Siya Metane to speak at VMLY&R SA's Live from The Edge

Siya Metane aka Slikour

Metane is going to talk to the theme, ‘From Cultural Clichés to Brand Authenticity’ and tell us what platforms local musicians use to reach their audiences to gauge the performance of their craft and why their engagement with music content is not the same as it is globally, as well as why he thinks there's merit in using music consumption as an insights tool. “I see artists that make relatable songs to the masses as successful audio and visual creatives. Taking their lead and being able to translate that to what you can do for a brand is key. Some of the biggest songs speak to a mass sentiment that the audiences relate to. Studying songs and the sentiments that they have in audiences should unlock marketing insights for brands."

Here, Metane tells us more about his thoughts on the subject…

From Cultural Clichés To Brand Authenticity: VMLY&R marketing event presents stellar lineup

VMLY&R  11 Aug 2020

How do you feel about speaking at VMLY&R SA’s marketing conference series, Live from The Edge?

I'm honoured. I’ve been following it ever since I saw Spike Lee being part of it.

Why does the theme interest you?

As an artist turned marketer, I've been constantly trying to move brands from thinking inside the cultural cliché boxes. At times we forget that brand authenticity should be synonymous with consumer authenticity.

Why were you approached to speak?

I not only have strong sentiments in marketing being used as a tool of authenticity and cultural amplification but with the work I've done in the culture community, I also have the responsibility to avoid misappropriation of content creators and their narratives that represent a wider community.

#Newsmaker: Siya Metane - MD at SlikourOnLife

Beverley Klein  30 Jan 2017

What value do you believe you can bring to this conversation?

I'm not only from the mass community where a lot of African creators are born but I've also been fortunate to be an important player and game changer in South Africa's music landscape in retail with Skwatta Kamp being the first profitable rap group and later digital with the SlikourOnLife platform.

And some of your key talking points.

I’ll be talking about the platforms that South African musicians use to reach their audiences, to gauge the performance of their craft and what other ways they reach their audiences. We'll discover that South Africans’ or probably Africans’ engagement with music content is not the same as it is globally.

What is your key message on the subject?

I see artists that make relatable songs to the masses as successful audio and visual creatives. Taking their lead and being able to translate that to what you can do for a brand is key. Some of the biggest songs speak to a mass sentiment that the audiences relate to. Studying songs and the sentiments that they have in audiences should unlock marketing insights for brands.

What are you most excited about / looking forward to (with regard to the event)?

I'll be speaking to two of the biggest urban artists on a platform that they've rarely be seen on. This has to be one of the most authentic marketing moments for culture.

What do you think of the series and why do you think it’s particularly relevant at the moment given the current state of things?

With the world changing and content consumption spiking because of the lockdown, there is no better time to understand consumers better through the content they consume.

What would you say to encourage marketers to attend?

Well, if you are really interested in the mass or urban consumer, pay attention to the organic choices of content they make. During Apartheid our mothers and fathers sang struggle songs and church songs to show the signs of the times. Although there's still a lot of poverty, there's some optimism, aspiration, happiness and hope. You'll mostly pick up the clues of what that is in the lyrics, the beats and the people consuming it. I think there's merit in utilising music consumption as an insights tool and this could be the first step.

Register to attend for free here, taking place on Thursday, 3 September at 8:30am.