Did Red Bull over step the line?

(Clip from Red Bull Advert - Source: www.zalebs.howzit.msn.com)

A lot of comments, blogs, tweets and articles were written in the last week about Red Bull's Jesus advert -  if you type in   the words "Red Bull + Jesus advert" in Google search you will get 4,180 000 results!

The question for most people was, why would Red Bull use  religion to sell their product? In a country where the last census (2001) indicated that 79.1 percent of the country is Christian. Furthermore, 36 percent are Christians belonging to African indigenous churches - you are bound to offend somebody.

And let's be honest, Red Bull cartoons have always looked at well known themes with a twinkle in the eye, it is surely not their intention to offend anybody. So the question  remains - why did Red Bull go with the Jesus advert in a Christian faith dominant country? Did they analyse their stakeholders? Maybe the Communication team did have a close look at 'who' their audiences are and new that if they give them something controversial to look at, that we will be talking, laughing, debating  over the advert long after the advert has been removed...

Red Bull Princes and the Frog (Source:www.redbull.com)

Viral PR - what are we waiting for?

(Source: www.imagebank.com)

I've read an interesting article this weekend in the Mail & Guarding (March 16 to 22 2012, p 30): Viral sensation an effective antidote to social fatigue. The journalist explored the question of social media and asked the question what value, if any at all, does it add to our society? 

The article explored the value of viral sensation and the use of social media in non-govermental organisations (NGOs) and makes the reference to the Kony 2012 campaign. A USA organisation - Invisible Children - brought the attention to the long-standing Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, whose atrocities include using child soldiers.

Looking at the documentary, if you agree or not, played an important PR role - we have watched it and we have been talking about the issues the video raised and we have shared it. The viral campaign gave voice to the voiceless and got the message across. There are in today's communication environment place for viral PR!

Gender issues - are we making a difference?

I was taken back this week by a comment made by one of my first year students during a class discussion, "men can not be raped..". Needless to say, the discussion in class was heated. But this made me think of how much more we need to do to educate our society about such a sensitive issue. And how can we cross the cultural barriers?

I've looked at the "Slut Walk" campaign, which is an ant-rape campaign and the title has caught the attention of the world. However, what amazed me, was that even in a world recognised campaign there was no mention begin made to male victims and the campaign builds on an old perception that "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised". 

We need a campaign that educates across the board because statistics in South Africa give us a very different pictures of rape victims. A study done in 2008 uncovered endemic sexual abuse of male children that was suspected, but poorly documented according to Neil Andersson and Ari Ho-Foster of the Centre for Tropical Disease Research in Johannesburg. The study highlighted:

• The survey carried out in 1 200 schools across the country asked 127 000 boys aged between 10 and 19 if they had ever been sexually abused and, if so, by whom.
• Forty-four percent of the 18-year-olds said they had been forced to have sex in their lives and half reported consensual sex.
• About a third said they had been abused by males, 41 percent by females and 27 percent said they had been raped by both males and females.

So maybe this year when it is time for the "Slut Walk" again, we will take the time to give voice to the opposite sex - rape does not happen only to females!

(Image: www.rapevictims.org.za)

Government getting social media communication going

Old President Nelson Mandela's (93) health scares this weekend send Twitter into overdrive. South African officials made savvier use of social media to keep the world informed on the global icon's latest medical condition.ttp://twitter.com/#!/sapresident

"It's a sign of a modern government embracing a modern era. The government has been more organised this time, and their social media activities are an example of that," said Matthew Buckland, publisher of South African technology trend site Memeburn.

"By the presidency breaking the news themselves and releasing the statement on Twitter, people followed by retweeting the presidency's statement and referring back to this as the original source of the news," he said.

What I find interesting, and relevant, is the mental exercise – thinking back four to five years, before Facebook, Twitter and social media and we will realise how those mediums have, and continue, to radically change the relationship between government and citizens.

When we consider how the government treated Mandela’s hospitalised last year for a respiratory infection, a virtual news blackout sparked panic in a public relations blunder for those handling the legacy of one of the world's best-known people.(http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Nelson-Mandela-Security-stepped-up-at-hospital-20110126)

We can this time around argue that the presidency took control, announcing his admission and giving an update, it is about realizing that your voters might just be a step ahead!

Parents can face jail time

The Gauteng Province, Johannesburg South Africa, has re-written its education laws, according to The Star newspaper (10 January 2012) "if a parent of any pupil who is subject to compulsory school attendance fails without reasonable cause, and after a written warning by the head of department - he or she shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a minimum of three months.." I guess the question that one can ask - is how do we define "without reasonable cause"?

1 December traditionally know as "World Aids Day"

We all know that 1 December is synonym with "World Aids Day," anyway in South Africa - but I've looked at the front pages of the newspapers this morning and I've notice that very few papers have actually run with it as a lead story. Does this mean that we have reached a saturation point on info regarding HIV/Aids? That it is no more longer newsworthy? What ever the reason, the Star ran with the Nando's and Mugabe ad this morning on their front page and it is worthwhile a look:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOcMUwZk8Gg

Black Tuesday: SA media under threat

There is a fine line between public interest and privacy. Today 29 November 2011, is the second BLACK TUESDAY in South Africa. All media in South African are rallying for FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION to be respected, it is at the end of the day in the publics interest to have the right to know. More and more, the ANC government is being position as trying to gag the media on reporting on their ongoing failure to deal with corruption and empty political promises. They are also been seen as trying to control that fine line between public interest and privacy.

Another issue today is the '16 Day's of of Activism Against Gender Based Violence' - go have a look at this clip:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6dq9LbK0Dc