TheBehaviourReport: eccentric and refreshingly great content

If you have never heard of the TheBehaviourReport, I wish I were you reading this right now. Because then, I’d learn of of it the first time, pause a bit, curiously, and I’d go on to experience their refreshingly eccentric writing and content. And I’d smile and immerse in it for a while.

It’s not that they are the best writers in the world. Hardly. But their approach to telling stories of current events – mostly politics, but other stuff as well – keeps you thinking and coming back for more. And if you’re like me, you’ll disagree with them quite a bit too!

The site itself is not new, TheBehaviourReport is a couple of years old actually. But it went quiet for a while and returned mid 2013. The founder of the media startup, Oscar Habeenzu, spoke to us on what and why of the report. We spoke about their vernacular content, the political leaning (he denies ofcourse), what their business model is and how it’s been received so far. Here’s our QnA with him:

TZ: What is the Behavior Report? How is it different from the old one?
Habeenzu: TheBehaviourReport.com is an EDUTAINMENT business and consumer intelligence publication and business with nine sections of thought – Leadership, Business, Consumers, Careers, Lifestyle, Development, Intellectual, Childish and Promotions.
The difference from the old one is “preparedness” really, as we were not afraid to suspend the concept two years whilst crystalizing the concept and accumulation of factual intelligence in business and consumer behavior through various self-funded surveys. We did this between 2011-2013, though we are still conducting market research.

TZ: The abstract articles? Why abstract?
Habeenzu: We use metaphoric language and dramatized articles in order to get a message in order to conceal the intelligence which can only be decoded by the intelligent, whom we call THINKER.

Our genre of literature is THOUGHT and EDUTAINMENT. Our articles are poetic, historic, dramatic, and academic, all in a radical manner, in order to balance the current aspect as well as making them timeless.

TZ: Does it have a political leaning. Articles about leadership seem to analyse ridicule opposition in negative light only

Yes TheBehaviourReport.com has a political leaning regarding THOUGHT, not party, race, or tribe, we focus on the THOUGHT in all manner of Leadership in Zimbabwe and Africa.

By opposition let’s assume you mean MDC-T, MDC-99, MDC-M, and other prefixes yet to be released. Democracy is a weapon that is known by “opposers” as a weapon to free the oppressed, but sadly, the same weapon when used to challenge the methodology and thinking of the liberty freedom fighters, negativity is assumed. Sad, shallow!

Articles about leadership do not ridicule “opposition”,  but expose the THOUGHT FLAWS in opposition in order for all to democratically express their concerns of various on spoken mental misgivings that are exhibited when the “cry baby” mode is initiated.

We also celebrate various members of the “opposition” leadership who have brought the mental game to competition in a manner that even all acknowledge.

TZ: I see other reports are in Shona vernacular? Care to explain how this works?
Habeenzu: Yes, we have since March 2013, started publishing in Shona, with other languages following in due course.

Kufunga, the Shona version of TheBehaviourReport.com is exactly what the word means “thinking” or “about thinking”. There are some THOUGHTS that cannot be expressed in English hence the vernacular brings out the thought as is.

TZ: Have there been any differences in how people have received this content compared to the English content? engagement diffs?
Habeenzu: Yes there has, enormous difference. Apparently Shona content is read faster than the English content, and our articles being abstract and readable in a jiffy, people have received them well. There is a serious shortage of Shona and Ndebele literature online, as though a blue ocean for them that can take the risk.

TZ: What is the model?
Habeenzu: The model is to extend our THOUGHT power in various media with relevant investments as we grow in THOUGHT and MARKET share in Zimbabwe and Africa; accumulating coinage in all possible revenue models deemed relevant by the shareholders thereof.

We are rolling out several e-Books and e-Learning courses.

The JUBILIAN Controversy (Book) – a collage of our first 50 stories that attracted 63,000 people in 21 days from July 31^st, 2013. You can buy the book from http://amzn.to/P0E0mX

The Cyberian Marketer (e-Customer Care Course) – an online based customer care course on online marketing and customer relationship management. Course manual and test are run from the main website.

We have seven books to be rolled out as print and a magazine coming out in winter. The books already in retail include Brand Ideology and The JUBILIAN Controversy, and other titles following suit.

TZ: What are your growth targets for this year/coming year?
Habeenzu: We have released digital and print products that we are currently pushing in retail, hence volumes are our targets, notwithstanding increasing our audience. We also have literature turned into short professional course that we will deliver to our various audiences. We also have a few mergers and acquisitions on the table to enrich our investment portfolio, all to benefit stakeholders.?

TZ: The team?
Hebeenzu: TheBehaviourReport.com has several contributors, besides myself, whose eccentric writing has been seen from inception, though some took up pseudo names. The fulltime time comprises four people, and the contributors include, as they would want to remain with pseudo names, Rob Jack, John Stabletole, King Vinegar III, Andrew Moyo, Musekiwa Samuriwo, Nompumelelo Sibanda and recently Hlalani Ncube, and Brian Chiwanda; all professionals in their domains covered by TheBehaviourReport.com.