Building a reggae brand
In the corporate world, it is understood that marketing communications, including brand development and management, plays a pivotal role in a company’s ability to thrive successfully.
Globally, entertainment companies, artistes/musicians and sportsmen and women have been utilising this same formula, with varying levels of success. However, in our local entertainment industry, practitioners appear to be slow in recognising the importance of having effective teams to execute brand-building strategies for longevity and crossgenre opportunities.
Even as a global cultural heavyweight, we continue to miss the mark in how we brand entertainment and how we effectively communicate its value. The ‘hustle’ mentality that has pervaded our local entertainment industry has become both a blessing and a curse for its players. The hustle makes the tactics authentic with passion at the forefront as the drive to succeed, but the same hustle is oftentimes executed without the requisite skills and expertise needed for maximum results. This is why ears and eyes gradually tune out when interviews are conducted with some entertainers who position themselves as ‘just a likkle yute from the ghetto who a try buss’. We’ve seen in too many instances where entertainers are unable to articulate their reason for doing music or even speak confidently and pointedly about their craft. Their responses to questions seldom go beyond ‘naa mean’ or
‘yuh zimi’.
There are many practitioners, too, who see themselves as one-man-bands, and will readily and proudly say, “Mi nuh have no team, a me one in the streets a hustle fi build up mi ting!”.
The continued glorification of the ‘I don’t need a team’ narrative, when you are trying to attain or maintain fans, is surely a setup for either failure or mediocrity.
The basic tenets of branding involve image and experience. It is the mixture of being visually appealing while piquing the interest of the potential fan, client, or even competitor to experience your talent, and then make your talent or product a part of their daily lives.
I must hasten to say that we’ve had some great examples of entertainers who have built personal brands, which they have successfully communicated. This has resulted in them gaining ‘diehard’ fans, for whom they can do no wrong. A notable example is Ninjaman, whose ensemble tends to be in line with his cutting-edge, warrior-type lyrics and overall demeanor. There is also the Ouch Crew — the dancehall divas of the 90s — who were unmatched as fashion icons within the space.
Another entertainer whose brand was readily identifiable is the late dancehall legend Bogle, aka Mr Wacky. His mysterious personality, versatile dance moves, and punk rock, mixed with dancehall outfits, set him apart from others. Then there is also Dancehall Queen Carlene, who decided that women within the dancehall space were not only to be highlighted but were to be seen as royalty (as the moniker ‘queen’ dictates).
It is important to note, however, that communicating a solid brand is so much more than what you look like.
Entertainers such as Agent Sasco and Ding Dong recognise this fact. They seem to have ‘understood the assignment’ by retaining a strong fanbase while having their personal brands aligned with corporate brands. These alignments have worked well in keeping them relevant in their respective core spheres, while exposing them to new markets and increasing their earning power.
The collaboration between corporate brands and celebrities is by no means a new phenomenon, however, with these two entertainers we’ve seen alliances with family-friendly brands in the food, finance, and home improvement industries which use dancehall talents as messengers. This is not usually the norm. This multi-hyphenate approach to brand building has resulted in these talents creating strong partnerships with corporate brands while benefitting from being branded across different channels.
At a time when newscasts are filled with doom and gloom, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, people are seeking out entertainment for comfort, relaxation, and healing. In fact, numerous international advertising agencies have commissioned various studies on the lessons to be learnt from the entertainment industry. Advertisers are pressed to find ways in which to brand their content and seamlessly include it in entertainment platforms such as podcasts, Youtube series, concerts and film.
The recently released No Time to Die, the latest James Bond film, is a great example of content being positioned within content. The use of the word ‘Babylon’ to describe a Caucasian man as he walked the streets in Portland was a glimpse into our culture, as well as Buj u Banton’s Champion blazi ng in a club were powerful in exposing elements of the Jamaican lifestyle in addition to the beautiful landscape and beaches that we are already known for. So seamlessly was it done that Brand
Jamaica as an entertainment mecca was being sold while we were being entertained by the shenanigans of Mr Bond.
Here is where ‘the team’ comes in. As the talent, you should be consumed with creating the content that your fans/clients crave while having the business acumen to know that you need others to pitch your value for collaborative engagements while managing how, where, when, and to whom your content is being communicated. In addition, if nothing else, this pandemic has reinforced the need to have multiple revenue streams, whether through endorsements, innovative digital experiences, or creating passive income.
The entertainers, who have been proactive and indulged in creating content outside of their native talent and have created ‘digital communities’ that allow their fans to experience them in a different way, while being able to earn exponentially through branded content, are already cementing their relevance across genres locally. Their ability to influence “fan advocacy” (fans who become your loudest cheerleaders and sharers of your content on their platforms) is the desired outcome. This is brand communication in its most basic yet effective form.
Nevertheless, there is still so much untapped power and opportunities within our local entertainment scene. Even with possible lower marketing budgets due to the effects of the pandemic, companies and personalities within the creative industry should be leveraging their brands and network even more as mechanisms through which other companies in various industries can get their messages to their desired target audiences.
Being competitive in the world of branded entertainment — where the lines between advertising and the actual entertainment being experienced are virtually non-existent — is actually the new frontier and the possibilities are indeed limitless.
Dania Beckford is a brand communicator. She is the chief communication consultant at Broad Axe Communications specialising in crisis communication anagement. Her expertise in the communication sphere for the past 15 years within both the private and public sectors has seen her being an entertainment publicist, entertainment policy technocrat as well as an executive in the advertising industry. Dania is also the CEO of a fashion label called Broadtail Designs that services women within the full-figured community.