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Issue 15,
Volume 7, 4 September 300 AP The Story behind the news. |
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Economics
A new accounting standard Enter the "dragon" Election 300 Poll: Hope's Conservatives on the ropes Burovians differentiate Politics Edging toward chaos International Kasvria & Savarai Elections Drawing Near Sport Football: Round Seven |
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What IS a Zeitgeist?
Jerman for "Spirit of the Age". In this case it is to mean the "spirit" of the Utanian people, the magazine reporting the people's thoughts behind the press-releases and reported news. |
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Burovians differentiate
The key to the success of any political party, as it is with anyone selling a similar product to everyone else, is to "differentiate", say the marketing experts. It is something the Utanian Burovian Movement (UBM) is apparently good at. Naahi Bennett is a happy man. And he owes it all to President Hope, he says. Secretary of the fastest growing party in Utania, Bennett has watched the Utanian Burovian Movement (UBM) grow from a 1% to a 6% party, 10% in Lasanne, and there is no sign the growth is stopping there. "We have been very fortunate that the Conservatives have self-destructed in the way they have. Invading the I'ana archipelago", Bennett says of an action his party has vehemently opposed, "showed the electorate what the Conservatives were really made of: as much nationalists as the LNP, prepared to use the military to force their way. And the electorate has responded by deserting the party for parties true to the conservative cause." "The key to the success of the Burovian party", says Lloyd Reynolds of Reynolds-Champy, a leading Luka marketing firm, "is that they have differentiated themselves from the Conservative party by saying ''hey we're pacifists, not militarists like the Conservatives. Who would you rather vote for?'' And this has struck a chord with the electorate, particularly here in Luka and the wealthy farming region around it." The second key to successful party start-up is to exploit that niche, the difference, something the UBM have been doing very well the past week. A barrage of advertisements on television have paraded the slogans "Business not bombs" and "Conservative values without the militarism" for the Burovians. And finally, further exposure came as an interview with Bennett and Burovian World Assembly spokesman Patrick Firlefenthz published in last week's Zeitgeist edition. "Certainly, exposure is the key to any marketing strategy. And we are certainly exploiting that exposure while the opportunity lasts, because we know it wont be here for long. The media can be a fickle lover." Naahi Bennett is the successful entrepreneurial son of Gyum'th greengrocer of the Ujam tribe. His family personally experienced the oppressive hand of the Guwimith regime: his father was constantly harrassed for being a successful businessman. But, for young Naahi, this only taught him to constantly improve and never surrender. Qualities that served his epitomously named food processing company, Bennetts, which he sold to the Belson Corporation last year for a rumoured Û40 million. And now, he leads the Burovian movement. He gives the impression he is constantly evaluating and analysing everything that is going on, while never losing a single word of your conversation. He is constantly interrupted by aides and party staffers seeking his hyper-intelligent mind to evaluate something more. It is a tribute to his talents, say his aides, that the party is excelling the way it is. However, not everything has gone the Burovians' way. They have a equal popularity with the Utani Progressive Party, yet have six fewer seats in the virtual parliament. They are still without a "sufficiently skilled leader", although Bennett says, with a knowing smile, that they are "working on the final details of that issue". And there remains the issue of the Burovian's anti-democratic stance, which has polled poorly with many voters. The general impression being that should the UBM ever get close to winning outright, voters would desert the fledgling party in droves. "This is clearly a gross mis-understanding in voters' minds", Bennett explains. "We will not seize control and dissolve democracy if we win power - it will ALWAYS be done by referendum. The voters will still have the final say on this matter whether we win 10% of the vote or 90%." Professor Kapur is impressed with the Burovians, saying they exemplify a strategic approach to politics, but he remains personally concerned over their foreign links, and anti-democratic stance. Others are even less accepting, with Liberal Nationalist Kyle Langley calling them "foreigners intent on foreign dictatorship in Utania". The Peoples Party are more cautious, Okarvits saying they "have the right motives, but the conclusion to abandon democracy is a little extreme." The Conservatives have been less vocal. President Hope is, according to inside sources, incensed by the treachery of a conservative party fighting one of its own. Yet, publicly, his rage remains hidden. If the UBM continues its current growth in popularity, they could win as many as a dozen seats. Hope may yet have to negotiate a truce with the Burovians if he plans to hold power. He can't tick them off thoughtlessly. Still, Bennett is sitting on cloud nine. His party is finally polling seats where they have concentrated their advertising - Lasanne. They have their first virtual MP, in Waitaki, but no name for him/her yet. "The first candidature for Waitaki is currently under review" is all Bennett will say. Regardless, a knowing, self-satisfied smile of a man winning against the odds says it all. |
Stock Exchange:
 Stocks continue to stagnate - when will the Govt. release cash controls? |
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©Zeitgeist Magazine, 300 AP.
<TECH> ©Mike Ham, 2000. All rights reserved. No reproduction without, at least, tacit approval. ;-) |