Thousands of creatives are paid a lot more to do a lot less, because they have mastered how to generate longevity and leverage brand value from their art. SNDBX International prides itself in helping Africans discover the greatness within themselves and how to package their creative product in an impactful business format. SNBX CEO Joram Mwinamo and Benjamin Luta joined Baraza members in this Lunch and Learn session to guide them on how they can develop enduring value for their brands. Here is a summarized breakdown of the key points.
Being dreamers and excellent strategists, creatives find it easy to come up with new ideas and visualize different execution plans. However, the creative structure heavily determines the success, failure or stagnation of the actualization phase. Joram gave a good example of a restaurant owner wanting to run the business as a one man show; the owner being the manager, accountant, chef etc. This will imminently compromise customer experience, leading to the business failing and potentially shutting down. Similarly, creatives that have a long lifespan in the industry have structures that have helped them grow and scale their skills. Investing in a team of people who are experts in their various fields adds value to an idea because their input will propel the vision to its best possible heights. This also creates a brand that doesn’t need you to be constantly present. Separating yourself from your brand will allow you to view from a perspective of an income generating entity.
THE CRAFT
Talent is fair across the board, and you can use yours to build and grow as a household name. Identifying a craft and learning the basic industry lingo gets you in the right room where you’ll be able to figure out what you’re really good at and honing your craft. Reading case studies and being involved in mentorship programmes is a prerequisite for continuous skill development.
THE PLAN
Consumers are looking for products of the highest quality at the lowest possible price. A creative vision should therefore have a short code that will save time, save money and keep the consumers sane. This actualization plan includes integration of four key players. The deal makers; to guide decision making from conception, the strategists; to provide knowledge and develop plans of action, the creatives; to contribute to skills, and the production team; to manufacture the talent and manage sales. These key players develop a brand from conception to retail. It is therefore very important to study your target market to figure out what you want to be known for, so that you can capitalize on your short code, intentionalize your plan for growth, and realize your position in the structure.
THE BAND
More than often, creative ideas are operated by chance and opportunity. It is however crucial to build a brand by learning how to connect your craft to what is more important to your market. Awareness allows a brand to enjoy familiarity and recognition, and hence the ability to retain consumers over time. Consistency in production is equally important in capturing an audience. Rather than selling your art, you progressively create a demand for it without having to necessarily explain yourself to the market. Differentiation improves the clarity of your brand identity and is a sustainable option to sustain relevance in the industry earning your brand a good reputation.
THE PERSON
A lasting brand stems from expertise, entrepreneurs being confident in their craft and gaining trust from the market. Be sure to avoid defining yourself according to an industry; as long as a creative understands their angle, they can express their vision from that point. Have genuine networking channels and deliver satisfactory results that compliment your pitches.
Throughout your branding journey, always be curious and open to evolution. As you get clarity on how to package your craft in a business format, maintain discipline and deliberation when creating your structure. Figure out the glue holding your business together and capitalize on that.
By Cynthia Adongo.