Its much easier to take someone else’ brand which already has an appeal and a set marketing DNA and adapt it to S.A (after all we are part of a global community) but it really does nothing for us. Which made me take a second in thought and tip my hat to people who have succeeded in influencing pop culture. The fact that so few have procured this makes my mind comfortably lean on the fact that it cant be easy.
For my generation there was Loxion Culture, for these young’ins there is Amakipkip. Each to its generation provided a strong sense of identity, allowed us to be embodied yet not boxed. Whether you buy into the brand or not is irrelevant but the impression that Amakipkip has on our streets is unmitigated. When the Chinese find your product worth counterfeiting, id say your brand SHOULD be doing OK. Now whether the brand perception is matched in financial returns is a story for another day.
You are going to have to bare with me since the only thing I can make time for on TV is Greys Anatomy. Everything else ill catch on YouTube. If it ain't on YouTube? I guess it wasn’t that hot to begin with. So no, I never watched Street Journal nor did I catch a single episode of Real Goboza. My first introduction to the one half of Amakipkip, Siyabonga Ngwekazi was through his weekend breakfast radio show Siz n Scoop. How anyone over 23 can listen to the show? I hear you wondering. Well like everything else its in the art called filtering. As a loyal listener it was only a matter of time that Syabongas infectious personality would grow on me. His heart has completely won me over to the show.
Siya's rags to “doing not to shabby for himself” story is like many others. A man carried through tough times by his passions, talents and dreams. A lover of Basketball, Hip Hop and fashion. You can ignore a lot about him but you cannot ignore his eclectic sense of dress. His street dress sense is a culmination of Hip Hop culture meets basketball, the more “throwback”, the more he is likely to rock it. His formal dress sense straight out of Motown bravado. 
Like many of us who've seen or tasted the bitter taste of poverty, Siyas drive stems from his fear of being poor . As one of the founders of Amakipkip his awareness of the contextual view of clothing within South Africa is heartfelt. “In a country where majority of the people are poor, clothing brands become aspirational. So a lot of people know they might not get that car they want this year. But they can get that pair of branded jeans that they want ” says the 27 year old. To Rage.com he declared “I guess I’m always trying to be the first, even though I’ll encounter a lot of criticism”. A relentless self starter its easy to say success on one level or another was inevitable “Our business grew from some clients, to a room., to getting a stall in Rosebank, to the Magents shop, to a shop in Menlyn Mall and being at the OR Tambo Airport. We have grown, and its all thanks to the Joburg people, that’s what I love about Jozi. With the swagger and everything, now everyone is wearing it.”. Small beinnings should never be despised. The brand now has a nationwide reach through Cross Trainer stores
The fact that brands that are most active within youth and pop culture are alcohol promotions and cigarette brands is an insult to the great young minds of our generation. This ought to change. The sooner we start owning our brands within pop culture the more we can dictate the direction in which our culture is steered. The sooner we can own our deas, own our crafts. The more of us can echo the words of Siyabonga Ngwekazi in saying “I don’t dream no more, I'm living mine.”
Out of the 3 friends, Maverick got singled out. He found himself in the heart of public scrutiny and ridicule. Pronounced a failure before he could even started the job. I Marvel at his ability to focus on the job. Remaining neutral with the Media, never giving them ammunition for personal attack. Asked about his role as the leader of the team “I want people to know this is a management group, We work together as a team. Everything we do is a team effort and we run it as a business.”
Before being CEO of LRMR Carter was a basketball sports marketing field representative at Nike, working directly under the guidance of Lynn Merritt, the global head of Nike Basketball Sports Marketing (whom he still calls for advice). He was also actively involved in Nike’s efforts to expand the LeBron James brand through various marketing and promotional campaigns. So the union between the two in pursuit of creating a new financial model for the 21st-century athlete is not by default.
My business partner and closest friend has adopted a new principle, when it comes to social relations: Simply called “Look at the man next to the man” , now don’t confuse this man with a male groupie, the two are distinctly different, more often than never the man next to the man is just as smart, driven, much more authentic, just without ego.
I agree with this theory to a certain extent, but am conflicted. I have alpha male tendencies and there is something about “The Man’ that I simply can’t resist. Now let’s interrogate my stance further.
Lets take Lebron James for example.
His on court presence? Undeniably driven. When he is coming at you with a ball, you’d be a fool to stand in his way. Yet in all his skill and talent, Lebron most powerful weapon is his brain. James says his mental approach to the game is that which prioritises team success first.
His off court persona is that of a loyal lover, a doting son and an honourable father raising two kids with his long term girl friend and now fiancé Savannah Brinson. Contrary to his on court persona, his off court personality boarders on insouciant.
At the age of 22 most of us had just finished our degrees, fresh into a new job. At 22 Mr James was already basking in the overall sponsorship deals of about $170million (yeah some start REAL early) which included $90 mil from Nike, $15 from Coke, $6 mil from Upper Deck $4.5 mill from Bubblicious and 7.5 mill from Club Cadet this of course excludes his then salary of $13mill from the Cleaveland Cavalier . At the of 25 Lebron is the 3rd biggest name in sport after Tiger Woods and David Beckham.
So is all of this by chance?...me thinks not
He is armed with ambition. He wants to be the first billion dollar sports brand. which proves yet again. Success. Is. Intentional.
My appreciation for Lebron James, isn’t really founded on his on-court presence (haven’t really had interest in the game since the Kobe and Shaq break-up) but rather for his aggressive approach when it comes to the business and brand of Lebron James, the last on court man to take himself this seriously was Michael Jordan. With this swagger obsessed generation, Lebron is one of the few whose swagger far exceeds a couple of well co-ordinates outfits. At 22 he fired his management team and veteran agent Aaron Goodwin, the same man that got him a 90million dollar endorsement deal with Nike to hire 3 childhood friends, headed by a then 23yr old Marverick Carter (now 27)
He has made some fiercely smart moves since then, like reducing his tax liability by forming King James Inc, a holding company to contract with all endorsement partners. He has formed LRMR (a marketing company that keeps a pedantic eye on the King James Brand, doing market research every six months). LRMR has associated itself with top lawyers and accountants. You know you are in business when Warren Buffet says this about you “"I was amazed at how mature he was, not just physically but in financial matters. At 21, I wasn't remotely as mature as LeBron. Maybe at 51 I wasn't as mature as him, if Lebron was an IPO (Initial Public Offering), I’d buy it.”
As if that’s not enough, Nike has reshuffled their basketball division to give more resources to the King James brand, previously four of their staff were working on the Lebron account, they have now dedicated 150 people to work on the brand DAILY.
I don’t know about you, but if I'm reading all of this correct? Ill give the side guy a swift sweep and stick with THE MAN.
*Check our “Man next to the man post tomorrow”*
Thou shall invest in a timepiece
A simple stainless steel watch works beautifully with your jeans as well as your best suit.
Thou shall wear an undershirt
Because its what grown men do!
Thou shalt match your socks with your suit
When choosing socks, the basic rule is to consider the suit instead of the shoe—in other words, if you’re wearing a navy suit with black shoes, reach for navy socks. And when wearing a light suit, make sure the socks are darker than the suit but a shade or so lighter than the shoes.
