media platforms.

Internal: Spur showed how they are For Love Of Water through an

internal communications campaign, they sent out e-teasers with

water facts and tips and invites internally to join the Spur corporate

eco-warriors for a presentation and screening of the movie, The

Story Of Bottled Water. Spur produced handouts with water

information, tips and facts and water bottles and put up the For

Love Of Water posters in their offices along side their water

coolers. Spur urged staff to take the promise to be For Love Of

Water.

Media: They included For Love Of Water communication in their

Totem and Free 4 All magazines.

message through the venue, collateral and member network.

Event: The Two Oceans Aquarium made the venue available for

two evening events during Water Week, one for the Dutch

Consulate and the NWP (Netherlands Water Partnership) and the

other for a FLOW social media event which they co-sponsored.

Collateral & Art: The Aquarium produced 500 FLOW postcards for

visitors to the Aquarium, on the evening of the FLOW social media

event the I&J Predator Exhibit was branded with the ingredient

messaging and the Aquarium stocked the FLOW endorsed Water

Bottles in their onsite restaurant, Shoreline Café. The FLOW icon

was also included in the 17 poems displayed on the exhibits in the

Aquarium.

Online: They included content and a link in the Aquarium

newsletter sent to 23,872 unique subscribers.

through two key channels.

Online: Facebook tips and competitions (36 040 impressions and

109 likes), Woolworths website  (Reach: 170 000 visits / 600 000

pages views), MTD newsletter (Reach: 2500 Schools),

Myschool/myplanet/littleworld tips.

In-store: plasma screens (Reach: 375 000 viewers per week),

water tips on reusable World Water Day Bags

of platforms.

Music: They co-sponsored the production of the For Love Of Water

Song performed at the UN World Water Day conference held at

the CTICC, broadcast during National Water Week on radio and

TV and used as part of 45-second sting in Ster Kinekor theatres

nationwide, played at the Movies For Love Of Water screening,

streamed on the FLOW website and sent out through social media

networks.

Event: Santam is one of the two primary sponsors of K-Day where

in alignment with their Eco-Centric journey Santam motivated to

make K-Day a bottle water free event by providing purified water

as an alternative. They also provided free drinking water via twelve

outdoor FLOW tower water stations to the 14 900 people

attending. They also integrated the FLOW icon into their

merchandise for the day.

Art: They based the theme for the annual Santam Childart

competition on ‘Save our planet, save our water’. They printed

30 000 application forms which were posted out to schools

nationwide. They also included FLOW information in the form

making reference to the movement and the website.

Media: Santam spoke about how they are For Love Of Water on

radio through SAFM and Heart FM and online through Facebook.

platforms.

Internal: The Clicks group activated the For Love Of Water

message internally to staff, they purchased 800 FLOW endorsed

water bottles to provide to staff and printed For Love Of Water

posters and banners which they displayed around the Clicks

Group building, they also promoted the drinking of tap water and

sent out internal communication via email to all the staff.

In-Store: Water tips and facts, interviews with members of

Greenhouse and the For Love Of Water Song were aired on the

Clicks in-store radio.

Pick n Pay made a considerable contribution by activating the For

Love Of Water messaging through various channels leading up to

and during National Water Week.

In-store: water tips and facts were shown on the in-store plasma

screens and they produced and sold 15 000 FLOW endorsed retail

shopper bags.

Exhibition: Pick n Pay designed and built an interactive For Love

Of Water exhibition stand displayed at the Pick n Pay Argus Cycle

Tour Expo at the Goodhope Centre (4 days, 77500 visitors). The

FLOW exhibition stand was erected at the United Nations World

Water Day conference exhibition held at the CTICC during Water

Week.

Outdoor: During the Cycle Tour (1 day, 35000 people) Pick n Pay

branded a City of Cape Town water tanker stationed in

Simonstown. Post the Tour they branded three City of Cape Town

water tankers utilizing the ‘We are For Love Of Water’ message

also helping to link national, provincial and local government

departments.

Event: One of the water tankers was visible at the FLOW Song

Media event (March 16) and at the Walk For Love Of Water event

(March 21st) held at the CTICC and the Cape Town Festival in the

City Company Gardens.

Video: Pick n Pay contributed to the production of a 45-second

sting screened at Ster Kinekor movie houses nationally during

National Water Week. Pick n Pay also scheduled a special slot for

FLOW on the Expresso show (SABC 3).

Online: Pick n Pay featured FLOW messaging on their website,

social media and in their monthly online staff publication (40 000

employees).

The FLOW Awareness Movement inspires individuals and organisations to start the conversation within their family within their communities by asking the question: How are you For Love Of Water? What do we do and how can we shift our behaviours on a day-to-day basis to preserve our water sources.

FLOW seeks to acknowledge and carry people on their collective journeys towards a realisation that we are all water

and in order to ensure that life continues as we know it then we must all indeed SOUTH AFRICA IS FOR LOVE OF WATER

Human beings are made up of over 70% water, and so is the planet. Water is systemic and involved in everything we do including; health care, food and agriculture production, power generation, construction, transport and product development.

There is a clear consensus that there will be a fresh water supply demand gap both globally and in South Africa. Recognition that this impacts us all is an opportunity to unify and engage in collective action that inspires lasting behaviour change that is respectful of water as a source of life, mindful of water usage and prioritises water preservation.

FLOW (For Love Of Water) is linking and mobilising individuals, communities, NGOs, governments, corporates, media and youth utilising a unified message in order to activate lasting behaviour change. Such behaviour change encompasses habits, actions, lifestyles, consumer buying choices and business operations that respect, use and conserve water, and a general consciousness of water as a source of life.

Stakeholders, partners and citizens are invited to use the FLOW message across their communication channels by asking the question: “are you For Love Of Water?” and the unifying message ‘we are For Love Of Water‘.

For the first time all three tiers of Government, the corporate sector, media, NGO’s and other organisations as well as youth and musicians are linking together For Love Of Water.

According to the recently released CSIR Perspective on Water in South Africa 2010, “The country’s freshwater resources will be fully depleted by 2030 and unable to meet the needs of people, industry and our neighbours if we continue to exploit our water resources by following a ‘business as usual’ approach.”

Coping with the coming era of water scarcity will require major overhaul of all forms of consumption, from individual use to the supply chains of major corporations.  We are therefore the cause of the crisis and also the solution.

According to GlobeScan (an international public and stakeholder opinion research firm) and Sustainability, (a think tank and business strategy consultancy) who conducted a survey poll on Water and listed the 19 best solutions to the global freshwater crisis. Sep 2010. The number one solution is “that the most critical task is making sure the problem is much better understood be, ‘For Love Of Water’.

One of the chief reasons for the establishment of World Ocean Day was to bring attention to the “terrible toll that human activities are taking on the world’s oceans and seas.”

The world’s ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and contains 97 percent of the planet’s water. It regulates our climate and weather. Nearly half of all species on Earth depend on the ocean for survival, and for many of the rest, including for people, the ocean improves the quality of life:  it supplies 20 percent of the animal protein and five percent of the total protein in our diet, and generates most of the oxygen we breathe.
The ocean is also indispensable to the world’s economy, because it is key to transportation and recreation.  And inasmuch as over 95 percent of the underwater realm remains unexplored, it is nearly a certainty that its depths may hold the cure to many a disease, the resolution to many a problem.

On June 8th, the international community observes, for only the second time, World Ocean Day.  It was first proposed on June 8th 1992 by Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and formally adopted by the United Nations in December 2008.  This year’s theme is “Our oceans: opportunities and challenges.”

One of the chief reasons for the establishment of World Ocean Day was to bring attention to the “terrible toll that human activities are taking on the world’s oceans and seas,” said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the Day’s first observance in 2009:

“Vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as corals, and important fisheries are being damaged by over-exploitation, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, destructive fishing practices, invasive alien species and marine pollution, especially from land-based sources. Increased sea temperatures, sea-level rise and ocean acidification caused by climate change pose a further threat to marine life, coastal and island communities and national economies,” said Secretary General Ban.

But the oceans are also affected by criminal activity such as piracy, smuggling of illegal drugs and trafficking in persons by sea.  Such activities threaten lives and the safety of international shipping, which transports 90 per cent of the world’s goods, said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

As the world’s attention is focused on the situation currently unfolding in our own Gulf of Mexico, World Ocean Day reminds us that the health and security of our oceans is our collective responsibility, one that we cannot afford to neglect.

Source : http://www.voanews.com/policy/editorials/World-Ocean-Day-95855934.html

The Clicks Group head office staff initiated an internal water awareness drive during National Water week to show how they are for love of water.

This included providing 800 stainless steel for love of water endorsed water bottles to all the staff member as well as providing email communication and putting up communication around the building that provided water facts and tips and ways in which individuals can make an impact on their personal water usage. The Water tips and facts, interviews about water and the For Love of Water song was also played on the Clicks in-store radio during National Water Week 2011.

Clicks Group is a health and beauty focused retail and supply group which has been listed on the JSE Limited since 1996. Through market-leading retail brands Clicks, Musica and The Body Shop, the group has over 575 stores across southern Africa. Clicks Group is a leader in the healthcare market where Clicks has the largest retail pharmacy chain with over 260 in-store dispensaries, including a direct-to-patient courier pharmacy service, while United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD) is South Africa’s leading full-range national pharmaceutical wholesaler.

The Clicks Group recognises that in order to contribute to the social and economic development of the country, it is necessary to invest time, financial and other resources in order to have the greatest possible impact. To this end, the Group will donate 1% NPAT for socio-economic development aligned to its policy.

The Group also recognises that, in order to positively influence the social and economic environment and have the desired impact on the communities, the need to create strategic and sustainable partnerships with government, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations and other relevant internal and external stakeholders is important.

A group of renowned musicians and artists – including Loyiso Bala and Freshlyground’s Zolani – have come together to collaborate on an anthemic and inspirational musical piece, called For Love Of Water, in recognition of National Water Week (21 to 27 March 2011).

Zolani Mahola. IMAGE: Clara Tilve

Justin Friedman – Director of environmental organisation Greenhouse – said that the initiative is about bringing the different sectors of society together to unify on an issue that affects everyone.

“The thing about water that I really respect is that it is a leveller – it doesn’t know who you are, what your status is, or where you come from. It affects us all equally, it’s involved in everything we need from health care to development to energy to transportation to product distribution, and then of course it’s the essence of who you really are,” he said.

“When I make a statement like my name is Justin Friedman and I am for love of water then what I’m really saying is I am for the love of myself, others and the planet, because we are made up of 70 percent water – and what a powerful idea that is if we had to integrate it into our day to day lives. How much care and respect we would have for each other and for ourselves and for the planet,” he added.

The artists all feel strongly about the cause and have put in their best efforts. The result is the song ‘For Love Of Water’, a beautiful and goosebump-inducing piece of music with impressive instrumentals, sweet harmonies, powerful solos, and superlative production.

Aron Turest-Swartz, formerly of Freshlyground, explained the origins: “About 10 years ago when we were starting Freshlyground we had a song called ‘Flow’ which Zolani and I used to perform together in the early days but never actually recorded it.

“Justin then approached me last year sometime about this project and we started to collaborate and work on this song, so we changed the lyrics and collaborated with new artists to create a new song, ‘For Love Of Water’.”

The song has recently been recorded with a line-up of South African and international artists. Dutch singer Stef Bos adds a rich sound with some Dutch lyrics while Mapumba provides a little French. Other artists include Michael Rennie (Mikanic), Neo Muyanga, Josie Field, Monique Helleberg, Samite from Uganda, and Yoav Sadan.

Hellenberg, best known for her vocals on Goldfish hits, said: “I think it’s just fantastic to be part of something like this, working towards something that is for all of us, something that benefits all of us. All we have to do is make music to play a part in helping.”

The artists come from varying musical backgrounds and heritages, and the collaborative effort is about making people aware that we all have to work together if we are to make a difference to end the water crisis.

Stef Bos said: “I come from Holland and our country was born out of water so it means a lot to me. We need to take of ourselves and our planet and the future of our children”.

Loyiso brought the message home: “About two weeks ago a pipe burst in my area, and we didn’t have water for five days and during that time I realised that it’s not easy living without water. Water is not only a commodity in terms of drinking, it’s also a cleanser and we need water to cleanse, and there are people who actually have to walk long distances to try and get clean water and this is about respecting water.”

Zolani said simply: “It’s for the love of water.”

Loyiso Bala and Zolani Mahola. IMAGE: Clara Tilve

* The song ‘ For Love Of Water’ will be available for download on the For Love Of Water website and Facebook group.

Source: www.iafrica.com