Rema’s Latest Branding Campaign Proves The Effectiveness of Artist Branding
Nobody needs to tell you that Rema is a superstar. He was born to be. With his music, he has proven that he doesn’t operate in the same realm as many other Nigerian artists. If any Nigerian artist (expect Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage) has the potential to play in the international scene, it’s definitely Rema.
When I still actively wrote opinionated pieces about music, I published a piece about how much work went into making Rema into a pop sensation. Talent played a huge role, no doubt. But it is impossible to neglect the effort put in by the team behind the Dumebi crooner.
Can we say Rema’s music is the best product in the market? That would obviously be a reach. However, compared to some contemporary acts whose quality of music match Rema’s or is even better, Rema is at a higher level. Although, these acts are popular and have managed to scratch the surface of mainstream, they don’t enjoy the kind of attention that Rema does. I’ll tell you why: Rema is a better branded artist.
I guess some readers are tired of how much I mention branding when talking about the career of a musician. Let it be known that I intend to keep talking about it till forever. Branding is not to be toyed with. It is not something to be done simply because you feel like it. It’s as important to your career as water is to plants.
I would have to ask you to take a walk with me down memory lane. Remember that very first moment you heard of or saw Rema? Ehen yes o. That exact moment. You certainly remember how you felt. The music was astounding. But you know what else stuck with you? His image. A teenager who you could live through vicariously. Energetic, carefree, confident. The artwork of his projects lodged in a compartment of your mind. The car freestyles that boasted his spontaneity created an impression.
And this is exactly what artist branding does. It separates you from other acts in the music industry. It gives your fans a unique sense of who you are. The benefits are endless (I promise to post an article on this in the nearest future).
I could rave on all day about how much goes into the branding of an artist like Rema. Instead of doing that I want to talk about the latest branding/marketing campaign effort from Rema’s team. I cannot help but commend the idea behind it. As a matter of fact, I didn’t realize the impact of the campaign until I saw the deluge of entries some days ago.
You Mean This Article is About #RemaAlien?
Uhmm. Yes. Frankly.
So, Rema announced a contest for designers to create an artwork for a song/project titled Alien. I don’t know what the reward is and even though I didn’t like the artwork Rema eventually settled for, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the various artworks I saw. Surely, there were some terrible ones but there were also very good designs. Without following a particular template or branding guide, designers were able to come up with artworks that resonated with Rema’s brand.
Maybe it’s not an acute observation but this goes to show how much many of us have soaked in Rema’s image and how it has been plastered in our subconscious. You could say this is possible because he’s signed to a top label (with available resources) and you wouldn’t be wrong. But don’t make the mistake of thinking money is all you need to get quality branding.
You should also note that you don’t need a huge amount of money to begin working on your branding and image as a musician.
I don’t know if I should call this a think piece or a case study. I realized that I enjoy writing more if I don’t have think about any of that. I’m just going to continue doing this: writing down my thoughts and experiences and sharing with you guys. Sometimes, they’ll make a lot of sense. Other times, they’ll be nothing but gibberish. As long as I keep writing and you keep reading.
