process has demonstrated just how much hard work still awaits us and how complex and involved the process will be. It was a critical milestone which will eventually culminate in a unique brand for our province. The challenge for all of us is to keep the momentum going.

We must all accept that success in promoting the positive imaging of the North West will depend, first and foremost, on the attitude of the people of the North West towards their own province as well as visible programmes to address a number of perception challenges.

As a province, we will continue to pursue a process that is inclusive of a broader group of stakeholders. We believe that this process will enrich the branding process and help define the desired positioning of the province. Of critical importance is to ensure that in positioning the province, there is recognition that the provinces of South Africa are not in competition with each other. Therefore, co-ordination and alignment becomes critical.

The provincial approach must eventually entail developing a brand strategy that presents a co-ordinated and united image for the entire province, ensuring that all tourism, trade, exports, investment and major events activities work together to project a coherent, consistent and mutually reinforcing message and image.

Let the hard work begin!

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
10 September 2007