The state of the music industry: incompetence in the industry

Grammy award nominee R&B singer Ciara was scheduled to perform at the Maloof money cup benefit concert on the 29^th of September 2012 at Kimberley monster mob in South Africa and could not finish her performance because of management and technical issues. This was not the first time an audience has not been told of such incidents. Last year (2011) Trey Songs was supposed to perform at a club in Johannesburg but could not make an appearance because of a conflict he had with the communication department at Canoc productions which is a very big entertainment company in South Africa. Where does this ill service delivery and communication error come from, many may ask that question but the answer will still remain transparent as South Africa’s music industry is in desperate need of help.(http://www.ciarafever.com/category/live-performance/)

(R&B singer and actress Ciara poses before a photo shoot.image source: songonlyrics.com)

PR and business in the music industry (http://www.mio.co.za/article/pr-2011-06-22)

As issues like piracy still haunts SA musicians the industry has become cluttered with corporate copyright and business in PR. Strategic business function is one of the fundamental sources of the guidelines of a successful public relations plan. With this being said PR in the SA music industry is placed under business and the two are classified as one (which is wrong). The PRP’s in control of the label/artist are publicists. The problem begins when we have managers and publicists who do not take the responsibility of creating and maintaining their client’s images. The Ciara incident is a perfect example of how an events/PR company can communicate false messages to the public without consulting with the artist’s agent or manager. It’s a mistake that has been done countless times in the music industry. A similar example is the relationship that publicist have with journalists in South Africa is very uncertain because an artist can win an award and still be shown in negative light on a newspaper later that week.

(a plain doll holding up a sign which is a metaphor for what Sa musicians feel about their managers.image source:mio.co.za

 Media coverage on South African musicians (http://www.journalism.co.za/index.php/news-and-insight/insight/166-media-freedom3/2027-sa-musicians-needled-by-broadcasters.html  

South Africa is primarily 18 years old in democracy and has seen talent pop up from all corners of the country. The sad thing is that media coverage on local artists is still lacking. Record labels in South Africa still can not apply methods to help promote their artists. The media sector also finds it more rewarding to advertise international artists more than they show local artists. It is a stage where the general public has to take a stand and purchase music from their favourite musicians so that they can help local artists gain respect and coverage they deserve by adding value to their lively hood.

Communication error Part 2: effects of music amongst the youth in society

Loss of hearing, change in behaviour and rebel’s could be just a few symptoms of adolescents but what would happen if music turned into a weapon which caused not  only positivistic behaviour but an uncontrollable force of violent behaviour and attitudes in the youth. One might ask them of how music can change a person but many might tell you that music might stimulate brain function and cause a person (especially a teenager) to react in a certain way. When a certain type of musician with a powerful brand image engages in doing drugs their fans might want to experiment with narcotics at a later stage as music is said to have long term effects on an individual.http://voxjuvenis.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/the-effects-of-negative-music-on-today%E2%80%99s-youth/

(a teenage boy smoking a cigarette, what could be the cause. image source: teens.drugabuse.com)

Music and behaviour (http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/~dgentile/106027_08.pdf)

When someone takes drugs they react, when a pop star gets arrested for drunk driving there could be a butterfly effect across the public which could cause reckless driving and drinking under the influence of alcohol. But we can not blame music for those incidences we can only look at the artist that took part in stimulating that kind of behaviour. In the modern world artists are now looking for ways to stand out in the public, so they opt for creating a different image amongst themselves so that they can stand out from the rest. There is no question that an artist will grab the audience attention if he/she does something out of the norm. Artists create brand images which depict a certain lifestyle or mood for people to identify them in an instant. The context is taken to far when the youth try to apply those behavioural norms to their lifestyles (which sometimes ends up badly) in an effort to aim for superstardom.

(a depiction of how music can influence an emotion.image source: medicalobserver.com.au)

Miscommunication

The media sometimes misinterprets what celebrities mean when they do something. If a musician is seen doing drugs in the music video with half naked woman dancing around the room it does not relatively mean that with drugs and alcohol, comes with women. What the youth still don’t understand is that the media reports from their point of view and that what is being said does not mean it’s true because image building is still a big part of the picture in the music industry today.

Music across borders: communication in the industry

African music http://www2.mytruspot.com/ranking.php?mode=blog&message_id=1963&row_template=blogs.tpl

The African music scene has picked up pace over the years as artist from other continents are taking an interest in collaborating with African artists. Since Nigerian based dance artist D'Banj signed a record deal with Good music (Kanye wests recording label) a year ago there has been an increase in the probability of successful African artists. Tumi from Tumi and the volume is also an African artist who managed to break in the UK market by signing under Sony BMG. The internet has made it possible for artists to exchange music across vast borders in the world. events such as the world cup which happened in South Africa in 2010 has also given our international competitors a good perspective about travel to Africa. The PR that has been in effect in North Africa is amazing because artists are blowing up and breaking through as international artists.

(D'Banj wins big at the mtv awards. image source: en.wikipedia.org)

Collaborations http://www.konfidence.org/

American/senegalesse singer and songwriter Akon has made sure that Konvict music (his music recording label) caters for African artists by demolishing stereotypes such as a music industry that is no longer focused on a racial, economic and social sphere. The Konfidence campaign "pronounced with a k" was established to help poverty affected children in Africa as a result of good collaboration between artists in the world. The PR and communication implications of having collaborating artist through out the world is also made possible by an increase in African tourism marketing and advertising. since the world cup we have seen countless amounts of artist travel to Africa for concerts social upliftment and good will. The corporate identity that has been created around the African scene is at its peak through out the years.

(Senegal born, American raised artist "Akon" addressing children at the Konfidence project.image source: http://www.konfidence.org/ )

Moving forward: branding african music

Coca-Cola has been in the process of creating a revolution when it comes to promoting African artists. open happiness was a campaign started to help create a unique sound that no one has ever heard. the campaign has made it their number one priority to bring different artist together from different genre's of music to participate in a benefit song that will mark the sound of Coca-Cola. African artists are expected to join the frenzy and contribute to their sound to bring about a completely new way of breaking musical boundaries. Somalian born artist K'naan is also featured in the company's future plans. 

Musicians and events

Beyonce at the sports awards (http://www.citypress.co.za/Entertainment/News/Beyonce-Mbalula-backtracks-20120624)

There has been much debate about beyonce performing at the South African sports awards earlier this year. The American R&B singer and actress was said to be paid close to 11 million rand as a fee for performing at the annual ceremony at the South African sports awards in Johannesburg South Africa. much can not be said as the minister of sports and recreation has denied such a statement. The singer was rumoured to have been promised a significant amount of money to perform at the banquet. No one really knows about what the PR company in charge of the event sent to the media but the communication implications of this mix up has left the South African music (and PR) industry in negative light not only about the event but also about the communications and PR perspective in the country. 

(Beyonce Knowles as she poses for an issue for cosmopolitan magazine image source: cosmopolitan.com)

South African musicians and the industry http://www.kasitimes.co.za/tag/musicians/

Proper recording labels in South Africa lack effective PR and communication skills as many talented musicians in South Africa are not given the opportunity to perform at luxurious events like the sports awards. The main problem in this is the fact that they do not possess the proper coverage that they solely deserve as artists. The industry lacks creativity as bands like the parlotones are only likely to get booked at a few venues inside their own country. Its also saddening that they do not get recognised when it comes to performing at events like the SA sports awards ceremony. Having to even mention an international artist and paying over millions for one to perform at an event hosted by the government should spike a debate around the state of the music industry in South Africa. The music industry can not be held responsible but further improvement is needed to promote our local artists in South Africa to grow the PR and music industry that we have in our country. Unions should be formed to help establish talent and to also maintain and grow that talent.

(One of South Africa's most successful rock bands "the parlotones" image source: themuseinmusic.com)

  

Communication error Part 1: has music lost its meaning?

(http://www.harberherald.com/opinion/2011/02/21/music-has-lost-its-meaning/)

In the age of highly packaged artists by recording labels the music industry has seen change over the decades. Artists like Michael Jackson, Sade, Whitney Houston and many more have in the past been expressing themselves in the most emotional way they could by making music that kept people talking and made politicians think about key matters that affect the world. Musicians in the past connected with their audience in a special way that broke down racial segregation, economic stereotypes and political incentives. The music was a key priority in the entertainment industry and was made in such a way that artists could get on stage and perform with props or highly flashing an expensive visual effects.

(image source:transparentproductions.org- the compact disc revolution)

The 21^st Century artist (http://blog.mi.edu/post/21st-Century-Changes-in-the-Music-Industry-What-they-mean-for-Independent-Artists.aspx)

The 21^st Century artist is a concept which states the fundamental state of mind of a modern day musician. This concept describes how musicians have changed due to the interconnectedness of the world in relation to global telecommunications. This type of musician had to think about their ever increasing worldwide fan base. Musicians had to start expanding their music to cross over boundaries and to reach a specific goal. in the past music could only reach the world wide market through 2 mediums ( TV and radio) which made it difficult for people in unequal countries to access the music in time. But today music is everywhere you go thus making it a challenge to compete for the spot light.

(image source:guardian.co.uk- Elivis presley, one of the greatest rockstar of all time) 

Hollywood (http://suite101.com/article/hollywoods-negative-impact-on-society-a300145)

Each and every musician wants time for themselves to break in the spotlight and begin their highlight reel of success but because its easy becoming a star these days in Hollywood recording labels are advertising their artists just so they can stay a step ahead of the rest. Gimmicks are made and music ends up not being of good quality. The new wave artists of this generation have no clear understanding of super stardom success and rely on PR to sell copies. This is a controversial conversation that is yet to be discussed further more...

Corporate identity: Uncle Russ makes his way to SA

Russell Simmons (http://www.biography.com/people/russell-simmons-307186)

Corporate identity is vital in hip-hop and in the music industry. Born in Queens New York USA, Russell Simmons has managed to be one of the biggest moguls in the entertainment industry. Starting in his early 20’s Russell made sure that he put his foot print on all the upcoming musicians of his time ranging from Run DMC, the Beastie boys and LL cool j. But that did not stop him from expanding his brand. Russell Simmons was a revolutionist who saw an opportunity in the violent type of music called hip-hop “at that time”. Wanting to establish his mark as a respectable brand in the industry he and his friend Rick Rubin founded Def Jam recordings which would be in the forefront of the urban culture cult of the 90’s.

(Russell Simmons wearing his clothing line -phat farm- image source: starscolor.com)

Russell Simmons as a force of success (http://www.inc.com/articles/201109/russell-simmons-interview.html)

As an entrepreneur in this age of music and entertainment, organisations have to consistently renew themselves as an attempt to stay relevant. Taking corporate identity to the next level Russell Simmons aka Uncle Rush has made sure to be a step ahead of his competition by building a communications firm and clothing label called Phat farm, investing in Reebok, Run athletic, magazine publications and many more. CI has played a very big part of his career because he created platforms of business which revolve around him making him a visionary, idealist, philanthropist and role model to the youth who grew up like him.

(Russell Simmons in central park meditating. image source:wellandgoodnyc.com)

 

Russell Simmons trip to SA (http://www.stopblooddiamonds.org/russell-simmons.asp)

Uncle Rush is engaging on an expedition in South Africa and Botswana that will see him strengthen the development of the diamond trade industry to help educate and equip African’s with skills to maintain growth in their economic situation. Simmons will also be giving aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity of a lifetime at the small ceremony hosted by Destiny magazine where he will say a few words of inspiration to the fortunate few that make it to the gala event. This event will be taking place on September at the Sandton Hilton hotel and will also feature a performance by Tumi and the volume.       

Biggest trends in music

The information highway and digital PR (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1900054,00.html)

This term is highly controversial because in music the growth of the web (web 2.0) has resulted in a more accessible industry. The internet has made it possible for people to get exposure in the simplest and cheapest way possible. Youtube has made it possible for artists to showcase their talent globally without having to pay companies a fortune. Pr is being used to handle an artist’s image and brand today because today record labels are not seen as big liabilities to have in the music industry. Artists would rather get their music out by using internet infrastructure such as, facebook, I tunes, twitter and many more. Because of the internets structure, artists can become their own record labels and grow their fan base before they can actually settle down for an agreement.

(image source:funkifiedentertainment.wordpress.com- the i POD revolutionized music)

Music downloads age (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1900054,00.html)

As the world becomes smaller it globalizes. More and more people find it easier to download their music then to actually purchase it. The I-tunes installation application has made music broader by making it a mechanism of free choice. This could also work as a disadvantage to artists who intend on selling millions of copies. Nowadays people are not constraint to buying a full album when they could download a song they like for absolutely next to nothing. Because CD sales are not dependable anymore, artists have to rely on music concerts and gigs to survive. The download trend in music has sparked another trend which sees artists travel around the world performing. Lets also not forget that the internet made it possible for that artist to reach his/hers maximum fan base potential, by performing into cyber space.

(image source: liljaxe.com- what new york might look like in the future of tv)

The future of TV (http://www.cnbc.com/id/47102632/)

The digital age started with the radio which was said to be theatre for the mind and crossed over to audiovisual communication in the form of television which would spark the telecommunications revolution forever. The concept of the future of TV solely means that in the next years to come every source of digital communication or internet structure is going to be converted in your TV. This might see the dawn of a new age in the music industry as Youtube has plans of unleashing 100 channels in the next 5 years (or even less). But this debate will widely be regarded as the biggest shift in the industry not only in music but also in PR. 

The Sprite uncontainable tour

The Sprite uncontainable tour competition

Sprite has always been in the fore front when it comes to branding itself in the hip hop culture http://www.spice4life.co.za/content/sprite-unleashed-nationwide-hip-hop-talent-search. This time they have taken it a little step forward by introducing their corporate social investment technique by bringing in conscious hip hop legend Talib Kweli for the Sprite uncontainable tour which will go on between June and July. What Sprite wants to accomplish with this is to make sure that they uplift the disadvantaged talented youth across South Africa in the areas of rapping, Graffiti and break dancing.

(the sprite uncontainable hip hop branded logo.image source cheka.com)

                                               

The competition

http://cheka.co.za/tag/sprite-uncontainable/ The uncontainable tour hopes to embark on a journey across South Africa in all major cities including Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. The competition challenges contestants in three areas of hip hop which are Graffiti, Rapping and B-boy dancing. Every city will have its own competition before moving to the ultimate battle where they will compete for a trip to the uncontainable fest in New York. The winner will also win a mentorship programme with Talib Kweli in which they will have an opportunity to brush their skills in their given field of talent.

(Talib kweli performing in new york. image source: cheka.com) 

Sprite’s CSI technique

In this case sprite is engaging in a CSI attempt to establish trust within their market. They want the target audience to feel cared for. Sprite giving back to the communities that consume their product is a way of boosting the brands morale and credibility amongst its audience. Sprite is also giving the winner an opportunity to star in music video collaboration at the end of the year. Sprite has also used a very good strategy in choosing a panel of judges who are born and bred in the African continent e.g. Mernoly Simba (Angola) from masters of rhythm, Falko (South Africa) the renowned graffiti artist and Reason (South Africa) the award winning rapper. 

Music and branding Part 2: Forbes Richest Rappers 2012

Becoming a musician means that you work hard to strive and grow your brand to stand out from the rest of the crowd. In Part 1 we saw how branding in music can play a vital role in fusing fashion with music when artist form a cult following amongst their fans in an effort to sustain and maintain dominance in the music industry. In Part 2 we look at the 5 wealthiest and most prominent brands in Rap music.

1. Sean “Diddy” Combs

Net worth as of April 2012: $550 million

Besides making music Diddy has branded his empire through his record label “Bad Boy” and from his luxurious clothing label Sean John. He has also invested in an alcohol (vodka) beverage called Ciroc. He has proved to be a triple threat (an actor, a singer and a self made business man).

(P.Diddy at the Grammy's- image source: hiphoplead.com)    

2. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter

Net worth as of April 2012: $460 million

If your life has not been studied and taught as a University course yet then its wise to take tips from this man. Jay-Z has managed to literally own shares in a Basketball team called the New Jersey Nets in the NBA and to sign a 10-year $150 million live nation deal since 2008. The artist smartly merged his music career with his love of sport and fashion when he sold hip hop label Rocawear for $204 million in 2007.

(Jay-Z -image source: hiphoparchive.org)

3. Andre “DR Dre” Young

Net worth as of April 2012: $260 million

If you have seen giant colourful headphones anywhere in the city it’s probably DR Dre’s beats earphone range which has reaped in millions of dollars for the rapper, Super producer and Aftermath record label owner which has jump started big names like Eminem, 50 cent and Snoop Dogg. In August last year he sold 50% of his earphone company to HTC for 191 million pounds.

(DR Dre- image source: animaajes.nl) 

4. Bryan “Birdman” Williams

Net worth as of April 2012: $125 million

The New Orleans born Cash Money records co-founder Birdman AKA stunner has made his fair share of millions by managing music’s biggest stars including the likes of Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Drake. He has also signed a $30 million distribution deal with universal in the 90’s.

(Birdman- image source: hiphoparchive.org) 

5. Curtis “50 cent” Jackson

Net worth as of April 2012: $110 million

50 cent sold his upcoming vitamin water company to Coca-Cola a few years ago and never looked back. This mogul has made it big by acting gigs, videogames, books, wireless earphones and hip hop’s classic G-unit clothing label. The 9 bullet survivor has since splurged in buying Mike Tyson’s house and classic automobiles. 

(50 cent- image source: animaajes.nl)

MTV Push Campaign

MTV which is also known as music television is still the worlds leading music channel and music power house which has spread across the world like wild fire. As part of their corporate social investment plan they have introduced a segment in the channel called MTV push which is solely made to touch on up coming Rock, Hip-hip and Pop artists who are still on the rise. The campaign runs on both MTV base Africa, MTV UK and also on the official MTV channel (MTV 2) broadcasted in the United States of America where the channel first started. http://www.mtv.co.uk/push

(MTV Push brand logo with branded colours.image source: mtv push.com )

The Campaign

The key to a successful PR campaign is to make it as exciting as possible for the targeted audience. The campaign runs as a pop up feature which happens after an ad break, music video or show has played. A bright splatter of pink bursts on the screen covering the screen links with pink. Then during the music video information about the artist is displayed clearly on the bottom of the screen. The viewers are then encouraged to go to the website and vote for the push artist of the month. A brief interview with the artist is done before the music video is played, where he/she is given an opportunity to tell viewers about future projects, featured artists or anything related to their music.http://www.behance.net/gallery/MTV-Push-Brand-Campaign-Studio-Hansa/2946055

(Mike posner: one of the most successful Push artists now endorsing reebok. image source:mtv push.com)

The purpose of the campaign

The purpose of the campaign is to get MTV viewers and followers the opportunity to be a part of the channel by putting them in the driver seat. MTV has introduced this as a rookie segment of the show where the audience can start a conversation about the push artist of that month. Buzz and publicity is then created around that particular musician. Twitter is then flooded with trending topics about the push artist which then gives MTV credibility and a source of closure with the public as they have helped an up coming artist reach stardom in just a few weeks. http://www.mtv.com.au/music/mtv-push/   

  

Musician Philanthropists

Let’s rewind back on the drug abuse blog we did in February and try not to focus on musicians in a negative light all the time. When given support and opportunity our entertainers can really impact our world in a positive way. Adult contemporary singer Lionel Richie proved this in the ninety’s when he gathered over 30 artists to perform the Michael Jackson smash hit “We Are the World” to raise funds and awareness for the impoverished and war affected countries in the African content.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World

(Various artists performing the lionel richie produced song for africa -source: we are the world.com)

The song was then used again to raise funds and awareness for Haiti, which was hit by one of the biggest earthquakes that most scientists have ever witnessedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World_25_for_Haiti. Coordinated by the Haiti born world renowned reggae artist Wyclef Jean and assisted by Grammy award winner pop sensation Will I Am. But this time the power of social media posed as an advantage when artists could tweet about the matter and engage with organisations on a more intimate platform.

(Various artists performing to raise awareness for africa-source: we are the world.co.za)

 

http://www.parade.com/celebrity/trend-blend/slideshows/musicians-who-give-back.html#?slideindex=0But one artist who has been active in giving back is R&B superstar Alicia Keys who has been involved in different philanthropic projects especially those related to youth development and diseases including Aids and social issues in Africa.http://mtvmeets.com/d.ph?&PageID=780&IX=7718 She also gave a motivational lecture on Mtv base sponsored by MTN where she sat down with young educated pupils who are inspired to bring about change in the African continent. Surely some of our artists do help the needy.

(Alicia Keys poses at a photo shoot-source: google)

Nicki Minaj's Marketing in South Africa

Nicki Minaj is expected to perform in numerous venues for her South African leg of her Pink Friday tour. Nicki Minaj has been the most outstanding and followed female Hip-Hop and pop artist for the past two years. She has dominated our Tv screens with her colourful music videos and her controversial lyrics which has made her stand out from the rest. With her new album released on the 2 of April 2012 the queen of hip-hop has managed to sell 118,849 copies on her albums first week of release http://www.hiphoplead.com/news/nicki-minaj-pink-friday-roman-reloaded-album-first-week-sales/.

(Nicki Minaj in her new music video-source: hiphoplead.com) 

 The hype created around the South African tour is amazing because the dates and venues have not yet been confirmed yet, which measures the PR difference of the alertness of South African media to market and advertise on international artists and the lack of Marketing and advertising that we have in South Africa towards our own local talent. Mtv base africa had a Nicki Minaj day where they played her music video's, Documentary and songs she has been featured on throughout her careerhttp://www.mtvbase.com/shows/top-10-nicki-minaj/#showSummary.South African record labels and PR managers are not keeping up with this trend.



(Nicki Minaj poses for the camera-source: hiphoplead.com) 

Nicki Minaj managed to break away from being a back drop member of a hip-hop group to being one of the most influential mogul in the Hip-Hop industry. But that did not happen over night. The South African music industry executives should reinvent themselves and think creatively starting with airplayhttp://www.mio.co.za/article/south-african-music-airplay-an-introspective-analysis-2008-05-14.  

Music Globalization

Globalisation basically means the world becoming small because of the increase and access of transportation and a global telecommunications environment. This process is very healthy for the growth of emerging markets like Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa which form the BRICS, a term used to describe the fast growing economies in the world. Globalisation does not only affect the economy but also influences how music is purchased, distribute and produced (www.unswbmedia.org/mdia1001/).

(image source:google)

One of the biggest problems that globalisation has brought is illegal music downloading and sharing.http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/ifpi-says-one-in-four-download-music-illegally-every-month/story-fn7celvh-1226252276195. The internet (Web 2.0) has made it possible for people around the world to access music and download music free of charge from websites all over the world. Illegal music affects the art form in a negative way because then music industry officials and musicians will not be able to make a living from all the hard work they put into their music. In essence illegal downloading of music is just like stealing someone’s monthly salary.

(image source: google images)

Another consequence of globalisation in music is westernisation created by pop culture. Hollywood is not only a movie industry; it has turned into a state of mind in every country created by the western culture we see on TV. When focus is on MTV and Vh1, it becomes hard for our own artists to catch up to developing countries and developed industries. In other words globalisation affects our local industry by changing our perception on how to compare music videos, shows and cultural behaviour (adapting to a new lifestyle).

Shout for a safer South Africa

The Shout team is back this year with a brand new campaign that aims to bring crime awareness at a bigger medium fusing South Africa’s diverse musicians and an iphone application that will change emergency services in S.A http://www.shoutsa.com/news/view/shout-launches-powerful-new-song-and-life-cha.54. This year’s new campaign comprises of a new song and new featured artists have been chosen to refresh the brand. Artists like Arno Carstens, Lira, the Drakensburg boy’s choir and legendary jazz sensation Hugh Masekela are one of the few to name.

Its amazing how South African musicians are beginning to make use of new media to enhance their PR capabilities.To show growth in the campaign, this year’s tactic is using an iphone application that will help people access distress calls, emergency services and phone numbers easier using a local area network . People will also have the advantage of reporting criminal activity around their areas at any time of the day. This will help combat crime in S.Ahttp://www.nationmaster.com/country/sf-south-africa/cri-crime. Musicians and founder’s of the campaign Danny k and Kabelo Mabalane are in partnership with the South African police services in an attempt to get citizens involved in the call for action. Some musicians in the country are supporting the campaign on hash tag #Shout2012; by doing this the impact of music towards social issues could be used in a positive way.

Music and Branding

The growth of music industry in the world has evolved to a more bigger state then expected. South Africa's music industry has been slow at branding it's artist.With the ever increasing demand for change artists try out new ways of keeping their fan base alive and mobilized. So they opt for bigger and more expensive music video's to grab the attention of the masses. whether we like it or not branding  is a fundemental technique to master in PR. Some artists and labels seem to struggle with this but some seem to get it right.

(image souce: ebay)

One of them is New Orleans born hip-hop superstars Lil Wayne and Baby "Birdman" Williams. What started out as a dream turned out to be a successful PR opportunity for them. The lifestyle they live reflects the brands image which encourages people to follow.They have established a cult following introduced by their famous company name "young money cash money"http://ymcmbclothing.org/. The T-shirt has made its way to South Africa and spread like wild fire. When asked why people liked the T-shirt most of them said its a way of lifehttp://orgellaonline.com/2011/12/10/pics-lil-waynes-johannesburg-concert/?cbg_tz=-120.

Marketing and branding in the South African music industry is lacking funding, attention and creativity. So much has to be learned from their international counter parts.http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=70494

(image source: google)

    

African model takes on music channel

Congolese-born African model Joelle Kayembe has been appointed as being the face for Trace Tv, one of the biggest music channels in africa and Europe.http://www.wonted.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2628:tshiamo&catid=925:tune-news&Itemid=38 states that the supermodel/philanthropist is not only aiming at fame but she is also involved in initiatives that will help uplift the youth by being the brand ambassador for Trace Tv.

(image souce: trace tv.com)

 Having an African face to represent a major music channel should pose as a symbol of growth and prosperity in the African content. This bold PR tactic will be a healthy way of breaking socio-economic and racial stereotypes said about black immigrant models in the world http://www.springerlink.com/content/gnvwg1x7l7w22285/. A resent conversation on  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090622200437AAdUwN1 proved that the perception of black models were said to be mixed race or light skinned. light skinned women are called "yellow bone's" in mostly hip hop and R&B song's. Trace Tv being a big music channel might bring an end to this shameful mind set that seems to be popular in the music (music video) industry.

Drug abuse in the music industry

From teen pop stars to legendary Rock stars, the music industry has had its fair share of death's related to drug consumption. last year we lost a Grammy award winner, jazz music sensation "Amy Winehouse" and this year to our surprise Whitney Houston died on the eve of the Grammy awards. The media's perception of glamourising alcohol and sometimes drug usage (in reality tv show's) is disappointing http://realitytvmagazine.sheknows.com/2011/12/29/. Statistics from http://www.av1611.org/rockdead.html state that this is a serious matter and should be taken seriously by industry officials and music channels.