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| A picture of a brand. Source |
In the public relations profession image and brand management is the most important elements to have a successful and recognised organisation. “Image and brand management is the strategic and tactical tasks involved in the management of positive, personal and continuing communication between an organisation and its target audience overtime; recognising this should be complementary of customer/audience relationship management” (Pickton and Broderick 2005:9)
It is in the power of an organisation to keep its target audience happy and satisfied at all times but, it becomes a problem if the issue raised by the target audiences are not carefully monitored and taken into account. This is one of the problems that are facing the African National Congress at the moment whether they just ignore the issue or not.
My question is where to from here? How is the ruling party going to solve this problem for their brand name is sinking in the water?! One of the issues relating what most of the people have detected is of the ANCYL and of cause the expelled Julius Malema. Why were the problems of the public not issued from the very on-set so as to make the ANC unit to seem a little more connected? What kind of an organisation is ANC if they are not delivering the same and connected messages to the public? From a public relations philosophy if a system is not well connected together then it so means that internally there something wrong going on. A system should always stand together in order to produce a system that is integrated. Lack of integration in a system can be caused by a lot of things such as conflict, lack of environmental scanning, and less communication, etc.
What does it mean for a person in an organisation to always want to win and not listen to other people’s concerns? It is said and we all know that Julius Malema was found guilty for putting the party at disrepute and for not respecting the ANC’s constitution (READ MORE). When an organisation does not adhere to their stakeholders concerns then they will obviously turn away from the company so as their concerns can be clearly listened to. Brand management and sustainability is done through identifying your brand, building your brand, promoting your brand and lastly being and living your brand because people are not only concerned about the products or services an organisation renders but the brand itself.
From my observation the African National Congress should start rethinking about how to sustain and maintain their brand by thoroughly researching their target audience, scanning their environment because change is taking place within the 21st century, they need to adapt from the olden days of doing things to the change that is taking place in South Africa. I think they should listen to the people more often and give them what they want for it will help them survive in this very competitive industry of politics…oh well the ball is in their court to be there for this nation.
the anc have not taken into account that the is the new media which can bring them down wi9th social media tjhey are not taking care of thier brand and thier image
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that is keeping them whre they are noew is that people are still loyal to the ANC.
DeleteDoes ANC give a damn about generating two-way symmetric communication with the public? well I think their emphasis is to just get out their messages out there without taking into account people's frustration about them as a brand. they are too traditional and that sucks because that create bad perceptions about them in the eye of the public
ReplyDeleteYes I hear you and that is what the blog is trying to emphasise that the ANC needs to change their ways of dpoingh things because we are living in a ever changing world which requires one to adapt to it. So clearly the ANC does not care about people's concerns.
DeleteThe ANC will never be able to restore their damaged name until they deliver the goods they promised people such as service delivary. People are fed up of the ANC
ReplyDeleteYes until they understand that they are what they are because of the people then they will start listening to our concerns as the citizens of South Africa. They do not understand what working for the people means, they only know that when its time for the VOTES.
DeleteThats one thing ANC wont do Lorraine,they have failed to do that long time ago,so why will they change now?
ReplyDeleteI believe if they had a vision then they were to be ablre to do that. What is left of us is to fight for our rights strongly so.
Deletethat is because the ANC is focused on what other parties are saying about them and not focusing on the their service delivaries
ReplyDeleteIt is so true and thats what politics people do hey, they doing it for the money...they will promise you all sorts of things but they never keep their promises and thats what we all lack of credibility in public relations.
DeleteI think that is time for change because the is no communication between the ANC aand the public we are really fed up with the ANC and its empty promises.
ReplyDeleteYes totally communication is lacking within the whole organisation and I really think they should now integrate their communication forces and they are not generating united messages, you find that one person is saying this and then the other is saying that. They don't know how to stand together as a system to say that we are one and we are all about change and we are all about the people of South Africa.
DeleteMy concern though about ANC is that people are forever complaining about but come election time they vote for the very same people.
ReplyDeleteYeah you have raised a very good point because what you are saying is so true. I mean people have been complaining about service delivery and the ANC in particular but no change is being done and you know the same people are still voting for the same party...well that is so amazing. But on the other hand I think its because the people of South Africa have too much faith on the ANC and South Africa is one of the most forgiving countries I have realised, so maybe its because they so much believe that the ANC can or will change.
DeleteAS A PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONER IT IS IMPORTANT AS A ORG TO HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION TOWARDS YOUR TARGETED PUBLICS AS THAT WILL BRING POSITIVE OUT COMES IN THE LONG RUN. THANX FOR THE INFO AS A PRP MUCH NEEDED AND APRICIATED
ReplyDeleteI mean thats what we studying in public relations that we should always keep a positive image of our organisations at all times and that is what PR is there for.
Deletein my own views i think the Anc leaders do not care about its people but only for their own benefits,most of them like julius Malema got here in order to get their riches and uses us as their stepping stones to their successes while we are suffering.
ReplyDeleteSo much very hey, one guy in a Public relations class once said that the ANC is using reverse psychology and I really turn to believe. Their propaganda is just to much and most of us turn to fall for it. They only care about taking their children to the most expensive schools and not deliver on what they promised the people.
DeleteLets face the facts the ANC has power and you right people are still loyal to the ANC no matter how much bad publicity they receive it wont take them down at this time, it will take time and i dont think ANC PRP's are doing any good how could the organisation be in such a deep bad image.
ReplyDeletePrecisely so hey, it has so much power and it will take time to change that fact...but the longer you take to fix a problem the worst its going to get. I even doubt that it has a public relations department for if it had one the ANC would not be the way it is today.
Deleteya neh,i dont wanna say that the anc is perfect and is delivering to everyone,all your points and views are significantly accurate,but good people i think that we are being biased wen it comes to our ruling party,we never seem to see the good it does all we seem to do is focus on da negative.south africa has 7billion people if not more than that ,and they have to tackle about 6 pandemic issues facing the country and thats only from prioritising them,and for each person,all 7 billion of them they have to see to it that each pandemic is atlist tackled,m sure you would apreciate that our country is rapidly changing and through these 18 years i can say the change is phenomenal and instead of always critising we shud stop whining and help and also participate,lets stop being part of the problem and be part of da solution.the subject of y pple vote for da anc is dat they know frm da back of their minds dat its trying their best mara a human being will always find summing to complain about.peace
ReplyDeleteWow a very good and valid pont you have raised...i like it but I don't think that the ANC has done much to provide for the people of this country. Do you think that the ANC has given us something positive to talk about? And from a communications point of view how have they framed their messages so that we can be able to understand that we need to do things for ourselves? The ruling party on its own is not uniting the nation but it is deteriorating the whole country because they are not one as an organisation, they up against each other. A leader is there to lead by example but the ANC is not doing that, yes I know that they have done things for this country but they have not done much for us to say yes we can. Its all about politics to them.
ReplyDeleteI think ANC is using emotional blaclmail to what seems to be the majority of the country which is black people. It sustains it's brand by putting an emphasis that it made South Africa to be a democratic country.
ReplyDeleteYes it precisely the point but for how long are they going to be doing what they doing to this country? The only problem is that we still voting for the same people so that gets me worried.
Deletei really think that ANC has to do damage control. this organisation is viewed ans not united in the public eye which may result in people loosing credibility for the organisation because they rea all sending different messages to the public
ReplyDeleteExactly hey, it really seems like a lot of work which really will need a really good phenomenal change that will us best as the Republic of South Africa, but from a communications point of view they have lost a sense of credibility, no content in their messages that we all be able to understand.
DeleteYou are very on point, it is safe to say the DA are on the ANC's heels; the DA are trying so hard to shift from the perception of being labelled a white party to a party for all, take for instance that picture of a white male and black lady embracing. Her's the link to the picture: http://www.sodahead.com/living/interracial-poster-sparks-controversy-in-south-africa/question-2422437/
ReplyDeleteYes I could say that the Da is on the heels of ANC I mean they are so much trying to push it away and the ANC doesn't be on very good look-out, the ANC is definately going to lose out the DA. DA is doing what the ANC cannot do and thats listening to the people and people like being listened to...so in the next 10 to 15 years we could see the DA being the ruling party for this country. They really doing a very good job in the Western Cape province.
ReplyDeleteFor me i think majority of ANC members especially those who are in the top positions are the dictators because they dont care regarding the issues they have on the party.They care about themselves than talking care of the public demands.
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