To encourage youth creativity and drive, Cadbury’s leading candy brand, Tom Tom, on March 24 kicked off a virtual campaign tagged: ‘Breathe For It’.
Moderated by Motolani Alake, Editor, Strategic Partnerships and Lead, Pulse Podcast Network at Pulse Nigeria, key industry players shared insights for success within the entertainment sector, at the event aired for entertainment lovers and stakeholders to watch from the comfort of their homes. The panelists included rapper, Reminisce Alaga, Osagie Alonge, Foza Fawehinmi, Excel Joab and Focus Ramon.
Cadbury’s Category Lead (Gum and Candy) in West Africa, Morolake Emokpaire, gave more insight into the company’s decision to champion the engagement. She said: “The reception we got from the audience on the summit, further emphasizes the reason we launched the “Breathe For It” campaign, which is to inspire, focus and build clarity in the pursuit of what Nigerian youth love. Our panelists were spot on in their delivery. You will agree with me that conversations about the music industry have to be made because it has become one of our largest exports as Nigerians and Africans.
“As we aim to engage more Nigerian youth to breathe deeply no matter the challenges they face, we have lined up activities like MTV Base Cypher that is ongoing, “Breathe for It” Verses Challenge 2.0, which is about to start, and so much more for them to show their talents in what interests them the most.”
Speaking at the summit, Alonge posited that the evolution of Afrobeat is a combination of the creatives, creative managers, brands and technology. On his part, Excel Joab explained the role of technology in the Nigerian music industry and its evolution in the last seven years, noting that people have started to see the value of music, which is why they subscribe to streaming platforms. While Reminisce Alaga viewed artists and producers as the drivers of the industry, Focus Ramon encouraged the wider Nigerian community to stop devaluing the hard work producers and sound engineers put into creating songs. Foza Fawehinmi highlighted the need for players in the industry to be intentional and hardworking to attract more investors who can contribute to building an efficient structure that enhances the efforts of current active stakeholders.
The event, which saw Reminisce perform his trending song, Hustle, also ushered in a new era for Mani Lapussh, as the summit marked the premiere for his and Rema’s new song collaboration. This is one of the many benefits of his signing a contract as Tom Tom Boy.