A number of newspaper articles printed on the weekly Sunday Standard present sceptical appraisals of the brand; the national television broadcaster, Btv, also aired interviews with seemingly disaffected Gaborone residents echoing sentiments identical to those expressed by a specially elected MP who pronounced "the brand is uninspiring". To be fair, the brand is with its legion of supporters, among them BEDIA, the brand's official champions; it has not been easy to find others who speak as passionately about the brand though. It appears the brand project, like several national projects of its nature, is treated sensitively, either to avoid irritating authorities or to avoid unnecessary spats. In the meantime, it is clear crystal clear, that the new brand has not elicited or generated the magnitude of public goodwill and excitement it should have, as a brand should, to incur the desired success.
That Botswana is "tranquil" is gospel, a narrative told as much by the serene and elegant countryside as by a long history of responsible democratic and political practice. Juxtaposed with "opportunity", the word combination creates the impression, possibly, of a decent economy within a well-governed state, free of major political flashpoints. The brand suggests that this is perhaps just the place for many families living anywhere north of the Chobe (river) or deep into the rest of Africa. It could be a place too, for a recently retired western family or, sometimes, a place for adventurous professionals out of the western world. The attractive power of the implied brand positioning, may just end there. If this constitutes the core of Botswana's aspirations or the core intentions of the brand: fine.
