Do you wonder the correlation between the Nigerian music star, Naira Marley and branding? That’s because we think Naira Marley has built an incredible brand in a short time. His brand is not just popular but has wide acceptance by both the “street” and a good number of those in the corporate world. Recently, the highly talented classical musician, Asa claimed to be a Marlian. Why has this brand gone so viral and keeps building traction? Wouldn’t it be great If your brand/business can apply the idea behind this to build a more attractive brand? Let’s show you how.

A Resonating Brand Name
the name Naira Marley was coined from the Nigerian currency, Naira, and the reggae hero, Bob Marley (Naira + Marley). The name appears to be aimed at positioning Naira Marley as Nigeria’s “street” music hero; just as Bob Marley is to reggae songs. The name supported his entrance into the Nigerian music industry. How can you apply this to your business or brand? Choose a name that reflects what you are about. A short and expressive name always does the work. A major guide in choosing a brand name is to ask yourself, “what feeling/meaning do I want people to have when they hear my name?” I was once asked what my business name is in an interview. I replied “Scrutiney”. And she asked, “are you saying you are very detailed?” You know what my answer is (winks*). That’s should be the goal in choosing a brand name. I know some of you may ask, “is it not too late to change my brand name?” “oh! too many people know my brand name already”. I hear that always. In 2019, a well know ride-hailing company, Taxify changed their name to Bolt. Why? The name no longer serves them. If changing your name will help position your brand in the right light, please take the leap.

A User-based Slogan/Tagline
By nature, we are more attached to slogans that speak directly to us, our needs, and desires. Naira Marley calls his fans Marlians. Who is a Marlian? Someone who doesn’t play by the rules, someone who lives on his own terms. The name even comes with certain physical attributes, such as not wearing belts. Sounds crazy? Maybe. However, this slogan has worked well in making people buy into Naira Marley’s brand. Being called a Marlian has become a kind of cool/street thing.
What should you learn from this? Be deliberate in choosing a slogan that focuses on your customers; a word or phrase they can feel connected to. Nike, the American sports wear brand witnessed an unusual rise in their market share (from 18% to 46%) the year they launched their new slogan, “Just Do It”. This slogan is one of the best in the entire world. It inspires people to go for their dreams.


Unique Brand Tone/Communication
When you hear “inside life”, “mafo”, you need no one to tell you Naira Marley is on that song. He has a collection of words he uses to spice up his songs. You can also create a set of words people can use in identifying your brand. For us at Scrutiney, we can hardly make a sentence without the word “detail” and “simple”. It is a very powerful thing for your brand to be associated with a word. It makes you the trusted guy when people need something associated with that word. Example: Target — cheap clothing, Rolex — luxury watches, etc.
Building a great brand does not happen just once. It takes consistent innovation. At Scrutiney, we build unconventional brand identity (logos, websites, etc), and we create highly converting marketing campaigns. We would love to hear from you if you need help in growing your brand. See what we do Here : www.scrutiney.com
Drop us a line at hello@scrutiney.com if you need ideas to build that brand of your dream.