Media entrepreneur and Founder of Oneplay Africa, Nana Yaw Wiredu, says Ghanaian artistes who venture into businesses outside music need strong management structures to prevent their entrepreneurial ambitions from taking a toll on their music careers.
Speaking on Breakfast Café on Woezor TV, hosted by Evergreen Asantewaa, Wiredu cited Sarkodie’s attempts to expand into fashion and bottled water as examples of the challenges artistes face when balancing music with other business interests.
“We have seen Sarkodie try to do a fashion brand. It didn’t work. We’ve seen Sarkodie try to do a water brand, HOLIC H2O. It didn’t work. Not because he can’t do it, because when you venture into such spaces for so long, what happens is that the music becomes a challenge. Now you have to find a way of balancing going to the studio, running the business,” he said.
In January 2013, Sarkodie announced plans to venture into the bottled-water business with a product named HOLIC H2O. The announcement was reported at the time, with images of the branded bottled water shared publicly. The announcement followed his growing interest in business beyond music and came in the same period that he was preparing to launch his clothing line.
In April 2013, Sarkodie officially unveiled his Sark clothing collection, designed by fashion entrepreneur Yas. The collection featured items including shirts, caps, sneakers, belts and other apparel.
Reflecting on the demands of running businesses alongside an active music career, Wiredu stated that artistes cannot be expected to manage every aspect of their ventures themselves.
Nana Yaw Wiredu Cites Sarkodie’s Sark Collection to Explain Why Artistes Need Strong Business Structures
Media entrepreneur and Founder of Oneplay Africa, Nana Yaw Wiredu, has cited Sarkodie’s experience with his Sark Collection fashion business to highlight the challenges musicians face when balancing entrepreneurship with the demands of their music careers.
Speaking on Breakfast Café on Woezor TV, hosted by Evergreen Asantewaa, Wiredu stated that artistes who venture into other businesses need strong management teams and operational structures to ensure their additional interests do not take attention away from music.
He referenced Sarkodie’s attempts to establish businesses outside music, including his fashion label, Sark Collection, and the announced bottled-water product, HOLIC H2O.
Sark Collection was launched in April 2013 in partnership with fashion entrepreneur Yas, with an unveiling ceremony and fashion show at Aphrodisiac Night Club in Accra.
The collection featured men’s clothing and accessories, including shirts, jeans, sneakers, caps, belts and sportswear. At the launch, Sarkodie announced that the brand was a partnership involving Yasmine and Lee, and expressed confidence in its prospects.
A Sark Collection shop was also established in Dzorwulu, giving fans and fashion enthusiasts a physical location to purchase the products.
However, by July 2016, the clothing line was reported to be inactive. Sarkodie explained at the time that the business was undergoing rebranding and restructuring, citing difficulties with getting products to customers because the operation was largely based around its physical shop.
Against this background, Wiredu said the challenge for artistes is not necessarily their ability to venture into business, but finding a way to manage those interests alongside the demands of an active music career.
“We’ve seen Sarkodie try to do a fashion brand. It didn’t work. We’ve seen Sarkodie try to do a water brand, HOLIC H2O. It didn’t work. Not because he can’t do it, because when you venture into such spaces for so long, what happens is that the music becomes a challenge. Now you have to find a way of balancing going to the studio, and running the business,” he said.
Sarkodie had also announced plans to introduce HOLIC H2O bottled water in January 2013, with images of the branded product shared publicly at the time.
Wiredu maintained that artistes cannot personally oversee every aspect of their businesses while remaining fully committed to their creative careers.
“A proper system, a structure behind an artist is what makes the artist. It’s not the artist,” he stressed.
He explained that a capable team allows an artiste to concentrate on creating music while the business operations are handled by people with the relevant expertise.
NanaYaw Wiredu’s comment points to a wider challenge in the entertainment industry: fame can open doors to business opportunities, but sustaining those ventures requires planning, effective management and structures that do not depend entirely on the celebrity.
His comments formed part of the “Famous Is Not a Brand: Turning Popularity into Lasting Value” discussion on Woezor TV’s Breakfast Café.
He pointed to the importance of having competent people and systems in place to manage business operations, allowing artistes to concentrate on their core craft without neglecting the ventures they establish.
His comments formed part of the “Famous Is Not a Brand: Turning Popularity into Lasting Value” discussion on Woezor TV’s Breakfast Café.
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