Being able to translate one’s social media influence into the language of dollars and cents is a skill fast being mastered by a new generation of Namibian celebrities.
Malukolo Herman, better known as King Gucci, is part of the country’s new school of influencers who are using their following to bring home the bacon.
A dancer, actor, model and now salesman, King Gucci refers to himself as a content creator.
With a large Instagram following, his fans eagerly await his comedy skits, social commentary, satirical news and reaction videos – done mostly in Oshiwambo.
At times, he incorporates brands into his material to connect them to his audience. This type of subliminal advertising is called influencer marketing, and is used to “drive brand message and awareness to a specific market of consumers”, according to pixlee.com, a site that helps brands manage their relationships with their consumers.
It is not a new concept, but in today’s social media age, the industry is becoming more lucrative. According to forbes.com, it is effective because consumers are growing increasingly sceptical of big brands.
“Having an influencer who your target market already trusts and engages with every day is crucial,” states Forbes.
With over 42 000 followers on Instagram, @King_Gucci_Official’s engagement rate (the percentage of his followers who interact with his posts) is 4,53%. The average for someone with that many followers is about 2,15%, according to phlanx.com, an online marketing platform that gives analytics and full audits of social media sites.
His posts receive on average 1 904 likes and 27 comments, his videos get close to 25 000 views, while on YouTube, his dance video for group One Blood’s song ‘Kangaroo’, co-starring fellow comedian Cassie Jessica, has over 631 000 views.
He notes the key is being unique and genuine, which is what has turned him into such a bankable brand.
“I’m financially independent now. I can make decisions from my own pocket,” he says in celebration of the fact that he is no longer reliant on his parents.
For a single post on King Gucci’s Instagram page, be prepared to fork out a four- to five-figure sum for well-crafted comical content.
So far this year, he has starred in music videos for musicians Gazza and King Elegant, promoted mobile telecommunications giant MTC’s 4G campaign, promoted the Aquafest and partnered with Namibian firm AfriNam Marketing and IT Solutions as part of their Influencers Hub.
He hosts events, makes official appearances and dances. He has also been nominated as a favourite comedian at the 2019 Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion Awards. A life he never dreamt of until last year.
“I just made the first video because I thought it was something relatable. Not because I thought it was funny,” he said.
In early 2018, King Gucci’s video was uploaded to the Instagram page WamboesBeLike. It was called ‘ekumbatha lyo portal’ and told the relatable and humorous tale of a student lying to his grandmother to get money out of her.
The WamboesBeLike account is currently followed by more than 114 000 people, and King Gucci’s video raked in the numbers, leading to him eventually partnering with them.
Bruno Nghimwena, co-founder of WamboesBeLike, said that what makes King Gucci’s content successful is his originality.
“People can’t get enough because it’s relatable and extremely funny.”
At the time of first going viral, King Gucci did not even have an Instagram account. He said he did not know much about the site, but when he saw the reaction to his video, he quickly signed up.
From there, his followers grew fast. He then made another video about a celebrity feud. His following doubled and he entered a whole new world by late last year.
Despite the major exposure, though, he says he hasn’t changed. He has always been a humble and funny person, greatly inspired by his father’s humour.
“But the only person I find really funny in the comic world is Cassie Jessica,” he says of his fellow content creator and comedian.
He hopes to keep inspiring the youth and creating content people can relate to.
“I’m planning to make comedy movies that are not only for Namibia, but for the world.”
Catch King Gucci at the Kasi Party Vol. 2 at Ondangwa from 2 to 4 August.
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