Brands leveraging music to deepen market penetration
By Felicia Nwosu
Across the global market, brands have continued to leverage consumers’ touch-points and need-points as driving forces to deepen engagement and amplify their essence. By seeking the influence of music artistes in endorsement deals, brands tap into mega audiences through events that share consumers’ aspirations.
To amplify their essence, many brands now use music more than ever to tap into culture and reach certain demographics, while working closely with notable music stars or partnering with events as headline or category sponsors. Others go as far as partnering with a well-known artiste to produce an exclusive track or create an original hit song just to be identified with the audience.
In no particular order, here are some of the renowned brands as captured by MARKETING EDGE that have leveraged music to tap into the audience’s touch-points as a means of gaining sizeable share of their wallets.
Pepsi Naija
In Nigeria, many loyal consumers often say no Pepsi, no music. This is because this brand has created a niche for itself with music in the minds of consumers. Pepsi has been actively involved in the Nigerian entertainment and music scene, sponsoring music events, festivals, developing the eco-system and endorsements.
Life Continental Lager Beer
Life beer pioneered Hi-Life Fest, tagged, ‘Turu Ugo Lota’, a competition aimed at creating a platform to identify and harness highlife talents resident in the southeast of Nigeria.
Life Continental lager beer identified music as one of the avenues to promote Igbo culture, and so Hi-Life Fest is designed to ensure that homegrown talents are given the needed motivation to progress in their musical career journey.
Goldberg
Ariya Omoluabi music talent show is a celebration of Yoruba musical talent, culture, and values, which provides a unique platform for aspiring musicians to showcase their skills, gain recognition, and take their careers to new heights
Sprite Limelight
The brand collaborated with Nigerian Sensation singer, Omah Lay to ignite the music passion of its consumers. Sprite, the refreshing brand from the stable of the leading beverage company, Coca-Cola, in its new campaign, Sprite Limelight, went all out to help the youths unlock their desired aspirations, irrespective of the circumstance.
Desperados
Nigeria’s leading tequila-flavoured beer, Desperados, has devotedly sponsored Nigeria’s glamorous music awards, known as Soundcity MVP Awards.
The Soundcity MVP Awards celebrates and showcases the finest of African music as well as artistes. The initiative recognizes the hard work, creativity and craft of African Musicians, provides its global audience access to premium entertainment, and promotes the African entertainment industry.
Cadbury Nigeria Plc
Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Mondelēz International, producers of the number one leading Nigerian candy brand – TomTom, was the official sponsor of Nigerian Idol season 8.
TomTom’s enthusiasm for empowering young talented artistes informed its partnership with MultiChoice Nigeria to sponsor Nigerian Idol and build momentum with its investment in Nigeria’s music talent. TomTom’s sponsorship of the show is in line with its social mission to discover, nurture and showcase young creatives.
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker, one of the world’s leading Scotch whisky brand, had a new
collaboration with Sarz, the award-winning Nigerian record producer and musician.
The partnership celebrated the power of creatives and the importance of progress, bringing together two icons in their respective industries to create something truly special.
Coming on the heels of its ‘Keep Walking’ and “No Labels” campaign, Johnnie Walker and Sarz joined forces to create an exciting new project to celebrate progress and inspire creatives.
Tecno Mobile
Tecno truly understands the secret behind the power of music in connection with its consumers. Apart from endorsing some of the A-list artistes, the leading smartphone brand has also been actively involved in sponsoring music events, endorsements, and partnering with artists to produce captivating content
Airtel Nigeria
For many, this brand simply symbolizes the voice behind the success of music as it has continued to remain a very strong force in the promotion of music talents in Nigeria. Airtel has initiated several platforms for emerging artists to showcase their talent, a strategic step that has helped raise the music culture both locally and internationally, making it a prominent part of Nigeria’s cultural identity. Most popular among them is the sponsorship of music event, the Voice NG.
FirstBank
First Bank of Nigeria Plc has been instrumental in supporting the music industry through sponsorships, concerts, and partnerships with artists. They have played a crucial role in providing financial backing and boosting the industry’s infrastructure. These include their #DecemberIssaVybe, an end of the year musical event.
Globacom
This is another brand that is synonymous with music in Nigeria due to its active participation across several events through sponsorships of music tours, endorsements, and partnerships with artists. Glo-sponsored events like the “Glo Slide & Bounce”, “Glo X-Factor”, and “Glo Campus Storm” have energized the Afrobeats scene.
Coca-Cola
This unique global brand in its quest to sustain its mission in refreshing the world and making a difference with its real magic, is breaking territories and boundaries with its unique taste supporting musical initiatives and bringing together, artistes from different countries to create music collaborations and foster cultural exchange.
Hennessy
The prestigious and renowned cognac brand, has partnered with various Nigerian artistes, organizing music events (Hennessy Artistry Finale Concert) and supporting creative collaborations to ensure that Nigerian music reaches its hallmark as a marketing tool.
One of its flavours, Hennessy VS Class, is today reckoned for its contribution in creating a remarkable breakthrough platform for some of the biggest Afrobeats artistes, including Blaqbonez, AQ, Vector, Falz to mention a few.
MTN
The Yell’o brand has given face and stardom to many music artistes who have become leading brands in the industry. When it comes to music, MTN has continued to be at the forefront as music and the brand have become like sesame twins.
As one of the leading telecom providers in Nigeria, MTN cannot be separated from music having played a significant role in promoting the art through sponsorships, music competitions, and collaborations with top artistes. Their talent development show “MTN Project Fame” will continue to ring a bell in the annals of Nigeria’s talent shows.
Star Lager Beer
It would be recalled that Star as a legacy beer brand once powered Star Quest, a platform for Afrobeats talents to showcase their craft and through which artistes such as KCee of the KCPresh fame was discovered.
Aside from these achievements, Star Lager Beer will also be remembered for powering music in Nigeria through their Star Mega Jams concerts that featured performances by internationally acclaimed artistes such as 50 Cent, Usher Raymond, Awilo Logomba, etc.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.