Brand v talent: the new way to make it in Mzansi
THE new age of social media has made it easy for a person to be “famous” in South Africa without being traditionally talented, creating the rise of many celebrity faces at a fast pace that sometimes we as the public cannot keep up with.
Talent may have been what landed people in the spotlight in the past, but I have begun to notice a shift in the entertainment industry. It seems many are able to make it without being talented in sports, singing, acting, presenting or dancing.
People are now becoming famous for simply being brand magnets. Brand value has become the new commodity. Being able to attract audience numbers is the new drawcard and the way to take your career to the next level.
I spoke to Yonwaba Pangeni, managing director and strategy lead at Zena Brand Builders, a strategic brand-building and communications agency, about this trend in showbiz.
Public figures are being positioned by their management and public relations teams in ways that make it hard for us to overlook them. Whether we think they are talented or not, they are so much in our faces that we end up becoming fans.
“Currently, we are experiencing an influx of people in traditional and non-traditional work-streams owning their work, building their platforms online to relate to different types of audiences,” she said.
“These individuals are creating additional streams of income and attracting niche brands which are looking for particular types of audiences. This digital fragmentation is continuing with the idea of the evolving consumer that brands are constantly chasing.”
Actress Ama Qamata’s Glamour May issue cover got me thinking, what is it about her that makes her such a magnet? I have only seen her in two roles, on the local telenovela Gomora and the Netflix original series Blood and Water.
In both, she portrays a high school girl with an interesting family life, to say the least, but these roles are yet to show her range as an actress.
This has not stopped Qamata from gracing the covers of top magazines such as GQ and landing ambassador deals from adidas and now Fenty Beauty. Credit has to go to how her brand has been built over the years.
From the moment she landed on screens in 2016, she was proclaimed a “rising star” and “one to watch”. For this we can give kudos to the team which is marketing her and presenting this image to the public.
A good brand team is essential to any star as they bring the glue and support needed for the talent.
“Investing in the business aspect of your brand it also essential to ensuring that the foundation is right and carries all the right elements to ensure that the more cosmetic aspects are developed as well,” said Pangeni.
When presenter and model Maps Maponyane first blew up on the Mzansi entertainment scene, he was everywhere, making appearances at every A-list event. This positioned him in the right place to start bagging the right gigs, that aligned with his “brand”, such as Top Billing.
While Maps is gorgeous with his charming smile, his presenting skills are not award-winning, but this has
not stopped his rise in the industry.
It’s hard not to like the Tell Me Sweet Something actor – he’s got that thing that draws brands such as Mercedesbenz to him.
“Public figures can position and package themselves as brands based on their talents. This allows for the person to be able to generate other sources of
income,” said Pangeni.
Maps is certainly not the only one who has managed to build a career out of their brand power. Let’s take a look at his friend, Boity Thulo.
Boity may have talent and the ability to reinvent herself with the times, but if we are honest, her power is in her brand.
“More personas are positioning themselves as brands largely because the digital age has thrust us into a more dynamic era where the expectations of consumers have evolved,” said Pangeni.
With an Instagram account that holds 5.6 million followers and growing, the rapper, actress and presenter is raking in the coins with deals from Huawei, Moët & Chandon, and her business deals BTS Signature and Boity Pink Sapphire.
But when last did she bag an on-screen role? It’s been years.
However, I’m sure many of us are able to recall her brand partnerships and we’ve seen her continue to rise.
“The biggest part of assessing a talent’s value is based on the numbers they are able to draw in audiences, which largely equate to a financial value. With the existence of digital platforms, the power of being able to draw the audience’s attention to those who are interesting enough to do so has shown the talent that this is a difficult job on its own,” said Pangeni.
It is possible to make it without having talent, but it takes strategy. Positioning yourself as a brand doesn’t happen overnight. Pangeni says it’s important to work on understanding your essence as a brand. Anyone can trend – show us what more you can do.