The changing face of legacy brands in South Africa
22nd June 2020
In the last few weeks I have been talking to some of my friends about their experiences of growing up as men/women of colour in South Africa. My aim is to gain a better and more personal understanding of their lived experience, specifically to do with race, so that I am better able to identify, acknowledge and challenge my own relative position of privilege as a white South African. A number of complex and interesting themes have emerged during these conversations, one of which is particularly relevant to institutional brands in South Africa.
In each of the conversations where a person’s experience of a ‘Model C’ school has been described, I have been struck by the fact that a notable dilemma exists for a number of branded institutions in this country, specifically those whose brand is based on the past values, ideals and successes.
I attended a school that prided itself in its then-100-year old history and academic reputation. Tradition and legacy were central features in the school’s brand narrative, echoed subtly, for example, in references to “the old Cape Governor’s garden” and “Liesbeeck’s winding creek” in the school song. The formal school uniform was largely unchanged since the school’s inception and the school’s approach, rules and procedures were testament to its colonial roots. The school had a reputation for moulding diligent young women committed to academic excellence and professional achievement beyond the classroom, but done so in a manner that was consistent with societal expectations of what promising young suburban ladies ought to be: honourable; composed; conventional; abiding.
The challenge facing an institution like this is that the 100+ year past that made the school as renowned as it was/is, is also a past inextricably linked to colonialism, socio-economic advantage and white (specifically English) privilege. The very narrative of the school resists meaningful transformation. What are quaint, elitist and pride-inducing brand associations to one, are exclusive, exclusionary and ostracizing to another. For the school to remain relevant both as an acclaimed academic institution and community-serving brand, the narrative of the brand needs to shift from focusing on the historical source and value of legacy to repositioning legacy as something that is built into the future.
This got me thinking about a communications’ company I worked for, whose reputation was built on the values, ideals and successes of its founder. The narrative of David Ogilvy might be relevant and meaningful to some, but to others, particularly in South Africa, it is representative of a time where equal employment opportunities were the past-time of wild and dangerous imaginations! This observation was reinforced succinctly in the lift one day when I overheard one colleague of colour ask another what she planned to wear to the agency’s Mad Men themed party. The dry reply was, “I don’t know. I guess back then we would have been the cleaners.”
Upholding a strong brand legacy without completely reinventing the brand is not easy in a contemporary South African context, but it does not mean that it is impossible. It also might not be convenient, but it is undeniably necessary. One answer lies in brand values.
A company like Ogilvy has successfully managed to highlight relevant and enduring characteristics and values of its founder and translate these into contemporary, acknowledging and inclusive guiding principles. The next step is to ensure that every decision, from the diversity and open-mindedness of its workforce to the ideas presented by its entertainment committee, reflect these principles. My old school should reflect on and de-emphasise its rather one-sided concrete history and focus on its more inclusive and enduring values. Ideas of excellence, achievement and honour can be re-framed to have both present and future relevance as determined by the school’s primary target market and ‘products’ – its students. Subsequently, these values should be translated into actionable behaviours for all active school stakeholders.
In South Africa, the concept of legacy can be problematic when it is connected to the past, specifically a past that deliberately excluded certain people. It is time for traditional institutional brands to acknowledge this, reflect on their legacies and start to re-frame their narratives in more inclusive future-focused terms.
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In the last few weeks I have been talking to some of my friends about their experiences of growing up as men/women of colour in South Africa. My aim is to gain a better and more personal understanding of their lived experience, specifically to do with race, so that I am better able to identify, acknowledge and challenge my own relative position of privilege as a white South African. A number of complex and interesting themes have emerged during these conversations, one of which is particularly relevant to institutional brands in South Africa.
In each of the conversations where a person’s experience of a ‘Model C’ school has been described, I have been struck by the fact that a notable dilemma exists for a number of branded institutions in this country, specifically those whose brand is based on the past values, ideals and successes.
I attended a school that prided itself in its then-100-year old history and academic reputation. Tradition and legacy were central features in the school’s brand narrative, echoed subtly, for example, in references to “the old Cape Governor’s garden” and “Liesbeeck’s winding creek” in the school song. The formal school uniform was largely unchanged since the school’s inception and the school’s approach, rules and procedures were testament to its colonial roots. The school had a reputation for moulding diligent young women committed to academic excellence and professional achievement beyond the classroom, but done so in a manner that was consistent with societal expectations of what promising young suburban ladies ought to be: honourable; composed; conventional; abiding.
The challenge facing an institution like this is that the 100+ year past that made the school as renowned as it was/is, is also a past inextricably linked to colonialism, socio-economic advantage and white (specifically English) privilege. The very narrative of the school resists meaningful transformation. What are quaint, elitist and pride-inducing brand associations to one, are exclusive, exclusionary and ostracizing to another. For the school to remain relevant both as an acclaimed academic institution and community-serving brand, the narrative of the brand needs to shift from focusing on the historical source and value of legacy to repositioning legacy as something that is built into the future.
This got me thinking about a communications’ company I worked for, whose reputation was built on the values, ideals and successes of its founder. The narrative of David Ogilvy might be relevant and meaningful to some, but to others, particularly in South Africa, it is representative of a time where equal employment opportunities were the past-time of wild and dangerous imaginations! This observation was reinforced succinctly in the lift one day when I overheard one colleague of colour ask another what she planned to wear to the agency’s Mad Men themed party. The dry reply was, “I don’t know. I guess back then we would have been the cleaners.”
Upholding a strong brand legacy without completely reinventing the brand is not easy in a contemporary South African context, but it does not mean that it is impossible. It also might not be convenient, but it is undeniably necessary. One answer lies in brand values.
A company like Ogilvy has successfully managed to highlight relevant and enduring characteristics and values of its founder and translate these into contemporary, acknowledging and inclusive guiding principles. The next step is to ensure that every decision, from the diversity and open-mindedness of its workforce to the ideas presented by its entertainment committee, reflect these principles. My old school should reflect on and de-emphasise its rather one-sided concrete history and focus on its more inclusive and enduring values. Ideas of excellence, achievement and honour can be re-framed to have both present and future relevance as determined by the school’s primary target market and ‘products’ – its students. Subsequently, these values should be translated into actionable behaviours for all active school stakeholders.
In South Africa, the concept of legacy can be problematic when it is connected to the past, specifically a past that deliberately excluded certain people. It is time for traditional institutional brands to acknowledge this, reflect on their legacies and start to re-frame their narratives in more inclusive future-focused terms.