Bayanni Activated! Analysing Mavin’s Marketing Moves for Newest Recruit
Don Jazzy-led Mavin Records is one of the most successful music powerhouses in Africa and it is worth exploring how they succeed at marketing music stars following their most recent activation.
If there’s anything that Don Jazzy and any team he assembles know how to do best, it’s to how successfully launch an artiste into the music industry. It’s something that they have done consistently for years, putting the soon-to-be-40 Michael Collins at a table only few can sit at.
Quite a number of names have passed through the Mavin factory, from Korede Bello, Di’Ja, Reekado Banks to Ladipoe and Ayra Starr, and it is safe to say that the label can be proud of its list of stars.
On 22nd August, another artiste, Bayanni, was activated to take the industry by storm, just like others who have gone ahead of him.
While AfroDives is happy for Abimbola Oluwafemi Oladokun who appears to have cracked it big despite still being an Accounting graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, the focus of this issue is on the music and marketing strategies that Mavin Records deployed to sell the newest entertainer on their roll. Let’s consider them, shall we?
Statement Intro Video
There is arguably no better way to make a ‘press release’ that will get everybody’s attention than to release a video that features two of the most in-form comic skit makers in Nigeria. Sabinus and Brainjotter combined to do a Poco Lee-esque “ara adugbo, tuntun ti de oh” in announcing Bayanni. The idea of the video itself is ingenious, using a laboratory where the artiste was activated for unveiling.
EP over Single
In an industry that has become so pacy that listeners are getting inundated with songs from every possible corner, it is possible for a single to get swarmed, especially from an up-and-coming artiste. Hence, an Extended Play (EP) is more advisable. We see this strategy as well with BoySpyce and Ayra Starr. The EPs are deliberately eponymous, to further emphasise the artiste’s name.
Social media challenge
Bayanni’s career was launched with a self-titled EP and a social media challenge to match. It’s become a trend for songs to be accompanied by a challenge of sort. Social media users are prompted to carry out some stunts to further promote a song and make it go viral. TikTok, particularly, has become the playground for challenges while its impact on music and hit content continues to grow.
Baiting with two things youths love most - Free food and free ride
A couple of things Nigerian pop nation finds hard to resist is free food and free ride. Mavin’s marketing team understood this and partnered with Food Court and Bolt to give people discounts on their orders.
Who says music is refreshing only to the soul? It can be to the body as well. And Bayanni’s social capital and streaming numbers get better for it.
Words on the marble
For aspiring artistes, the Don’s epistolary advice is invaluable, don’t sleep on social media!
