AfriForum Youth’s Puk branch dissatisfied with new trademark
AfriForum Youth’s Puk branch expressed its discontent with regards to the decision of the council of the North-West University (NWU) to change the emblem of all three campuses of the university to a unitary purple colour. The word “Pukke” will also no longer form part of the trademark of the Potchefstroom campus. This follows after a trademark consultation process during which the NWU council decided on this new corporate identity.
The council initially wanted to change the trademark unilaterally, but after great discontent among students and alumni, a decision was made to allow the interested parties to vote for one of three possible trademarks. The university council admitted that the purple trademark was the second choice in terms of the consultation process. According to the student council, the vast majority of the 11 000 participants selected the trademark containing green, blue and maroon.
“However, the council disregarded this voting process and still went ahead and selected purple. It creates a break in confidentiality between students and alumni, and the university council. We today directed a letter to the council to find out, amongst others, if the consultation process was simply a smokescreen to reassure the interested parties. It is a matter which directly affects students and alumni. Why did they ask our opinions if they simply go ahead with their original decision?” asks J.P. Nel, Chairperson of AfriForum Youth’s Puk branch.
“The campus management must be careful not to alienate current and prospective students. It can cause enormous damage to the popular trademark and identity of the Puk campus,” says Ohann Fourie, AfriForum Youth’s National Coordinator of Campus Structures.
“The university council must not mislead prospective students with the idea to come and study at the Puk, because it is clear that this 148-year-old trademark has come to an end,” says Henk Maree, Head of AfriForum Youth.
Sign the petition to ensure that the Puk’s identity is preserved by clicking on the following link http://afriforumjeug.co.za/pukblypuk/.
