Diana Yohannes on LinkedIn: Reqiq is a data storytelling platform, and this issue is on ride hailing… (2024)

Makes me laugh every time— I love this poke at how outrageous these LinkedIn bios are getting! Fitsum Admasu, when is your next LinkedIn Live on Emerging Trends in Cardiac Surgery? 😂

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What can marketers learn from the Kendrick-Drake rap beef?I'm not a rap enthusiast, but lyrical genius really speaks to my heart (which is why I think Kendrick ate Drake for breakfast AND won a Pulitzer Prize, but that's neither here nor there 😁).But there's a significant takeaway for #Ethiopian marketers, especially those who try to convince their clients to 'spend some to get some.' That's not always the way. Sometimes, you lose a lot to get even more. Kendrick teaches us this. How? Copyright.Kendrick, in an almost diabolically strategic approach, took the copyright off all of his diss tracks to Drake.By not claiming copyright, Kendrick:🔴 Forfeits earnings from direct sales of the track on platforms like iTunes, Amazon Music, and other digital stores.🔴 Nor will he be paid any royalties from streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.🔴 He forfeits performance royalties if the track is played on the radio, in public venues, or at live events.🔴 Kendrick also loses the ability to license the track for use in movies, TV shows, commercials, and other media.He's losing a lot. Why? What's in it for him? (although I can't speak for Kendrick, I think these are some takeaways from which we can all learn)🎯 He created accessibility and virality by allowing his diss track to be freely shared, remixed, and distributed across various platforms without legal repercussions.🎯 Diss tracks thrive on controversy and discussion. By making the track freely available, he ensured that it would become a hot topic in social media circles, forums, and music communities. The number of YouTube reaction videos is a testament to this!🎯 He gained so much respect! Why? Brand positioning!!! His move to remove the copyright was seen as a confident, bold statement, positioning him as an artist who prioritizes expression and impact over immediate financial gain. This is something money cannot buy!🎯 While Kendrick might lose out on direct revenue, the heightened visibility and engagement will absolutely lead to indirect financial benefits such as increased streaming of his other songs, higher ticket sales for concerts, and more merchandise sales.🎯 The cultural impact! In hip-hop culture, diss tracks are a significant part of the narrative and can become legendary. By removing the copyright, Kendrick ensured that his track could be a part of the cultural lexicon, sampled, referenced, and discussed for years to come. Again, something money can not buy! Diabolical!With that said, who do you think won?

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Every couple of months, I see someone asking this question in one form or another. "How is Selamta produced and published abroad? Why not here?" Although I'm surprised today's question comes from someone in the creative industry who should know exactly why this is not universally achievable by local agencies, for reasons within and outside their control, but the basis of the question itself— to me— is pure sentimentality and not pragmatism. Because, if we were pragramtic, we would easily understand why agencies would seriously struggle with this task— and, as those in the sector, I think talking about these reasons is much more productive rather than sentimentalizing why we don't produce this magazine locally. Let me jot down a list here off the top of my head— Resource limitations (there is but one or two studios in Addis, for example, that can fit and manage a large group of people for a creative photography assignment that is typical for a visual magazine like Selamta— and this is just one resource. Quality equipment, professional models, Adobe Creative Cloud that is not bootlegged, etc add to the list) Economic factor (I can't imagine how currency fluctuation alone would affect an exercise of this scale; and the way contracts are arranged here, this fluctuation kind of ends up being the agency's problem) Print quality(There is but only one print agency in Addis that has left me impressed each time, and we've tried quiet a few. But even the good ones struggle with resource limitation.) Print capacity Print consistency Print timeliness Exceptional layout design (a rare skill in Ethiopia, in my experience. Generally, creatives seem averse to InDesign or InCopy— the latter, many creatives haven't even heard of. Many creatives think layout design is being able to adapt a template.)Exceptional writing Exceptional copy editing Exceptional quality control Understanding travel writing (It's not really just about being someone who likes hiking who also happens to blog. Every specialized writer brings a unique skillset to the table. I don't believe we have highly specialized creatives in mass at this time. Our underestimation of these specialized forms of creativity is a testament to that.)Overall immaculate timeliness (literally our national Achilles heel)Flawless organizational workflow---If we want to participate on a global scale, we need to perform at that level. In this case, our deep understanding of local context or "local authenticity" is trumped by our many shortcomings. Up-and-coming creatives/agencies are typically more concerned about money and rising through the ranks rather than growing as a creative. This way, the focus shifts from process-oriented goals, which nurture creativity and systematic growth, to outcome-oriented objectives, which prioritize quick wins and settled contracts. There is a deeper conversation to be had, and we should focus on that.

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Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC stole from me, and I'm still not over it. At FIRMA, we're frequently hiring for one position or another. The project-based nature of our creative work, coupled with the normalized culture of high turnover in the sector, means we find ourselves working with new faces quite regularly. One such position that's been through the wringer in terms of hiring and firing is our writer position. This post— which I've left vacant for some time now, not wanting to put anyone, much less myself, through the motions— has been difficult to fill. I'll be the first to admit it— my standards are high (I didn't think they were, but four or five copywriters later, I'm willing to consider the possibility). I hate random capitalization, and passive voice in formal writing is the bane of my existence. Though I'm a repeat offender myself, I can not stand run-on sentences (they can be done tastefully, but it's the taste that's often lacking, but I digress). Oxford commas are non-negotiable. To me, these are some of the bare minimums. These are the "high standards." If you're wondering how Safaricom ties into all of this— stay with me. This company is the crux of all my woes. Around the end of 2022, I got a DM from Hawi. We struck up a conversation about writing. At this point, I had been heartbroken so many times by writers who write their own names in lowercase, so I didn't dare get my hopes up. But I set up a meeting anyway. By the end of our meeting, I resembled those smitten cartoon characters with bulging heart eyes. I was sold. Hawi was gentle and willing to learn, and when I read her samples, I learned that she had immense potential. No misplaced or abused commas here. I extended her an offer, and she accepted. Working with Hawi was the closest I'd ever felt to having someone on my team who just... got it! My tracked changes did not turn her off, and she had a bewildering excitement about her when I shared my criticism of her work. She rarely repeated a mistake, and I simply loved chatting with Hawi about everything else. Working with her, I often felt like I was spending time with someone who'd later become big— like I was J.J. Thomson and she was Oppenheimer. I considered the opportunity to work with her a privilege. All was well until... Safaricom. Hawi had enrolled in a graduate program, and midway through her tenure at FIRMA, she learned she'd been accepted. I knew this was an incredible opportunity for Hawi, an engineer by training. For a brief moment, I even considered launching our very own FIRMA Engineers by Training, Writers by Passion Graduate Trainee Program. Alas! Safaricom took away Hawi, and dashed any hopes I had of growing our editorial team in a meaningful way. This was about a year ago, and I'm still not over it! 😁 Anyway, all this to say, Hawi, you are sorely missed, and Safaricom, I hope you're treating her right! Happy Monday, everyone! Hold your best employees close! 😁

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"Rebranding" is not as common as we think. PSA: rebranding is not changing your logo!

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We should be voicing our complaints and criticisms more. Let me explain why. Today on Shai Buna. Thank you and enjoy.

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We're all talking about the symptoms, and avoiding the disease. Getting things off my chest today on Shai Buna. Thank you and enjoy (this slightly longer read).

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It needed to be said! 👏

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Please help me spread the word: Firma Media and Communications is hosting free professional portraits and headshots for female business owners, start-up entrepreneurs, and women in upper leadership positions throughout March! Recently, our colleagues at Reqiq Data and Insights embarked on a project to showcase women who have made notable strides over the past few years (shameless plug- check out their recent publication!). During this project, we identified a recurring challenge: the scarcity of quality professional headshots among women in business and leadership. This realization sparked an idea – what better way to honor and support women's professional journeys than by providing free professional portrait sessions at our studio?We are restricting this round to female business owners, start-up entrepreneurs, and women in upper leadership positions. Please sign up for your 30-minute session at the link below, and share it with a friend!https://lnkd.in/diqajkKJ

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