The Sunday Mail
WHEN then Savanna Tobacco chief operations officer Tongesayi Zvaravanhu vowed to change the face of showbiz in Zimbabwe with a US$200 000 investment, it sounded like a tall tale to some.
The pledge was made at the unveiling of Jah Prayzah, Suluman Chimbetu and Tocky Vibes as the company’s brand ambassadors early this year.
But last weekend, Adam Molai’s boys proved that corporate support can indeed change the face of entertainment. Of course, Savanna did not do it alone — many other companies and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces joined in to make the event, which had Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the guest of honour, memorable.
It takes quite a stretch to think of any other album launch that has attracted a VP. But Savanna did it for Jah Prayzah.
Zimbabwean festivals, fashion shows and other arts events have suffered from a lack of corporate support.
Fetes like the Harare International Festival of the Arts and top artistes in the mould of Suluman Chimbetu and Oliver Mtukudzi have staged grand events in the past with financial support from companies.
Likewise, Jah Prayzah’s Harare International Conference Centre showcase last weekend, which drew thousands of people, should be an eye-opener to artistes, arts stakeholders and companies that a win-win outcome is possible.
The Sunday Mail Leisure spoke to Savanna Tobacco head of marketing Gerald Gumbo at the launch of Jah Prayzah’s sixth album, “Jerusarema”.
“The most decisive development in the arts in the past 10-20 years has been the proliferation of piracy. The ability to copy and distribute content of an artistic nature (movies, music, books etc) has undermined the revenue stream that musicians, movie-makers and authors traditionally relied on the most, that is, sales.
“Nowadays, people do not go to movies, do not buy their music from music shops or buy books from bookstores. They download them off the internet, store and distribute the content digitally. Therefore, all the artistes who used to rely on sales to earn revenues can no longer rely on that avenue. This is why artistes in Zimbabwe, especially musicians, can no longer rely on record sales to provide them with a livelihood.
“What is the solution? American musicians have tried and failed to curb digital piracy. While electronic distribution of music such as iTunes has kept the traditional model alive, it seems that more and more artistes are thinking outside the box to earn a living through their art. “Touring and live performances are one such method, for instance, it is estimated that artistes like Jah Prayzah, Tocky Vibes, Winky D, Killer T, Alick Macheso and Suluman Chimbetu etc earn up to 90 percent of their revenues from live performances and only about 10 percent from record sales,” explained Gumbo.
Gumbo said the other, more popular, method by which artistes could make money was by aligning with business and global brands to become brand endorsers or brand ambassadors.
“Look at Taylor Swift (Diet Coke), Beyonce (Pepsi), Lady Gaga (Polaroid), Dr Dre (Beats by Dre), Alicia Keys (Blackberry), 50 Cent (Vitamin Water), Justin Timberlake (Budweiser Lite), Snoop Dog (Monster Energy) and Rick Ross (Reebok).
“In Zimbabwe, artistes have also discovered that corporate support is now a pre-requisite for financial success in music. Corporates are keen to extend their appeal to the most popular artistes in the hope that these celebrities can drive their fans to consume more of the company’s product or service.
“Conversely, the artiste benefits from financial support for their artistic endeavours (studio time, recording, collaborations, venue hire, transport and logistics) and paid-for publicity.
“This, therefore, takes the place of record sales as a means of generating revenue for themselves. This explains why artistes like Oliver Mtukudzi, Jah Prayzah and Winky D regularly perform at corporate branded functions (Hifa, Pacific Sunsplash, Lion Lager Bash), and leverage their positions as corporate brand ambassadors to create and drive their own publicity (Pinda muSmart, Chicken Slice, FBC International Credit cards etc).”
Gumbo said these relationships worked best when both parties were aware of the value they gave each other.
“On one hand, the artiste must take responsibility for driving the sponsoring corporate’s brand message and increase affinity and sales for their products and services. On the other hand, the sponsoring corporate must fund the artiste’s public profile and absorb many of their financial obligations in order for the artiste to concentrate on their artistry.
“This then creates a virtuous circle where the brand ambassador drives the brand’s sales; the brand makes more money, and in turn is able to increase their financial support of the brand ambassador.
“As a relatively new phenomenon in Zimbabwe, it will take time for the model to create the value it does in more developed markets. But in the interim, it is the best way for local artistes to earn a living.”
