Of the pandemic and lost opportunities
Earlier this week, I had a conversation with one prominent artiste who I shall not mention by name.
He was talking about how the Covid-19 pandemic has made lives very difficult for local artistes, highlighting that many of them are failing to cope with the situation.
“Ma artiste arikufa nenzara kunze uko” were some of the words that he was using.
Things have not always been rosy on the local culture industry even before the pandemic struck with many artistes struggling to make a living from their talents.
While there are numerous success stories, the majority has only had fame to brag about but nothing to show for it.
With cultural activities being put on pause for the past six or so months, it does not need a rocket scientist to figure out the situation that most artistes are in at the moment.
During the first days of the lockdown, there were numerous personalities in the sector who were crying out for help. Some organizations and individuals even donated food hampers, but these good deeds have become fewer of late.
As the pandemic takes its toll, the ‘each man for himself’ scenario has become prevalent which makes it even harder for those who are not earning.
With gatherings off the table for now, how then do artistes make money during this lockdown period.
Artistes in other countries have come up with new concepts were they are pushing their craft through online platforms.
For example, Timberland and Swizz Beatz’s Verzuz has become a lockdown phenomenon, with hundreds of thousands of viewers tuning in to witness these epic sound offs.
So influential has been the series that it has become too hard for the corporate world to ignore with Apple Music and Beats 1 coming on board last month.
While it continues to stream on Instagram Live where it has its roots, it is now also streaming on Apple Music. After the live battle is over, fans will be able to watch it on-demand on Apple Music.
Cîroc, which is one of the biggest liquor brands in the world also jumped in on the event.
These companies are partnering with this event because they realize the marketing benefits and the immense visibility (streams in the case of Apple Music) they are going to get from the platform. It’s a win win situation.
On the local front, we have had several entertaining online live concepts including the Gara Mumba Iwe Concert and Nash TV Lockdown Live which were both well received.
At the moment Nash TV’s Colour Vibes has become a major hit, with the platform unearthing several gems during its run.
The reason why these platforms are among the few in the country that managed to make a significant impact is because they had a strong backing.
Gara Mumba Iwe, had Prophet Passion Java partnering with Zimpapers Television Network while the Nash TV events are backed by Nash Paints.
There are several other players in the industry who have tried to come up with their own events but they have died prematurely because they don’t have support.
For example, DJ Chucknosis has been hosting his Radio Fiesta show regularly which was a great platform for DJs. However, he might have just called it a day as there has been very little to no support for the program.
This has been the case for many others who have also tried being innovative in hosting their shows online.
The sad part is that some of these shows are actually entertaining and with proper planning, equipment and financial muscle they could become major components of the industry even post-pandemic.
There are several companies which have over the years supported the arts industry. A good example is Delta Beverages which usually hosts numerous shows every year.
Considering that they have not been able to host any event due to the pandemic, I would have expected them to chip in and sponsor some of these online initiatives. They have a marketing and PR budget after all.
Online platforms are slowly becoming the most effective ways to market products and services which is why major companies in the developed world are taking that route.
Recently the The New York Times announced that their digital revenue exceeded print for first time in history.
The media giant highlighted that over a three-month period dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and a slowdown in advertising, the company for the first time reported quarterly revenue that owed more to digital products than to the print newspaper.
This is a clear indication of how the media influence has been shifting from the traditional print onto the online space.
This pandemic has created a unique opportunity for brands to partner up with artistes in the creation of entertaining online products that can be beneficial to both parties even after this whole corona situation and lockdown restrictions are lifted.
If there was ever a time when the corporate world was to support creatives, I believe it is now. There is an opportunity to try new marketing strategies here.
I am not talking about giving people food hampers. A company or several companies can just sponsor a concert which will be aired either on national TV, ZTN or numerous online platforms where their brands can easily reach out to thousands of viewers.
This way, companies increase their brand visibility and artistes get paid. This is a better way of helping out because it benefits both parties and artistes get to feed their families in a dignified manner.
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