An influential individual could singlehandedly garner support for current causes, and sustain or bankrupt whole branches of the country's commerce.

This gave less power to organized political parties and more to influential individuals, some of whom had themselves elected in the constituencies they controlled.

They were targeted at influential individuals, such as journalists and politicians, rather than a mass audience.

They begin in the mentality of the masses, rather than creations of influential individuals of a time period.

This was essentially a propaganda organisation, with little popular support, which attempted to gain the ear of influential individuals to propose a more rational society.