I LEARNED TWO LESSONS FROM DAVIDO’S BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

1. HUMILITY

2. ADDING VALUE TO PEOPLE

Davido is arguably the richest Nigerian artist and one of the richest in Africa. He wields international value and amazingly his net worth is
40 million Dollars (23 billion FCFA).
Asking his friends and artists he’s helped in the past to send him money for his impending birthday may be just fun, he’s just enjoying the buzz but he’s succeeded to stack up a staggering sum of money.
This was a smooth run because he had actually added value to the donors’ lives.
It went so easy and social media has accorded salience to what he did. The widespread salience should be a lesson to you.

It is an eye-opening act which other artists will probably like to replicate but in which ecosystem?

An environment where artists believe they are  bigger than fans ?
An environment where an artist feels he’s bigger than the media ?
An environment where artists are destroying relationships with their colleagues ?
An environment where “big artists” refuse to uplift “small artists” ?

Davido has amassed considerable value over the years and everyone will like to ally with his brand. Albeit his achievements in life, he still has that low view of his importance and unassuming in his status as one of Africa’s biggest artists.
That’s being modest and our artists should emulate.
Remember “A great man is always willing to be little”. Ralph Waldo Emerson said.
There is just no need to show off when you already know who you are. The value you possess is conferred to you by the fans, friends and stakeholders. Be cautious when you tread on that path. Value you give , value you get.

Conversely, an artist who arrogantly tells his fans he’ll refund the money they paid for his show is already annihilating soft spots.
Davido is leveraging his humility to make millions in few hours, something most of Cameroonian artists won’t do.
It all depends on how you build relationships with fans, friends and stakeholders.

Donation-based Crowdfunding has become a staple in the music industry but it is far from being embraced in Cameroon.
It is utilized by hundreds of creatives to generate money for projects.
However, some artists feel uncomfortable with this entire concept maybe because of pride or considering it as “Begging”. It won’t be viewed as “Begging” when you’ve once added value to the donor.
Even when a Cameroonian artist is starving, he won’t stoop that low.
Tilla took the daring step to raise funds for a music project and received bashing for being a beggar. By putting out good music , creating a love bond with your fans and people around you, you are actually adding value in their lives.
Even the famous German composer Beethoven depended heavily on the patronage of just a few wealthy noblemen to make a living.
Life should be about serving others, adding value in people’s lives and helping them to enhance their qualities to be better.

#nexdimempire