Activity 1. C)

Personal manifesto

I have found that three specific companies have made use of certain calls to action that resonate with my values, which are the support of local businesses, environmental awareness, sustainability, and being competent of the ripple effect. I say the ripple effect, as it pertains to how for example the Penguin Random House Publishers keep in mind that local manuscripts have value to locals themselves. I appreciate the conscience of this as it reciprocates my personal goal of supporting South Africa’s economy, but also the encouraging factor of validating South African writers. In my opinion, a manifesto is successful by reaching an audience on more than just an informational basis. A company is more striking when it has an assertive tone, with support in a visual. I find that a company/brand can cover many of its goals by asserting itself in the media in a way that is bold, relatable, but humble.

As Cumberland very succinctly puts, the ways to write your manifesto are quite minimalist. One must answer basic questions such as, “What am I trying to broadcast? Who do I want to become? What legacy do I want to leave behind?” in lesser words. He encourages very emotive language and using persuasive words as a way to determine your stance for whomever reading/using the manifesto. Cumberland’s tips on the length of a manifesto is that it should be “long enough and no longer”Cumberland, 2020).

For example, a striking brand like Levi Strauss has prided itself in its ingenuity in the fashion world. This is achieved by their campaigns that highlight their values.

In more ways than one, does Levi Strauss as a brand actually encompass ingenuity. The boldness and broad style of the clothing is a symbol of timelessness. I cannot think of one person that I know that is not familiar with Levis jeans. By delving into their brand website, I found their call to action to be hidden amongst their contributions to current events. This is still effective, because it caused me to investigate their products even further. Their manifesto can be seen on the following:

I have found more brands that have wonderfully eloquent, innovative ways of communicating their goals, and how to achieve them. They are also local, unlike Levi Strauss. One brand that I can personally vouch for success is Healing Earth. We have seen their dark, plastic-packaged products in multiple stores in Cape Town. Recently, they have changed their public appeal with an initiative to become even more environmentally-friendly. My mother received a package from their company in regards to a PR proposition, where the products are now packaged in glass and can be refilled on request. This has led to the company launching an online selection from their website.

Bibliography

• Bergh, C., 2020, Levi Strauss & Co., viewed on 19 March 2020, <https://www.levistrauss.com/who-we-are/company/>.

• Brand, E., 2020, Healing Earth, published by Turati, viewed on 13 April 2020, <http://www.healingearth.co.za/>.

• Cumberland, D., 2020, Write your Manifesto(here’s how), published by The Meaning Movement LLC, viewed on 20 March 2020, <https://themeaningmovement.com/write-your-manifesto/>.

• N/A, 2020, Penguin Random Hoouse South Africa, published by Penguin Random House South Africa, viewed on 12 April 2020, <https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za/>.