Music and innovation

A Hive Member Spotlight

As a creator, it’s easy to get so focused on one side of “the industry” that you lose sight of other business models or opportunities. This month’s Member Business Spotlight looks at a group of musicians who chose to operate in a rather uncommon part of the music industry.

Music and Innovation
Lindani, Sipho and Mpumelelo provide ‘sound design’ services and produce music for ads and other brand marketing.
Enter the Jingle

After our last article (about social media ads), I started thinking about how long it had been since I heard a good jingle. You know, the type that gets stuck in your mind and makes you buy stuff…

“TSAMO REKA OMO!”

Is it because we don’t watch ads anymore?

Whether it’s composing a whole new piece, finding the perfect song to fit into a campaign, or just singing “Maq, Maq, Maq” over and over again, a good jingle can buy some valuable real estate in consumers’ minds.

Everybody loves a good jingle

Great jingles are those things even little children sing-along to and can’t help but associate with brands forever.

Personally, I can think of so many memorable soundbites from my childhood (e.g. Legendary title sequences, songs from cartoons, and phrases like “Amanda Please”…). 

Music has long been used as a method of marketing brands and getting messages across. (Images found from various sources, via Google Search)

This ability, for music to enter peoples’ minds and stay there, is essentially why Music and Innovation began.

Balancing Creativity with Strategy

It’s likely that you’re already familiar with the more prominent side of the music industry. Maybe to the point that you understand how the marketing, relationships and economics of the whole thing operate. 

On the other side of that familiarity, many creatives who have the potential or capability to produce quality audio content and the desire to collaborate with brands directly; can’t seem to get as direct as Music & Innovation have managed to.

Co-founders of Music and innovation, a Hive Network member business
Some of the brands the startup has worked with.

According to co-founder Lindani Ntsibande, the key to the startup’s success has been a constant effort to adapt their creative thinking into a functioning business strategy.

“To me, the most important thing for all entrepreneurs out there is being able to balance your creativity with your strategy.” –Lindani Ntsibande

When it comes to finding a niche, creators should remember that they always have the power to decide which markets and audiences their offerings will be for. By starting with a unique idea, any creator can start growing and entering the game from a unique direction.

 

As a creative entrepreneur, you can start doing this by making a solid effort to understand the legal, financial and executive aspects of your desired business strategy (i.e. your creativity as a business). Just like you were able to learn what it takes to succeed in one part of your industry, crafting a new business strategy will mean studying another side of the game. Finding out what resources, milestones and partners will be required for each new challenge.

The Business of Creativity

Of course, dabbling in any creativity or marketing, immediately plunges one into the shark-infested waters of adland. 

I’m looking at you, Johannesburg Northern Suburbs…

Image taken from this article

This could be the reason why today’s Music and Innovation is looking more and more like the quintessential marketing agency. 

Although the business started from the trio’s love for sound and good music, their business objectives have meant adapting and moving like traditional marketing agencies do, i.e:

  • Working with briefs 
  • Marketing themselves to the right clients/ businesses
  • Building their network with these things in mind
  • Constantly circling new business opportunities (with nothing but their fins above water).

 

Conclusion

This is not exactly a fire mixtape, but you can go to musicaandinnovation.co.za and catch more developments in this interesting story. We also did one of our Plateau sessions with them, you can cava that video below. 

Out.

Written by: Lungelo Hlela (I am Multeemedia) // Images from various sources

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Lungelo Samkelo Hlela has won (Loerie, Bookmark & Creative Circle) awards for his work as a digital copywriter. With “nothing to share”; he has been a contributing writer on our blog since 2018

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