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Senior Arts Reporter

Esteem Communications, an advertising and brand management company, is working with various arts stakeholders and musicians to revitalise the arts sector.

The company, which is managing various brands across the sectors, is championing brand communication campaigns and generating content that ensures effective brand communication and reach, while adding value to the careers of musicians through facilitating endorsement deals and championing marketing campaigns for brands.

In an interview, Esteem Communications founder and managing director, Takemore Mazuruse, said they were buoyed by their strides to date and look forward to exciting times as they add value to the local creative industry and the economy at large.

“Esteem Communications is a dream factory, we believe in the potential of every individual and brand and we are happy to be working with local musicians and creatives towards brand synergies and professionalism that allows for effective content creation and brand communication,” said Mazuruse.

“As a company, we believe in the potential of the local creative industry and that with the right support we can become a viable industry that contributes to the growth of the economy. We have seen what Hollywood has done to the American economy and even closer to home in South Africa, the results are there for all to see.

“We are happy to be transforming and professionalising the work of local artistes while growing their creative potential.”

Mazuruse, a seasoned brand strategist, said they managed to seal encouraging deals with some of the big names in the local arts industry under their‘Esteemed Brands campaign which borders on celebrating excellence and productivity across sectors.

“One of our greatest undoing in Zimbabwe is failure to celebrate our own and the milestones that we are making even amidst the Covid-19 challenges. As a wholly indigenous owned company, our thrust is to celebrate who we are as a people while adding value to the national economy.

“We are happy to be working with some of the big names in the local creative industry like Madzibaba Nicholas Zakaria and Alick Macheso, as well as other established and upcoming artistes whose work we are transforming through professionalism, effective content creation and management, as well as facilitating endorsement deals and marketing campaign opportunities for them.”

Through the Esteemed Brands campaign, Mazuruse said they will focus on celebrating efforts by Zimbabwean brands across the sectors. “Every enterprising brand, be it in business, arts or the development sector must be celebrated and through this campaign we will help tell the Zimbabwean story and add value to our partners,” he said.

“We don’t necessarily get to handle the day to day running of musicians’ business, but we bring a certain professional dimension through managing their corporate affairs and ensuring that they run professionally.

“We work with various brands in the arts, corporate and development sectors and that has allowed us to facilitate meaningful synergies for the arts industry.”

Zakaria said he was happy to be working with the creative agency. “Creative work is business and we are happy to be working with one of the most respected advertising agency and brand development company in Zimbabwe as we seek to entrench our position as a leading sungura music outfit,” he said.

“Since our engagement with these guys in 2019, a lot of good has come our way as Khiama Boys. We have won our first ever three awards under their management and we have also signed a number of corporate deals with big local brands.

“Enquiries for international shows are also on the high and we pray that the Covid-19 situation improves so that we explore that.”

Young gospel music power couple Ellard and Sharon Cherayi who recently signed a similar arrangement with the organisation shared their trust in the agency and promised exciting innovations in the sector.

“We are a young gospel music couple and we are pastors at our church, but we don’t doubt the potential that the music sector has,” they said. “We just have to be professional and that’s why we are happy to be working with Esteem Communications. They have proved their mettle over the years and as seasoned musicians dating back to our days at Zimpraise, we want to bring a whole new vibe to the local creative space.

“We have seen a lot of recycled concepts, but as young musicians we are saying we can do a lot better as Zimbabweans. Zimbabwe is a beautiful country blessed with a beautiful and industrious populace and the best way we can contribute to that good is through championing entertaining and value adding concepts as musicians and creatives.”