Dare. Different. Denrele!

Recently, while flipping through TV channels to find something of interest to watch, I made a stop at a music entertainment channel (Hip TV to be precise) because Denrele Edun was being interviewed. So I settled in my chair and listened to him.

As a matter of fact, this isn’t my first time of seeing Denrele on TV or on the pages of a magazine, but something within me just arouse some curiousity about this ‘unusual’ guy.  Unusual shoes, clothing, hair… even his looks, the way he talks and his body language is kind of unusual. That curiosity is summarised in just one question: Who is Denrele?

In my mind, I began to try to define who Denrele is to the best of my knowledge. At least by what he does.

Is he an actor? Well, not so much that I know of except his not so active role in the movie, Omo Ghetto/ The Return of Jenifa.

Is he musician? I do not think I have heard him sing or feature in a collabo. I have seen him feature in music videos though.

Is he a dancer? We should ask Kaffy!

Is he a comedian? Nah!

Is he a renowned Red Carpet Host, Compere, Entertainer of some sort? Maybe! Maybe!! Maybe!!!

Is he a TV Presenter?  Well, I’m not so sure either. However, I have read and heard him being called a TV personality. Like, On Air Personalities, what do TV personalities do?  In one breath, it’s called presenting… a show, programme, presenting something.  Wikipedia says he presents a programme on Channel O (Does presenting one programme on TV make one a TV presenter by profession? Just asking!).

Is Denrele a Nigerian brand? Definitely, Yes! He sure belongs to the Nigerian Entertainment Industry.

In building brands, professionals usually recommend solutions such as differentiation, positioning, creating consistent communications, creating uncontested market (what Authors W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne call Blue Ocean) and aligning brand personality with associations and affiliations amongst other things. All these are attributes of the Denrele brand.

Over the years, we all have known Denrele as the guy with the unusual hair, strapped leather clothing and platform shoes (a strong contradiction to male fashion trends in this age). In short, the guy with the craze sha. Yet, we all know Denrele to be a vital part of this budding entertainment industry. 

Can we learn a few lessons from his brand? Definitely, Yes!

1. Originality:  Great brands are true to themselves – new, exciting and known for at most, one thing. They create a strong positioning and stick with it. This is exactly what Denrele stands for. We have known him to be unusual, extra ordinary, with some subtle touch of ‘demonstration of craze’, laced with an interesting personality and creating a niche for himself. That’s what great brands should be, that’s ‘what’ Denrele is.
2. Glocal: Truly Nigerian, Proudly African, Interestingly International, Graciously Global …that’s what Denrele has projected. A brand that stays close to his origin and has favourably presented itself to the world.  Denrele has maintained his real name over the years, spoken our Nigerian type of English (not feigning some foreign accent) and blended his brand well with an ‘international dress code’. That’s a classic case study of a local brand with a global outlook. 
3. Consistence: The quality of always behaving the same way or projecting the same thoughts and manners is an important rule of thumb for great brands. I have never seen or can never imagine Denrele without his hair or clothing or wedge shoes neither do I imagine him presenting a TV health or sports programme. Following through a cause committedly, unwavering and undauntedly makes every brand strong in his (its) category.

To build sustainable brands in this dynamic world, Denrele has proven that a few vital recipes must be considered! To stand out, we as individuals or corporates need a transfusion of Denrele’s blood. Create value, add value, be real, be you consistently. Like great brands and great brand icons, we must strive to bring new perspectives to things, be innovative, take the lead, stand for something unique and different and above all, think value!

 On a last note: Dare, Different, ‘Denrele’. That’s what we must always strive to be – in our own way.