MUSIC ARTISTE BRANDING AND MANAGEMENT
By ‘Seun Adeogun


The Music and Entertainment industry is a multimillion dollars industry. This industry has engaged millions of young and old people across the world. The industry is one of the few that surmounted the eloping global economic crunch. Apart from the sports and movie segments of the entertainment industry, the music segment is one force that is fast producing thousands of gifted celebrities across the globe.

As witnessed in most part of underdeveloped African nations today, the music entertainment industry has engaged majority of unemployed youths. it has made majority of once hopeless but creative youths become wealthy individuals. Most Corporate organizations are fast initiating and sponsoring talent development shows, in a bid to execute their corporate social responsibilities and also promote their products and services.

To some extent, the effect of this has relatively help several young people discover their talents, while shooting them to limelight and more importantly, limiting the level of crime in some African nations.

It should be noted that in spite of this massive incursion of many young people, not many of these music enthusiast have being able to become celebrities of sort. While some are making waves, majority are still fighting hard. One factor that have helped some to become celebrities, is the use of simple artiste branding concepts and principles.

To an extent, branding helps a musician to create a strong appeal that favorably intrudes the mind of listeners. This is why Branding plays an essential role in the artiste management and musical presentation.

For an individual venturing into music or already in it, carving a niche and strategically positioning yourself should be desired. As a music act, what you communicate matters a lot. There's need to be deliberate and organized in various ways of communicating with your audiences. Consequently, you will need to project particular sets of trait capable of influencing a favorable perception from your fans.

The following questions will be useful when starting out:

 What genre of music do I intend to float on?

What’s your style of music? A blend of all genres or a mixed culture or a brand new music category entirely?

 Am I competent enough in to be a player in this industry?

 What’s my music message? Love/romance, happiness, fun, street life, struggles & hope, tradition, satire, gospel, etc.

 who are my targets audiences? Children, young people, middle age adults, etc.

 What segment of the populace? Fun lovers, matured minds, miscreants, street boys, working class, church people, political officers, etc.

The following tips can also be useful to developing a powerful brand as a musical artiste;

 Good Package : this is a combination of your music genre, style, message (through the lyrics) name, dress sense, stage craft, etc. the totality of these brings about your niche which helps differentiate you from the pack.

 Originality or Innovation: Having a unique style-something that can spark up or trigger your listeners’ interests-is also essential in building a powerful brand as a musical act. You can create your style and you can also improve on an existing style.

 Good Lyrical Content and Beats : Good music attracts listeners. A blend of good lyrics and good beat makes a good music. This is one reason why you must work with good producers who understand the street language. Endeavour to engage hot & sizzling music producers. Music with good beats has been proven to attract audience despite having meaningless lyrics. Your music should entertain, motivate or inspire your listeners.

 Consistency : while you create music style for yourself you must be consistent with it as possible as you can. But make sure your consistency blends with street urges. You can rule the game provided you are creative, meaningful and consistent.

 Good PR : Public Relations is not giving bribe as widely believed. It has a lot to do with building positive reputation and perception in the minds of your audiences. In PR, every little thing you do count. Employing a contract service of a PR professional or firm will help. Better still, your management can help you in handling this effectively. PR involves managing your reputation and relationships with your various audiences in which the media and authorities are inclusive. The media should be one of your best partners in business.

 Character : your character is quite essential and is paramount to your success in this show biz. Self-discipline and cautious lifestyle will help you a lot. The Beetles Band (one of the older generation American music band) shattered its music career as a result of a puffery statement made by one of the band members at a press conference. So many musical celebrities have shattered their career due to character flaws. Avoid joining issues and having scandals; perhaps if there’s any; employ the services of an experienced publicist to help manage the information flow.

 Good Publicity strategy : this involves the way you publicize what you do. Some publicity strategies may involve working with respected and local DJs to get your music across to your audience. In this regard, remember, a good DJ will love to play a good and danceable music. So also a good Video Jokie. The rule is to make good music and good musical videos. Media relations tactics such as: press mention & interviews, TV interviews, media house goodwill visits, press conference for album release, news mention, show appearance and video play, radio show appearance, interviews and regular air play, etc. can also come into play.

To reach your audience some other creative tactics such as: Album listening party, Collaboration with some of the best acts in the industry, online video releases & free rip, Social media platforms utilization (fan & personal pages on Facebook, twitter, YouTube, MySpace, etc.)Can be utilised. CSR initiatives, creative Marketing & distribution and Other Publicity stunts can also be brought to bear.

 Good Artiste Management :< /b> Artiste management is also important…very important. If you can’t get a good and creative manager then negotiate with a well-structured artiste management outfit.

 Good Record Label : Having a good and well-managed music label will do you additional leverage and boost your efforts.

 Strong Appeal : Your music should strongly appeal to your audience. Most listeners want to be identified with your music message. If your work appeals to them you easily carry them along.

 Personal Development & Trend Tracking : a musical act who desire to be on top of the game must groom and develop himself periodically through. Besides, understanding street trends will help you get into the hearts of your fans and prospective.

Conclusively, a powerful musical brand can’t be built overnight but gradually with a blend competence, confidence, creativity and consistency.

If you have the good lyrics, good beat, good tune and good image with creative management and effective music distribution, you are most likely to rule the game. Good network and energetic stage craft are essentials to make you get shows.

Writer's profile: Seun is a PR/ strategic communications analyst. He has written a number of reflective articles on PR, Personality Branding, Political communications and Human Capacity Development. He resides in Lagos, Nigeria. For comments send mail to: luseunbravura@gmail.com.

BUILDING YOUR NICHE CAPACITIES
By Seun Adeogun

At creation, God created man as a whole and an indivisible creature. In this sense, man is wired connectively with the whole part of him functioning with effort from the different parts that makes him. By nature, man’s effectiveness arises from the unified function of the different but indivisible part he is made of.

This piece x-rays the fragmented but indivisible parts of human and how they all have to function effectively to helping you to becoming the best of what makes you unique amongst other fellow men, standing-out from the crowd.

One of the most influential leaders ever existed by name Mahatma Gandhi once said “one man can’t do right in one department of life while he is occupied in doing wrong in every other department, life is one indivisible whole”. Developing your niche capacities is an antidote to living a balance and effective life. Life itself is an indivisible whole; you don’t expect living the most of a particular aspect of your life at the detriment of the other equally cogent areas of your life. Every areas of your life go hand in hand. You can’t be a champion outside while being a looser at home front. You can’t excel spiritually without it reflecting in other Areas of your being.

Man is said to have been made up of three essential elements: Spirit, Soul and Body. You can put simply man is a spirit that owns a mind (soul) that lives in a body. How else can we describe how we are made? Philosophers, scientist and theologians have proven this to be a concise definition of man. It should be equally noted that God created man’s whole system to harmonize the divisible parts towards an effective functioning of the whole.

 SPIRIT
Spiritual Competence: man’s spirit is the site of his supernatural consciousness. It is where his, moral boundaries and authority lies.in the words of George Lovimer, “at the back of every noble life there are principles that have fashioned it”. The spiritual nature of man is a long standing discourse that has attracted positions from scientist, philosopher, theologians and psychologist all over the world.

Your spiritual competency is the central and the most underlying of all other human competencies. It guides and supervises the others. In it resides the power and ability to connect with the world beyond, the controlling forces, the supernatural and the metaphysical realm. The mystery of existence is hunched on the spiritual competency. It is somewhat superior to the other three competencies. Herein lays your ability to discover yourself, understand the essence of life, develop a meaningful character trait, and expose to supernatural inspiration, live a life of contribution guided with principles, conscience and moral values.

 SOUL
Man’s soul has two basic parts which are the Mind and The Heart.
Mental Competence: The most essential of all gifts of man is the ability of the mind to comprehend process and reassess thoughts. The mind is the centre of thinking and rationality. Great inventions and developments and ideas came from the man’s mind. The Mind is the seat of Mental Intelligence. It has the power to envision, be curiosity and acquire Knowledge.

Your niche value is either energized or paralyze by what you allow in your mind. It is said that life moves in the direction of our greatest thoughts. Just as it were: Bad thoughts produces bad fruit and vice versa. Your mind is like the motherboard of a computer. Information is exchange herein. You develop your mind by making necessary efforts in accessing the right information that has the potency to help you experience transformation when applied. Remember you are what you think. You have to feed your meaningful information and knowledge. In this regard you will have to keep learning and updating your mind from time to time. The degree of a man’s development of his mind determines the value placed on it. If you will have to go thus ahead with your niche then you will have to stretch your mind and use your imagination to pace your destination.

Emotional Competency: The Heart is the seat of Emotional Intelligence. In it lies Passion, Empathy and sympathy. It’s often said that there is no success without relationships. Your ability to build up positive relationships is largely determined by your understanding of how people feel. The heart is the center of our emotions. It’s where true love resides. It is emotional love that makes you respond when you come in contact with the hungry, less privilege, the poor and feel their plights. Emotions is derived from the Latin word ‘Movere’ meaning – to be moved or move. It is an action word’. You can either be moved by something positively or negatively. Negative emotions can lead to lust and hate while positive can lead to compassion and love selfishly or selflessly. The degree of love, understanding and respect you place on yourself relatively determines the amount of love, understanding and respect you show to others.

One of my teachers observes that the biggest of all regrets people have are often the mistake made while dealing with people and in relationships. Emotional competency has been said to be the more accurate determinant of successful communications, relationship and leadership than the widely believe mental competency. The commitment to other people needs with love makes world a better place to live. Social and emotional sensitivity is cogent to riding high with your niche.

 BODY
Physical Competence: Your physical capacity has to do with your well-being (health) meaningful survival, personal discipline and financial management skills. This is centered on managing yourself efficiently and effectively. The body reflects all other competencies. It is the center of activity. All what goes around in the other three competencies is fully executed by the body. An author once said “the body is a good servant but a bad master”. According to the Greek self-mastery formula, a man should know himself, control himself and give himself. It is also said that the greatest victory of man is the victory over oneself. Your ability to control and discipline your body is a priority that should not be traded for anything else. Your appetites, passions and desires must align with your spirit (conscience), soul (mental and emotional activities) to create a balance when all goes on well the first three competencies it reflects in the body. A sound body is said to be an evidence of a sound mind.

In the words of Don Childe and Bruce Cryer, “the inability to manage one efficiently leads to premature aging, diminished mental capacity and even blocks access to our innate intelligences. The converse is also true. Increasing internal coherence leads to more efficiency in all physiological systems and greater creativity, adaptability and flexibility”. Likewise Dr. Stephen covey in one of his bestseller posits that three main components need to be developed in line with man’s physical intelligence: 1. Wise Nutrition 2. Consistent balance & exercise 3. Proper rest, relaxation, stress management and prevention thinking.

Ill health can disturb you from enjoying the fruition of your niche efforts. The earlier you start bringing your body to constant check the better for you. Work kills and work heals. What you do with your body either prevent it or expose it to diseases and illness. When a terminal infection strikes, all purpose and vision would reduce to nothing. Your body is your passport and visa for existence amongst men, therefore watch your habits.

Making every meaningful and legitimate effort to build your niche capacities is very essential and paramount to becoming the best of you. The identified competencies are our native intelligences that require our effort to develop.

One interesting view about the aforementioned competencies is that one (without the others) alone can’t determine our route to successful living. All the four work interdependently. Harnessing this overlapping four basic competences that emanate from the three basic dimension of man as identified in this piece leads to a more balanced and integrated life. May I conclude with the words of Mother Theresa which states, “The fruit of silence is prayer (spirit).the fruit of prayer is faith (soul-mind). The fruit of faith is love (soul-emotion). The fruit of love is service (body) and the fruit of service is peace (spirit, soul & body).



Seun is a PR/ strategic communications analyst. He is a blogger and he has written a number of reflective articles on PR, Personality Branding, Political communications and Human Capacity Development. He resides in Lagos, Nigeria. For comments, leave comments on space provided or send a mail to: luseunbravura@gmail.com . Please visit www.reputationalmatters.blospot.com for more articles.

NICHE BRANDING

Niche Branding
By Seun Adeogun

"The truth is that all of us attain the greatest success and happiness possible in this life whenever we use our native capacities to their greatest extent."
- Dr. Smiley Blanton

Niche branding is simply a way of identifying and communicating what makes you different from a whole lot of people in your domain. It is the deliberate act of projecting particular set traits capable of influencing a favourable perception. It is a way of clarifying and communicating what makes you different and special. To achieving your desired goals and self-fulfillment, you cannot afford not to mind how people perceive you. Minding how people perceive you or taking control of how they see you by identifying your unique strengths and projecting those strengths are the prime focus of personal branding.

Look within: Discover your innate gifts and abilities. It is essential to discover what sets you apart. You will definitely discover a whole lot of abilities within you, but it is important that you stream-line your abilities to the basic ones you know you can make use of without much stress and with deep passion. This will help you discover your core competencies and focus on refining them for a better use. What are the things you get results from overtime? What provokes you to give solutions? Take responsibilities. The factual meaning of responsibility is to respond-to circumstances around you with your-abilities.

Get visible and strategically position yourself: Develop a plan on what you want out life (or your Endeavour) and how you can achieve them. Set achievable and realistic goals. There’s is something in you that the whole world needs, find it, develop it and give it a commercial value.”

Build a network: Relationships are powerful; they can make you or mar you. There are relationships you must avoid if you really want the best out of life. Get the right relationships that can catapult you to the next level in your domain.

Add value and then some: Whatever your brand is, it is meant to add value to people’s lives. Though you make earnings, but you sell value (meet needs/solve problems) to get money
Accelerate your brand power: You do this by getting aligned with a major trend in your field and with creativity /ingenuity move towards the head of it. Play by the books, read intentionally in relation to your endeavor.

Marry an important ethical standard as a complement to what you chose to do with your abilities: Marrying an Ethical standard is purely delivering your services/products on principles of justice, fairness, morality and integrity.


"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying
to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Writer's profile: Seun is a PR/ strategic communications analyst. He has written a number of reflective articles on PR, Personality Branding, Political communications and Human Capacity Development. He resides in Lagos, Nigeria. For comments send mail to: luseunbravura@gmail.com.

THE ROUTE FOR GOAL SETTING IN A NEW SEASON

THE ROUTE FOR GOAL SETTING IN A NEW SEASON
By ‘Seun Adeogun

Goals are essential to the fulfilment of our individual visions and purpose in life generally. Goals and goals setting are required for an individual who desires development, growth and the achievement of new feats in life. Goals inspire, motivate and are significant to our individual lives.

A Goal is simply referred to, as a desired and clearly defined destination. Goals are bit by bit achievements that contribute to the fulfilment of our overall vision in life. They are records that must be set periodically towards the achievement of our overall vision. Goals can be set for each areas of our life. Be it spiritual, Health, Finance, Business, Marriage, Career, Family, Relationships, etc.

In the light of the foregoing, Goal setting refers to the documentation and the procedurals of set aims and desires. Goal setting is all about identifying the required steps to take and targets to hit in the accomplishment of one’s vision, dream or purpose in life. It simplifies what we intend to achieve, how to achieve them, when to get them achieved, etc. It helps create a breakdown targets to be achieved within a new season.

The What, Why, How, When and Where Of Goal Setting

What: here you clearly define and state in writing what you desire to achieve. Your intentions and desires and there numbers may be vary individually. Here you must be able to see the end from the beginning.

Why: here you state reasons why you intend to achieve the clearly define and documented goals in the previous step.

How: this is one major question you must deliberate on. Here you clearly note how you intend to achieve your identified goals put simply, the necessary steps, strategies and tactics you will take to achieve the first above. Under this step you factor in the resources you required in the fulfilment of your goals. Resources needed may vary individually and depending on each individual’s goal. But the resources may include financial, required information & capacity, relationships, material, etc. ask yourself, what practical things you need to do to accomplish these goals.

When: this is another cogent area you need to clarify when setting goals. Here you ask yourself within what period of time you desire to achieve the defined goals. Time is an essential factor that must be stringently considered when setting goals. Specific goals as set should be required for specific period of time.

Where: this step brings us back to the first step above. This step also signifies that you clearly define where you intend to be, put simply your placement after you might have achieved the determined goals.

When setting goals it is essential you set clearly defined goals for each aspect of your life. If you must rise to a different dimension, if you must achieve beyond what you have ever achieved, then don’t afford to stay in the same zone of mind-set or thinking. Life requires a balance. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi "One man cannot do right in one department of life, whilst he is occupied in doing wrong in any other department. Life is one indivisible whole"
Accomplishing set goals requires action, commitment, perseverance and total reliance on the power of God through prayer and trust.

Seun is a PR/ strategic communications analyst. He is a blogger and he has written a number of reflective articles on PR, Personality Branding, Political communications and Human Capacity Development. He resides in Lagos, Nigeria. For comments send mail to: luseunbravura@gmail.com. Please visit www.reputationalmatters.blospot.com for more articles.

THE FUSE ABOUT RESOLUTIONS FOR A NEW SEASON

Recently, my close observation of human life has shown that the entrance of a new season usually marks the beginning of new opportunities with hopes and aspirations overtaking our minds. Most individuals are usually in high spirit to accomplish new results, while making changes in their private lives. You find majority of these people celebrate the entrance of a new season amidst mix reflections, new energy and new expectations. One real thing about life and seasons is that, seasons pass but what we make out of those seasons remain relevant (negatively or positively) to our lives and environment.

In the light of the foregoing, quite a number of individuals make New Year resolutions and decisions to reposition themselves for the new challenges. Resolution in this context is referred to as a firm decision to do something. It is most referred to as a firmness of mind or purpose to effect personal life changes through stringent decisions.
In the dawn of a new season, individuals make efforts to turn away from negative habits realised to have been detrimental to their lives. Some also make decisions to achieve some feats. But albeit how these resolutions are, within few months into the new season, they end up going back to their usual habits, most of which deter them from accomplishing their desires in the previous seasons.

Reason for this obstruction could not be farfetched form the following factors:

These individuals fail to understand what new season resolutions are and its essence. They therefore make resolutions following cues from friends and associates.

Studies have also shown that individuals, by default, renounce their resolutions unconsciously due to lack of required fortitude to fulfilling these resolutions.

Some individuals only make resolutions by "mouth" without taking out time to document and define measures through which resolutions made can be fulfilled

Failure to map out bit-by-bit strategies through which resolutions can be fulfilled also contribute to the denouncement of resolutions

Fraction of those who map out tactics to fulfilling resolutions also fail to concentrate their energies on mapped out steps

Lack of focus and inertia also contribute to non-fulfilling resolutions.

In this same vein, some individuals find it hard to make necessary sacrifices to fulfilling resolutions made; they end up returning to their old habits and attitudes

Wrong relationships also contribute to this challenge

Failure to self-educate, get the right counsel and set boundaries also contribute to this problem

Obstructions to individual resolutions can be avoided decisively by identifying with the aforementioned. Resolutions are not just made for the sake of entrance into a new season. They are made to make live better hence, ensuring the accomplishment of goals amongst other things.
Relatively, resolutions are somewhat essential to individuals in new seasons. They assist in achieving desired feats in new seasons. It is a powerful process in effecting changes in our personal lives.

Seun is a PR/ strategic communications analyst. He is a blogger and he has written a number of reflective articles on PR, Personality Branding, Political communications and Human Capacity Development. He resides in Lagos, Nigeria. For comments send mail to: luseunbravura@gmail.com.Please visit www.reputationalmatters.blospot.com for more articles.

My Thoughts about Greatness

If you are caged in the box, it's your duty not to cage your mind.The best of life is ahieved when you meaningfully engage your mind in life matters. You need not have a college degree in a certain endeavour to become a sought after.You need not have a degree in creative writng- for instance- to be a respected writer. You need not attend the best universities in this world to be the best in your world. So also you need not attend the best school of music to be the best musician, composer or performer, etc.
All you need to do to be the best in any endeavour is to dicover your area of influence. This is centered around your passion, interest, giftings, abilities,etc. Consequently, you develop, use, sharpen and express your giftings.With consistent practice and a bit of theoretical knowldge acquisition- which you aquire through personal development and studies-you soon become the world best.
This is my thought today, it's over to you!
Love to hear from you.
'Seun Adeogun