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New offering set to change lives...

The era of democracy and social change which our country is undergoing brings with it challenges and opportunities that require a new and innovative strategic insight and a marketing approach which goes way beyond traditional advertising.
From left to right: Neil van der Weele – Group CEO Draftfcb South Africa; Pat Govender – Managing Director – Draftfcb Social Marketing; Selomane Maitisa – Group Managing Director – Draftfcb South Africa; Nkwenkwe Nkomo – Chairman – Draftfcb South Africa; Mariaan van Kaam – Programme Director – Draftfcb Social Marketing; Marian Sparg – Strategic Director – Draftfcb Social Marketing.
From left to right: Neil van der Weele – Group CEO Draftfcb South Africa; Pat Govender – Managing Director – Draftfcb Social Marketing; Selomane Maitisa – Group Managing Director – Draftfcb South Africa; Nkwenkwe Nkomo – Chairman – Draftfcb South Africa; Mariaan van Kaam – Programme Director – Draftfcb Social Marketing; Marian Sparg – Strategic Director – Draftfcb Social Marketing.

It is an era that requires a real and deep-seated change in behaviour within society, in order to deal with issues such as HIV/Aids, crime, civic morality, global warming, environmental sustainability, recycling, reduced use of electricity, healthy life-styles, and many more. But changing behaviour requires a different approach... hence the birth of our new division - Draftfcb Social Marketing.

Draftfcb South Africa launches its new offering, Draftfcb Social Marketing, on Thursday, 15 November 2007 - thus becoming the first advertising agency in our country to recognise the potential this unique offering provides to South Africa and the African continent.

With this new offering for a new era, Draftfcb Social Marketing is set to aggressively drive behaviour change campaigns today and in the future, working with clients, partners, stakeholders, business, government and the broader community to change lives and to shape and preserve a better life for all in South Africa.

Social Marketing applies commercial and innovative marketing technologies in behaviour-change programmes with the aim of influencing the voluntary behaviour of target audiences for the greater good of the individual and society.

Typical examples of social marketing applied in practice in the South African context are the Constitutional Assembly's Public Participation Programme, government's “Working for Water” campaign, HIV/Aids prevention campaigns and the SARS campaign to build a tax compliant culture in SA.

The focal point is changing behaviour and attitudes and not simply selling a product or service, conducting a public relations exercise or just purely building a brand – though these may be components or objectives of the social marketing mix.

It's the difference between persuading someone to buy a Ferrari and encouraging them to always drive it within the speed limit! (G Hastings, 2007)

In social marketing, we are usually trying to persuade people to stop a behaviour they enjoy and/or prevent them from taking up a behaviour that appears very attractive (e.g. smoking or risky sexual behaviour).

It serves the interests of government, parastatals, non-governmental organisations and business who recognise that they are part of a national partnership to build a better life for all.

The launch of Draftfcb Social Marketing, sees the Draftfcb South Africa group rising to the challenge posed to the advertising and marketing industry in the Presidency's Macro-social Report published in 2005. In this document, the Presidency outlines the challenge we face in our country in our struggle to build a compassionate and caring society. These values, it continues, are in conflict with the dominant philosophy of the law of jungle which forms the basis of most market economies and the struggle for survival. It goes on to make a direct call to the creative industry to ensure that the critical role we play in moulding social behaviour is harnessed to promote the values of the new order sphere.

As Draftfcb Social Marketing we are proud to take up this challenge to ensure that the work we do promotes social cohesion and the values of a caring society in the most creative and innovative manner possible.

Led by Pat Govender, MD, Draftfcb Social Marketing has been joined by Marion Sparg (Strategic Director) and Mariaan van Kaam (Programme Director). The addition of Marion and Mariaan has secured very strong strategy, behaviour-change, cause marketing and project management capabilities and expertise for Draftfcb Social Marketing, and the Draftfcb group as a whole in South Africa.

All indications for growth and development in this new niche area of social marketing are looking extremely positive.

For additional information on Draftfcb Social Marketing, refer contact details in release header, view the brochure provided, or visit www.draftfcb.co.za/socialmarketing.

21 Nov 2007 13:26

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