CABU GAH DIARIES: Vera Sidika,Huddah Monroe…Despite Their Soaring Popularities…Why Are Kenyan Corporate Companies Yet To Touch These Controversial Women? Or Work With Them?

In the capitalist society we live in, products must be sold. Clients must be approached. Stuff must be marketed. And businesses must run. And succeed. And rake in billions… Mostly, with the help of the media. Or powerful celebrities.

Kenya is a highly westernized Country that has mastered the art of product selling and large-scale Commerce.

And with that in mind… And the sort of celebrity endorsement that has been occasioned by Hollywood, Kenya has been quick to tow the line, follow the leaders, experiment and tap into the deep business potential found in her own superstars… In a bid to broaden business, pump up sales and reach new, uncharted markets.

And that’s where celebrities come in… Celebrities like Avril with Oriflame, Juacali with Orange, Wyre with SportPesa, Juliani with NIC Bank ,Sharon Mundia with Store 66 and Jalang’o with Safaricom among many other stars and corporates.

Over time, we have seen huge corporates come for some of our most powerful-and influential-celebrities in a bid to strike lucrative business deals with them in the way of product placement, endorsements and appointment to brand ambassador status.

And while it is has not yet been determined just how much profit these corporates have reaped from attaching local celebrities to their products and services, it must be noted that the mere fact that there still exists a contract between both parties means that these celebrities are good news to these corporates.

But there are at least two influential Kenyan celebrities who no one seems to want to touch.. At least not for a long term agreement and partnership;Vera Sidika and Huddah Monroe.

These are two of the most popular, powerful and influential women on Kenya’s entertainment scene and social media too.

Vera Sidika

They command hundreds of thousands of followers on all their social media accounts… Garner an upwards of 10,000 likes on all of their social media postings and are the most active and visible female stars we have.

But still… No endorsement deal. No corporate wants to touch them. No product is under their name and still, you wont find them on any major billboard in the City. Or swanky TV advert… Like Wahu. Or Size 8. You won’t see their face-or name-attached to any product. Or company.

Unlike in Hollywood where huge companies scramble to get endorsements, mentions and partnerships with/from the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Nene Leakes and Paris Hilton, here, no company is rushing to cash in on the popularity of either Vera or Huddah. Our equivalents of Kim Kardashian.

But according to Esther Mwende, one of Nairobi’s leading experts of Image and Communication, it all boils down to a company’s self respect and credibility.

“While having Vera or Huddah endorse your product would really reap huge results for you… And your products,companies are also not just after huge sales and profits but also maintaining respect and morality amongst Kenyan consumers”

Kim Kardashian-West

Sam Njagi,a PR consultant based in Nairobi also agrees.

“Kenyan companies don’t just work with you because you’re big.. And can very bring them business and sell their products fast, they also look at your name.. Your morals… How people perceive you and what sort of human being you are… At the end of the day.. “

Vera and Huddah are controversial women who are known to strip naked,pose semi-naked, get embroiled in nasty social media wars, dish out immoral advice and live recklessly and that may also be a determining factor in the case of endorsements by respectable companies.

“Most Kenyan companies want to be respected by the Kenyan society. Not just to make sales… Kenyan companies are very image-oriented. And very sensitive to social media backlash and bashing … ” Esther says.

” These companies are probably dying to have Vera endorse their products… Or Huddah wear their shoes.. Clothes… Promote their stores… But at the end of the day, it all boils down to image. If we put Vera as the Face of our product,it will sell… She will push units… She’ll boost our business but what does that mean to us.. How do people view us.. What are people going to say? Are we going to alienate our core, moral market? It’s a tricky situation. “

“Sure, it’s tricky… ” Sam adds. “You want business.. But you still want respect. Kenya is highly religious. And the Kenyan society is easily offended… No company wants to play that game.. That’s why they go for safe celebs… Size 8,Wahu…Avril.. They’re less controversial and more family-friendly… “

Sharon Mundia-Store 66 Ambassador

But this is business… Why does it matter?

” It matters… ” Esther says.” For the society we live in, It matters. Many companies don’t want to be associated with all these nudes and dramas and controversies and labels… Huddah and Vera have the greatest selling power in Kenya today. No other Celebrity has. No other… But still, the way they chose to live their lives makes them tricky people to work with… No one wants to touch all that drama… All that unpredictability… “

” You know there are some clubs in Hollywood that even Kim Kardashian is not welcome!!? ” Sam says.

” Yes, there are Hollywood clubs… Several Hollywood clubs actually that do not admit Kim Kardashian and the whole Jenner clan… It’s all about how serious a business takes itself, how a business wants to be viewed, who a business targets and what age group a business caters for… Many businesses, especially in Africa, hate to be associated with sleaze and scandal. And that’s what Vera and Huddah are known for.. “

But they get club gigs… I say

” Exactly. Club gigs… That’s All they can get.. Plus clubs are the havens of sleaze and dirt, really. Aren’t they!? ” Esther adds

“Companies also want to work with an available person… And not just available but also easy to work with… Easy to relate with…Look at the lifestyles that these socialites lead. Look at the way they live… They’re almost always out of the Country.. Almost always inaccessible by phone.. And are most definitely divas with crazy diva demands… Little Mariah Careys and J. Los. No one wants to keep running after someone… Trying to reach them in vain and trying to convince them of stuff in vain… ” Sam says.

In short,you’re saying that Vera and Huddah are hard to work with… I ask

“Exactly. They’re difficult… Unpredictable… Unsafe for business…”

Well, for a socialites.. It’s hard maintaining a proper public image and still feeding the fans what they want.

Being a socialite really does entail sleaze and controversy and the more of it you have, the higher your status and the more your star shines as a socialite. The crazier the better…

But still, it’s the same nature of your work that makes it hard for you to even work. Or reap any real fruits from your trade.

And while being a socialite appears to be a very remunerative job… Full of perks and goodies and the good life, it must also be noted that REAL business lies with the less controversial. Sometimes even the less famous…

“But I guess these girls get into this business with a particular motive…” Sam says. “They know what they are getting themselves into…They know they may never reap real millions from real huge Kenyan corporates…Given the nature of what they do…But they also look at the bigger picture…TV,International superstardom-or notoriety,appearance on huge,African music videos and Reality shows…etc…”

But we are yet to see them do that…I say,

“It’s a matter of time…” Sam says. “If Zari Hassan,the crazy Ugandan Socialite has re branded herself and gotten herself assimilated into the mainstream Ugandan culture…so will Huddah and Vera…It’s only a matter of time. Once we get over the shock and the novelty,even Safaricom will work with Huddah Monroe in a big way….Attitudes are changing”

Well,as Sam says,It’s only a matter of time…we shall simply wait and see…