Wanito…branding master? After making considerable impact with his debut album, songwriter and singer Wanito is making a subtle comeback, and preparing the musical terrain for his sophomore album. He’s not only concerned about showing his artistic growth, but he’s also coming at his fans in a big way with a major image overhaul. Here are some branding and rebranding lessons we can learn from the singer.

1. Communicate your desired message, and keep reinforcing it
Wanito wore leather pants and jacket for his “Leve Defi” a video…a vast difference from the t-shirts and flannel shirts and jeans that were the norm for most of his appearances. And in a lot of his public perfomances…there he was in a suit and sitting on a stool. Wanito’s message: I’m growing up and this is a new day.

2. Use the power of the internet to control your image
Wanito’s official website Wanito.com debuted, and boy, does it have some bells and whistles. Designed by the creative firm THE CCWC NETWORK CORP, the site features tabs where fans can keep up with Wanito’s tour dates, buy his latest tracks, and join his fan club. On the website, Wanito has full reign on directly communicating with his fans and the music community. Even in the 21st Century, an artist’s personal website yields power. In searches, it’ll most likely be the first hit for the name “Wanito”.

3. Be about branding, be about business…
There’s Wanito bamboo hoops now…and Wanito-branded boots for fans and supporters to purchase. I personally haven’t seen much merchandising offerings from the konpa/Haitian music genre, so power to Wanito.

4. When you don’t have any new material or product out, take little steps in letting fans know you’re still good and well.
It’s less work you’ll have to do when presenting them with new product. You must do your best to remain in their minds. Prior to releasing a new single and video, Wanito remained active on social media, and shared photos of appearances at events, including the African Entertainment Awards, where he walked the red carpet and performed. And the single and video were released weeks apart—but not too far apart—so that fans didn’t have to wait too long. At the same times, the gap between single release and video release allowed fans to absorb the single first, and set the tone (and anticipation) for the video.

5. Solidify your message with visuals
Wanito does this most expertly with his video for his track “Viens Avec Moi”, featuring singer-songwriter and fellow guitarist Mickael. In the video, a bearded Wanito shows that not only can he sit there and moan and groan about the problems of the world, but when the times call for it, he can be a most romantic leading man. He dances with, he twirls the beautiful and well-shaped leading lady in the video. Yes, he’s no longer some teeny-bopper singing about Haiti’s problems, but a grown-man who wants to be seen as one. And the video allowed for Wanito to demonstrate a new dimension of himself and his talent…he co-directed the video, so he was not only the leading man in the video, but the leading shot-caller on its production set. Within Twenty-four hours of its posting, the video received 50,000 views on one Youtube channel alone. Building anticipation and delivering within a reasonable amount of time yields fruitage.

There you have it folks, Wanito branding and rebranding lessons we can learn from the singer. Artists and other folks out there…how many can you relate to? And which one do you feel is most clever?

Your girl Kreyolicious signing off.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT WANITO

CLICK HERE TO VISIT WANITO’S WEBSITE

Exploring Haitian music merchandising! Some Haitian bands and artists are expanding their reach and their business aim by dabbling in things other than music. Join me your favorite chick Kreyolicious as I give a quick survey of Haitian artists and how they’re branding themselves beyond the music world. It’s their way of saying, “Music is business, but there is business beyond the business of music.”

1. A hoodie from the musical group Vogge.

Their line of merchandise also includes tee-shirts and mugs.

2. Haiti rapper Princess Eud has a line of clothing Eud Collection.

The clothing line features for her male and female fans. It’s highly influenced by West African clothing patterns.

In a previous interview with Kreyolicious, the singer said that the clothing line started with the many inquiries she received from fans about her fashion sense and style.

3. Port-au-Prince-based rapper and visual artist Niska with her burgeoning clothing line.

The line includes tees, jackets and hats.

The pieces from the rapper/visual artist’s collection emphasize comfort and cultural awareness.

4. A perfume from Nu-Look and its bandleader.

There is a version for men and for women.

Historically, perfume brands have been one of the primary ways in which musical artists and pop stars expound on their brands.

5. Singer Rutshelle lent her name to these caps.

The caps came in several colors. A photo of the singer sporting the cap, at one time circulated on the internet.

It remains to be seen whether other items will be added to this collection, or if she plans on having a full-pledged clothing line.
Photo Credit: Jeneral Killa

There you have it folks, 5 stellar examples of Haitian music merchandising. In pushing these non-musical items, these artists and bands are taking advantage of business opportunities available to them, expanding their brands, and experimenting with business models beyond the world of music.

One aspect of these ventures that ought to be noted…was whereas in the mainstream a company like Sears teams up with Selena Gomez for her clothing line, a brand like Coty creates perfume brands in collaboration with celebs like Gwen Stefani, and fragrance giant Parlux was involved in the creation of Mariah Carey’s and Rihanna’s perfume lines, these Haitian artists primarily back themselves.

Haiti has big brands like Barbancourt and Couronne, brands so huge that some of us who have yet to go to Haiti, have heard of. Perhaps some of these brands should consider going beyond endorsements and do creative collaborations with these artists.

Just a thought…
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT HAITIAN MUSIC!

Sarodj Durocher Bertin has had a great number of beauty pageant titles to her name, including Miss Haiti and Miss HispanoAmerica. But, she’s never wanted to be a beauty queen that snatches a title then disappears in partial or total oblivion.

A lawyer by profession, Bertin has her own foundation, Sarodj For a Purpose. Acting is the latest dare she’s given to herself and it’s been an obsession with her for a while now. Her latest film is One Night in Vegas, whose cast includes Jimmy Jean-Louis. The helmer of the film is none other than director and producer John Uche, known for his work in the Nollywood and Ghallywood film industries.

One of the things that Sarodj Bertin does each year is put together a calendar to raise funds for her foundation. She discussed the calendar and shared her thoughts on a variety of topics.

How are you doing today?

Great, thank God! I am really happy, because we are just starting a new year full of new opportunities! [Smiles]

What was it like putting together the latest edition of your calendar?

The whole process has been really exciting, and I’m very pleased to see how the calendar has been well received every year. I really enjoy doing it; it’s like my baby! I’m present in every stage, and that makes it more personal. My photographer is Hector Placeres and my designer Joel Reyes. This is the second year that I’ve worked with them, and making a dream project come true with the same team creates a bond that makes you feel like we are a big family. Every one of us is fully committed with every part of the calendar. That makes me feel happy and incredibly proud. As the previous ones, this edition has been shot in Haiti, because the main purpose of the calendar is promoting my beautiful country. The next edition (2015) will be different, because we are planning to find twelve models in Haiti. I want to do it this way, in order to give the opportunity to Haitian talent to show themselves to the world.

What’s the latest with your foundation Sarodj With a Purpose?

We still are waiting for the papers of our land, so we can start building. After we start the project, then we will have some fundraisers activities probably in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Santo Domingo, and Haiti.

As someone who has practiced law for some time, what are some principles that you’ve learned in that career, that you’ve find are applicable to other aspects of your non-law professional life?

I believe everything you learn in life is a plus, and makes you grow. By practicing law, I’ve reinforced my principles and beliefs in the importance of responsibility, honesty, loyalty, punctuality, privacy, and objectivity.

Have you ever been a victim of lookism?

Physical attractiveness is associated with good things in our society; therefore, I believe that sometimes it could open a few doors for you. But if you just have the look, and not the spirit, the door will not stay open. I have not been victim of lookism, that I know [of], and I think we have to be careful with stereotypes of any kind.

So, you are in a new movie One Night in Vegas.

One Night in Vegas was a great experience for me. I loved shooting this movie, because I loved the story and I loved the team. All of them were so nice between each other that we became really good friends. The name of my character in the movie was Francesca, and I loved playing her. When I read the story, I started to imagine her past life, her family, her goals, her education…etc. All of that helped me a lot in understanding her and the difficult situation she was in. And for many days while I was shooting, I wasn’t Sarodj, I was Francesca! [Smiles]

At one point or another, we’ve all heard variations of, “I don’t have any friends.” Or stuff like, “I’d rather be friends with guys, than fellow females.” Or, “Friendships with other girls is too much drama”. How can girls stand up for the sisterhood and reject such thinking?

I think the first thing to do, is to always start from zero. You cannot start a good friendship if you are thinking about someone that betrayed you in the past. Not everyone is the same… So, let’s give ourselves the chance to find nice and real friends.

No one is perfect. No one leads a perfectly jovial life 365/24/7/60. What is the best way to deal with obstacles and setbacks—and adversity overall—in life?

Nothing is easy; and if it was, we wouldn’t appreciate it. Therefore, just believe in yourself, and do what you want to do. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t! Work hard, and if you fail, just stand up again, and continue…

You’re doing more and more movies. Is there an actress whose career you’d like to pattern your own after? What do you hope to accomplish as an actress?

I’m passionate about acting! I admire a lot of actors, but two actresses I really love are Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Angelina Jolie.

Is singing—cutting a record—an ambition of yours as well?

Not really, but I do like singing… You never know, right? [Winks]

What are you most proud of?

I am proud of everything I’ve accomplished so far in my life, because it opens my mind to a new and bigger aim!

What are some things that are on your list of things to accomplish that you have yet to accomplish?

My acting career, which I am actually working on; the start of the construction of the technical professional center for orphans; and to develop new merchandise as an entrepreneur. After I get where I want, then I will think of something else. [Smiles]

[Photos: Marine photo is an outtake from the latest edition of the Sarodj Bertin calendar. Sarodj and Jimmy Jean-Louis on the set of the film One Night in Vegas. All photos provided by the subject]

Be sure to connect with Sarodj! Connect on Instagram by CLICKING HERE. Keep up with Sarodj’s latest tweets by CLICKING HERE. Visit her website and learn more about her foundation and how you can help by CLICKING HERE.