Whether you believe it or not, there is a disruption ongoing in the Nigerian comedy industry at the moment. This disruption is creating a new set of comedy talents hitherto where struggling for fame and fortune.
Wikipedia defines Disruptive innovation as an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market leading firms, products, and alliances. The term was defined and first analyzed by the American scholar Clayton M. Christensen and his collaborators beginning in 1995.
Years back, to be called a bonafide star in the comedy industry, you ought to have performed in shows like Nite of a 1000 laffs, Crack Ya Ribs, Basketmouth Uncensored and a host of others.
These days, the rule of the game has changed. A comedian who desires to remain relevant must start by maximizing social media, engaging with fans through irresistible comedy contents and remain consistent.
Before now the likes of Emmaohmygod, Arole, Josh2funny, Etinosa,Craze Clown, Oluwakaponeski and others were nothing more than youngsters who craved for stardom in the comedy industry . By deploying and virtually showing casing their craft on social media, these young Nigerians are rewriting the rules of stardom and ousting the already established comedians.
Let’s check out their social media followers and compare it to that of the already established ‘Big Boys’
As at the time of this report Craze Clown has 1.7m followers on his verified Instagram account
Koffi, a popular comedian has 35.6k followers on Instagram
Arole as the time of this report has 424,000 followers on Instagram , while an already established ‘Don’ like Julius Agwu has 287,000 followers on Instagram
Emmaohmygod as the time of this report has 369,000 followers on Instagram, while MC Abbey has 40,000 followers on Instagram
Here is the real deal, when brands are scouting for brand ambassadors comedians who have a huge social media presence and influence stand a higher chance than their already established colleagues. This is not about downplaying the contributions of these already established comedians to the growth of the industry these young folks now enjoy, this is simply a wake up call stating that the rule of the game has changed.
Speaking on how social media has changed his career, Arole said:”It has opened doors for me, I can’t deny that. It has put food on my table and that of my family as well. The greatest joy it gives me is that I make people happy. You have no idea how I feel when people stop me on the road to commend my efforts. I get clients a lot from this thing I do on social media. I anchor weddings and various events in all sectors. Churches also book for my services and they pay well. It is not just fame without money. It has given me a better chance at being called for events”.
Instagram comedian, Henry Obiefule, known as Chief Obi on social media, signed a $1 million endorsement deal with Vomoz Communications earlier this year.
“I have been endorsed as the first ever Vomoz Communications Brand Ambassador,” Chief Obi wrote in a post on his Instagram page.
“My people, hard work, focus and prayers always yield positive results! I can’t express how excited I am to have joined the @vomoz family,” he wrote.
In their article Barry titled How Platforms Will Disrupt the Future of Media and Entertainment , Libert, Megan Beck and Jerry (Yoram) Wind says:” For today’s social and video networks, the human network — you and me — is changing the entire business models of publishers, TV and radio broadcasters and even cable TV companies as well as content providers in entertainment, news and sports. The real question, then, is not whether broadcasters, advertisers and content providers will be disrupted by the power of us and what we produce and distribute — but how quickly?
“To put this in context, more than 20 years ago, the only outlet for individuals to broadcast their own personal and local interests was to use public access television channels or write letters to newspaper editors. But today, we hold a lot more power as broadcasters using digital outlets like Facebook Live, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. And for good reason. The old definition of broadcast and entertainment was simplistic: Content mainly came from the establishment and sent in one direction, to us. But that reality is changing as the media and entertainment and industries are being turned upside down and outside in”