It's Tessanne's brand first

Aubyn Hill,  Financial Gleaner Columnist

What a voice she has. She is the Voice. What a brand she can become. And as a famous calypsonian from another era and another country would affirm, there is 'big money' in that there voice and brand.

After many consecutive weeks of showcasing her splendiferous voice and wonderfully warm personality on NBCs 'The Voice', Tessanne has become a well-known name to millions other than Jamaicans at home and the diaspora.

In the process she has enhanced Brand Jamaica, too.

Jamaica Tourist Board's budget for maybe the past five years or more couldn't pay for the value of the fantastic 'free advertisement' the country's brand received. This was pure 'bread and butta'.

At times like this, there is a riot of discussion as to how we can use the Tessanne success to boost Brand Jamaica. Often times, there is a collective national moan, with a few groans, that we have misused Jamaican talent that was embodied in such persons as Bob Marley.

The brand hustle is a recurring conversation every time Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, over even when a Spelling Bee champion does well abroad - before the recent rule changes.

It is a very natural phenomenon for the ordinary country folks of heroes and heroines to search for avenues, and to try to find ways how the country can benefit from the very public and international success of one of their nationals who is an acclaimed winner.

Jamaica's national brand has been enhanced by Harry Belafonte, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Herb McKinley, Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and we are now glowing in Tessanne's outstanding achievements.

In the mid-1980s, on one of my first visits as a young banker to Saudi Arabia, the Arabic-speaking male customs agent had no clue where Jamaica was - or that it was even a country.

I tried "near Cuba" since at the time Saudi Arabia was rabidly anti-communist, but no luck; he tried Nigeria - I supposed based on my skin colour and the hair I had then - but that wasn't it, nor any other of the African countries he knew.

He also tried America and, with nothing else to try, I mentioned Bob Marley. The poor man's eyes almost bulged out of his head. After what was a cold exchange for me wanting to enter his marvellous Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he became effusive in Arabic.

My new-found Saudi friend - former starchy face - now quickly stamped my passport with the entry visa, left his window and the other prospective visitors to the Kingdom in line, escorted me to the curb, hailed a taxi and gave the driver strict instructions to take me to the Hyatt Hotel - the only two words I understood - and bade me a warm goodbye.

Bob Marley was and is an awesome Jamaican super ambassador, still. His worldwide acceptance and cult following burnish Jamaica's brand.

Super ambassadors

Think of how Michael Jackson, Madonna, Beyoncé, Michael Jordan, Lebron James, David Beckham and Leonard Messi have managed their brands. The first thing you notice is that, unlike China, the former Soviet Union and North Korea, the countries of these mega celebrities play catch-up well after these stars are shining brightly.

Michael Jackson was the quintessential brand manager and tore away like the Aurora Borealis when he launched Thriller.

Madonna could well take the crown for being the Machiavelli among celebrity brand managers, and Beyonce must then be the social media queen for launching her latest album on iTunes, taking everyone by surprise, and watching it shoot to No. 1 almost immediately.

Michael Jordan paved the way as to how to manage one's personal brand and get paid more from endorsements than from the enormous pay packages he negotiated as the pre-eminent player of his sport of basketball.

As ever, there is the other side of personal brand management. Tiger Woods' outstanding career got derailed because of his unmanaged, or poorly managed, sexual appetite for women other than his wife - sort of like former President Bill Clinton.

Dudus' brand management model brought him power, wealth, notoriety and a long jail time in the, arguably, safer American penitentiary.

Then there is the lovely and fabulously talented Tessanne. When asked by The Gleaner about attaining stardom when other Voice winners have not, she said: "I believe each person is different and my story will be what I make of it."

Our down-to-earth songbird sounds rather sensible and realistic. She must be cognisant of the fact that she will need advice and assistance, however, she must be absolutely clear that she must manage firmly her own career.

My concern for young celebrities and stars is that they and their technical advisers are not necessarily good or experienced money and investment managers.

Tessanne and others must manage their money well to give them financial sustainability.

Beyoncé, Madonna, David Beckham and Kobe Bryant would likely be less bright stars if they were less wealthy.

Fraser-Pryce, Bolt and Tessanne Chin, note well and continue to manage persons and careers smartly, carefully and wisely.

Aubyn Hill is the CEO of Corporate Strategies Limited and was an international banker for more than 25 years. Email: writerhill@gmail.com Twitter: @HillAubynFacebook: Facebook.com/Corporate.Strategies.