Jacob Zuma - marketer of the year 2008?

While most other politicians embroiled in the race for the ANC presidency are grabbing their constituents by the lapels and yelling in their faces, forcing them to listen to what they have to say, Zuma has resorted to the most powerful fundamental of marketing by continually telling the masses what they want to hear.

Power of apology

Add to this the fact that he is undoubtedly more politically savvy than anyone else in this country and probably even more so than Bush, Brown. Putin and an Ayatollah or two put together and it is small wonder that in last week's ANC provincial congresses, he pretty well swept the board.

He is probably the only politician in this country who understands the modern communications phenomenon called the power of apology. By putting his hand on his heart and saying sorry as he did last year following his acquittal on the rape charge, he fully understood that these days an apology does not mean losing face but rather scoring brownie points for having the courage to be open and honest.

Something that all other politicians in this country just haven't grasped.

Massive advantage

And while many analysts might well argue that Zuma as president will never have the confidence of the business sector or international investment community, he knows that he has a massive advantage over presidential hopefuls from the corporate sector, such as Tokyo Sexwale.

The marketer in Zuma knows that it infinitely easier for a politician who is supported by the masses to gain the confidence of business than for a capitalist fat-cat who is supported by business to get the confidence of the masses, not to mention labour unions and so forth.

He knows just how much local and international business cosied up to everyone from Verwoerd to Vorster and even the late Krokodil, in spite of publicly beating their breasts about the iniquity of apartheid.

Overlook faults

And while the media and his opponents don't miss any opportunities to wail and gnash their teeth at his rape charge, taking showers to prevent HIV/Aids and being accused of fraud and corruption, Zuma the marketer seems to know that his brand is powerful enough and enjoys sufficient loyalty to make his "consumers" overlook his faults, no matter how glaring they may be. And certainly the support he is receiving from the provinces, ANC Women's League and Youth League is proving that his "brand" has quite remarkable resilience.

That the ANC Women's League should so enthusiastically endorse his bid for the party's presidency, in spite of his cavalier attitude towards women, is testimony of how politicians these days can remain popular and trustworthy in spite of all sorts of indiscretions. Like Bill Clinton and the Lewinsky affair, Zuma knows that these days the masses just don't seem to expect a politician to be squeaky clean.

All the right things

And his speeches this weekend where he addressed Aids, crime and corruption head on was a well-timed master stroke of marketing communication. He positioned himself as a politician who wasn't afraid to admit that his party and his Government had failed the country with regard to these issues and in true political gung-ho style, promised to put them right if he was elected to the driving seat.

There is no doubt that while the mass media, along with a lot of political analysts and probably the majority of whites in this country, can't abide Zuma and his provocative prancing and struggle invective, one has to admit that if he had left politics and gone into business like so many of his comrades be would probably be a billionaire today and certainly a shoe-in candidate for the 2008 Marketer of the Year Awards.