The Mother Jones created 'Celebrity Map of Africa' is an interactive new tool to view which celebrity has been (and "claimed") which part of the continent. In light of recent criticism by Joyce Banda, President of Malawi, against Madonna's visit to her country, celebrity "volun-tourism" has come under fire once again.
The map gives a legend to understand what celebrity actions it is showing. The legend has options of took a trip, built a school, started a charity, sang a song about it, made a film, wrote a book, got a royal title and acquired a child.
Though these actions are not necessarily bad for bringing exposure to some of the poorer parts of Africa, Banda's criticism of Madonna stemmed from her request at being treated as a "VVIP," without having been formally invited to the country.
The interactive map is a fantastically visual means of viewing the celebrity exposure of some parts of the continent.
Superstar Continent Claims
The 'Celebrity Map of Africa' Examines the Good and Bad of Involvement
Trend Themes
1. Celebrity Volun-tourism - Opportunities for businesses to create responsible and sustainable volunteer travel experiences for celebrities who want to make a positive impact in Africa.
2. Interactive Maps - Opportunities for tech companies to create similar interactive maps for other global issues and events.
3. Celebrity Influence in Africa - Opportunities for companies to leverage the power of celebrity influence in Africa for cause marketing and social responsibility initiatives.
Industry Implications
1. Tourism - The tourism industry can create sustainable volunteer travel experiences for celebrities while positively impacting local communities in Africa.
2. Technology - Technology companies can use accessibility of location data to create more interactive visual aids to present and share information.
3. Marketing - Marketing agencies can leverage celebrity influence in Africa to create cause marketing campaigns and initiatives that support social responsibility and global causes.