Better the Archbishop you know than a devil

My thoughts turned toward the possibility that Fred had undergone a sudden religious revival, triggered by the thousands he had just encountered, candles at the ready. But this was not to be.

"It is the oldest marketing ploy," he said. "If you are perceived as the devil, never deny it, just stand next to the pope."

It is so that the brewers will advertise safe driving, and the cola marketers will never mention caffeine (or coke). In essence they distance themselves from the "devils" and they find "popes" to stand close to. It is now named "deep branding" by some and "social responsibility" by others. These activities are all just little "popes" to make them appear better than they really are. Warm fuzzies in an otherwise cold and plastic, I win, you lose, commercial world.

In politics this concept is often taken one step further. If you cannot find a pope, then invent a devil and declare war against it. Bush has the elusive Bin Laden and Mugabe has Blair. Museveni of Uganda, galvanized his war-torn, Amin-the-tyrant looted country behind him, by declaring AIDS the devil. And, he is winning that war, by most accounts.

Given that the spin-doctors employed by politicians should be well versed in this particular art of marketing, it is surprising that some get it so wrong! Surely the ANC spokesman should be aware that Robert Mugabe is not a pope (in most peoples minds) and that, equally the Arch Tutu, is. Or, that AIDS is a potential devil. Dear Smuts seems to have got his popes and his devils confused, we mused.

Whether their spin-doctors are good or bad, politicians do often start to believe that they themselves are the "pope". And from this lofty moral high ground, not even their trusted spin-doctors are safe, especially when their spin-doctors treat them like the devil, as Moyo has discovered.

It is rumoured that both Mbeki's Smuts and Mugabe's Moyo are quietly circulating their CV's to advertising agencies seeking good black empowerment credentials, as we speak.

The question is who would have them?