One More Question

Judge Edwin Cameron: South Africa's Constitutional Court – actually using values to build a brand

Episode Summary

In Episode #47, Ross is joined by Judge Edwin Cameron, retired Judge of South Africa’s Constitutional Court and a crucial member of the court's progressive wing. Cameron is well known for his HIV/AIDS and gay-rights activism and was hailed by Nelson Mandela as "one of South Africa's new heroes". Before serving in the Constitutional Court, Judge Cameron served in the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Court. During apartheid he was a human rights lawyer and later helped attain the historic inclusion of sexual orientation in South Africa's Constitution. After stepping down as a judge, he was elected Chancellor of Stellenbosch University and appointed Judicial Inspector of Correctional Services by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ross and Judge Cameron chat about what we can learn about branding from South Africa’s Constitutional Court, how companies can define and stay true to their values, and how to use values to build your brand.

Episode Notes

Highlights from the conversation

Any public institution has a brand and is a brand
The Constitution has a lavish and generous set of values...but it comes down to the promise of human dignity
It doesn't matter if you've got this amazing message and amazing marketing collateral – if you don't actually do the thing that you said you would do, it all fails
One shouldn't over mythologize the element of public participation
It doesn't matter about its provenance, the fact is that it was an evocative and moving charter on the part of those struggling against Apartheid
The question is what was produced? Whether it's a flag, a set of values, did it have resonant integrity?

More about Judge Cameron

Edwin Cameron retired in August 2019, after 25 years’ service as a judge, the last eleven in South Africa's highest court, the Constitutional Court. Before that, he served in the Supreme Court of Appeal for eight years, and the High Court for six. He was educated at Pretoria Boys' High, Stellenbosch and as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. During apartheid he was a human rights lawyer. He has fought for LGBTI equality, and helped attain the historic inclusion of sexual orientation in South Africa's Constitution. As someone living with HIV, he was a fierce critic of President Mbeki's AIDS denialist policies. His two prize-winning memoirs, Witness to AIDS (2005) and Justice: A Personal Account (2014), have been translated into German, Korean and Chinese. He holds honorary degrees from six universities. After stepping down as a judge, he was elected Chancellor of Stellenbosch University and appointed Judicial Inspector of Correctional Services.

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One More Question is a podcast by Nicework, a purpose-driven company helping people who want to make a dent in the world by building brands people give a shit about.

One of the things we do best is ask our clients the right questions. This podcast came about because we want to share some of the best answers we have heard over the last 13 years. We talk to significant creators, experts and communicators we encounter and share useful insights, inspiration, and facts that make us stop and take note as we go about our work.

Hosted by our founder Ross Drakes.

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