IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING PERSONAL BRAND IDENTITY

MBABANE - Whether you know it or not, you have a personal brand.

When you Google yourself, what pops up? These results are the first impression people will have of you. Is it a good one? For entertainers, these are the questions that one needs to consider as they are in the public eye and almost everything they do is scrutinised by their followers or the general public. According to discovery music group, branding is a marketing concept that is built around creating a marketable identity that an audience or consumer can count on. While that might not sound very rock and roll, the best DJs, artists, and bands all have one.

Appeals

It’s an easy way to show a record label that you know who you are and what you are doing and that you know how to present it in a way that appeals to a target audience. “Taking the time to figure out who you are as an artist, and what kind of lasting impression you want for your fans visually, is just as important as the music you create and perform.  I see many artists spending very little time on their personal brands, which should be part of their overall, ‘package ’, said Bongani ‘Tizalami Dube’, who is Swaziland Arts and Music Association (SWAMA) Public Relations Officer. Dube went on to say, if you want to be a successful artist, you need to look and act the part. If you expect the public to buy your records and merchandise, buy the magazines you’re featured in, pay to see you perform, etc.; you need to stand out to look like a star.  

Renowned pianist and singer Judah, said it was important for artists to first do a research on who their target market was and what your music appeals to. He went on to add that artists should treat themselves like a business where they do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. “Some artists do not take their craft seriously which is not ideal because then it makes the next person not to take the brand serious too. Also, focusing on your strengths before even building your brand is of utmost importance,” he said. The ‘Masitsandzane’ hitmaker also added that image was everything which is the reason taking good quality pictures was essential. He also emphasised that social media was the way to go nowadays in order for your brand to grow. Speaking to some music fans, Sakhile Mthethwa, said he supports local brands that are owned by artists he relates to.

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