The IziCwe Code @ Risk Management Summit: Internal Branding Strategies from Emperor Shaka

Dr Nikolaus Eberl and Herman Schoonbee introduced a uniquely South African Internal Branding Model, called The IziCwe Code, at the Risk Management Summit, held in Johannesburg.

“Companies are becoming painfully aware that sending the right message to their employees is just as important as making a good impression with customers, vendors and investors” (The Wall Street Journal). Internal Branding, aligning employee commitment with the brand promise of the organisation, has become central to brand leadership.

Dr Nikolaus Eberl and Herman Schoonbee, authors of “Internal Branding: The IziCwe Code”, introduced a uniquely South African Brand Leadership Model, called The IziCwe Code, at the Risk Management Summit, held at The Hyatt, Johannesburg.

Based on twelve years of global research, The IziCwe Code is about internal branding strategies from Emperor Shaka, aimed at engaging the emotional drivers of employee commitment (coined EmotiVators™ by Dr Nikolaus) and building total commitment to delivering the brand promise.

Dr Nikolaus Eberl contextualized the summit discussions by introducing The IziCwe Code of Brand Leadership, so-called after the Regiment of Royal Guards of Emperor Shaka. He translated the battle tactics of the Zulu King of ancient times into modern day techniques of leveraging business brands, most notably of which is the categorization of employee commitment to the organization. These are total commitment, active compliance, reluctant compliance, apathy, and terminal apathy. The core elements of the Code are what he called the Seven Secrets of IziCwe - Reaching for the Throne; Sharpening your Spear; Reinventing the Battle; Dressing to Kill; Busting the Terror; Embracing your Enemy; and Sharing the Spoils. The use of traditional battle video pictures to capture his point made Eberl’s presentation both unique and exotic, inputting the African touch to the discourse on leadership at the summit.

Dr Nikolaus and co-author Herman Schoonbee published “Internal Branding: The IziCwe Code” (Academy Press 2005, foreword by Reuel Khoza), which was recently critically reviewed by President Thabo Mbeki in his Letter from the President; using “the analytical tools contained in The IziCwe Code”, the President issued the challenge to government leaders to “generate the kind of commitment that will ensure that …our government at all levels … can be trusted to honour the brand promise!”

Dr Nikolaus' latest book is called "BrandOvation™ – How Germany won the World Cup of Internal Branding" (contributors Herman Schoonbee and Timothy Webster). An in-depth analysis of how Juergen Klinsmann built a winning team from scratch within less than two years and how Germany re-invented the world’s biggest sporting event into a nationbuilding success story, by activating BrandOvation™ and turning spectators into brand ambassadors.