1. Notes: 3 / 1 year ago 

   REBRANDING AFRICA: Environment Matters

   In 2007, The Washington Post did an experiment on context, perception and priorities in which Joshua Bell, an internationally acclaimed musical virtuoso, stationed himself in the Metro, playing his violin (valued at $4 Million) for passersby. He was perceived as any other bum trying to make a buck in the subway station. You can read the story here. 
   
   Immanuel Kant (18th Century German Philosopher) argued that “to properly appreciate beauty, the viewing conditions must be optimal”. In the banal setting of the metro station, while preoccupied with work and life, the brilliance of Bell’s performance was all but lost.
   
   This experiment testifies to the importance of branding. If I took a Jackson Pollack painting, put it on a wall in a high school cafeteria and said my nephew did it, people would think it’s cute. If I show that same painting at the Museum Of Modern Art, where most of them reside, it would have a price tag of around $140 Million (the price David Geffen paid for his). So by this rationale, the environment in which art or talent is displayed has much to do with its perceived value.
   
   The majority of African art, fashion and talent are relegated to flea markets, craft fairs, missions conferences and poorly designed websites and promo materials. This is certainly not an environment to promote beauty and excellence. Consequently, the perceived value of African products is that of inferiority.
   
   If these very same products are showcased in beautiful websites, promotional products, high end magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair and on celebrities walking the red carpet, it’s a game changer. Instantly the perceived value skyrockets.
   
   Branding is essentially the creation of the environment in which our products or services will be judged.

2. Notes

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These are my thoughts, and more likely my agendas. Let’s call a spade a spade. I want to inspire people to treat each other with love and respect, and to live each second as if it were our last.

At the end of the day, I appreciate the journey, good and bad. I believe there is purpose in everything; literally everything. And the more I embrace that, the more I truly live; the more peace I have.

I believe in the social entrepreneur model, as opposed to the traditional forms of aid that have crippled developing nations for decades. And on top of that, I believe the fashion industry is one of the best industries to leverage as a tool to combat poverty and help restore dignity to developing nations. So that's my thing. If that's not appealing, you might want to read a different blog.

I believe in the power and importance of ubuntu. I aspire to do more…more than I have to. I won’t "change the whole world", but I intend to make some significant improvements along the way as I try. And I’ll fight for all sorts of justice, up to the day they throw dirt on me.

I thank God that I get to live this life. Carpe diem.

+ Comments are welcome. I'd love for this to be a two way conversation. +

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