Business

HOLDING OUR HEADS UP HIGH

Katja Hamilton

There’s no more exciting time to be South African than right now as we stand on the precipice of the kickoff to the 2010 World Cup – a day that’ll long remain etched in our memories, many years from now.

So why not do your bit to show your national pride? 

“We encourage every person to go out there and openly demonstrate their support for South Africa as hosts of the World Cup, to give Bafana Bafana their full support and to focus on the positives and on how far we’ve come to realise this goal,” says Feroza Petersen, marketing manager of Laser, SA’s leading provider of logistics services locally and internationally. “We want everyone to feel a part of this historical event, to make the most of this opportunity because it’s more than likely that we will never experience this again in our lifetimes.”

This message comes in the wake of Laser’s launch of the ‘Proud Supporters’ campaign in November 2008 that has seen the activation of a series of countrywide activities supporting the 2010 World Cup, some of which include Football Friday, Fly the Flag day, Mad Makaraba Month, Let’s get Loud and Proud and several others. 

Laser also signed on as a proud sponsor of Let’s Play a Million - a joint initiative with Unicef and the Department of Education’s Sport for Development programme – that promotes and encourages regular exercise for children. Laser’s donation saw 10 000 soccer balls being donated to underprivileged communities. The Group continues to host soccer-related social responsibility programmes, with an emphasis on the country’s youth, at schools such as Manenberg Primary, Liwa Primary and St Mary’s Primary schools in Langa.

While many corporates have been hit hard by the recession, with budgets limiting expenditure on large 2010 World Cup marketing campaigns, Petersen says this needn’t hamper celebrations.

Simple is often best.

This was demonstrated early this month when 2300 Laser staff each received their own South African flag and celebrated the 100-day countdown to the World Cup at the Group’s national warehouses, distribution centres, trucks and facilities while staff played soccer games at the Kuilsriver, Isando and Riverhorse Valley depots during a special two-hour break.

Central to all the activities was a “Fly the SA Flag” pamphlet that was circulated featuring interesting facts and figures on the history and heritage of the flag, and rules on how it should be displayed. It includes a 2010 World Cup soccer schedule and the words to the national anthem.

The results were phenomenal.

“The event not only got everyone’s spirits firing on all cylinders, but also boosted staff morale and teamwork. The initiative also surprisingly raised the staff’s awareness of Laser’s operating entities DPD Laser, Dawn Wing, Time Freight, Laser Logistics and GAC Laser. It’s amazing how football can unite people,” said Petersen.

In the light of these benefits, Laser is challenging other corporates who are not already on the World Cup bandwagon to consider running similar projects in the run-up to the tournament, and to take part in Football Friday, an initiative they’ve been involved in since late last year.

Launched by Sun International, the campaign’s  aim is that every Friday, until the start of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, companies encourage their staff to come to work wearing Bafana Bafana World Cup shirts and to fly a South African flag.

“If we can influence 2 300 people to take part in Football Friday, and they influence another group to do the same, the country will be filled with enthusiasm by the time the World Cup comes round,” said Petersen.

“This is our best ever opportunity not only to promote our country, but also our best ever opportunity to prove to the world that the dream of the rainbow nation is a reality and that diversity of culture should be embraced,” said Philip Hayes, CEO of Laser. “Most importantly, it is our opportunity to display our world-class capability, skill and ability to deliver.”