The Top Celebrities Who Have The Biggest Personal Brands

The glitz, glamour that every celebrity seems keen to portray in showbiz could lie that the industry is a level playing field once you make it.

However, the even in this idolized industry even at the top level there are lanes and the best are those who have managed to rise above the industry, above companies and record labels and became powerful brands in their own right. Brands you could attach a certain quality and feeling too. These are people who have become symbols in their own right. Well ladies and gents, here are Kenya’s biggest walking brands;

Jeff Koinange MBS

juliani

Long before Jeff Koinange had an MBS after his name, he was worldwide popular and skilled and even had an Emmy for it. However, it was only after he landed on the bench and made us his cast or props for his captivating plots that he became a household name in Kenya. Suddenly talk shows became interesting and we had someone like a cult figure without being a politician, interesting to watch without being a comedian, interesting to hear without being PLO Lumumba. That Jeff is a brand is attested to the fact that he was arguably the only reason most watched K24 when he was there and when Jeff Koinange Live came through it was something else. You will struggle to get another self-branded talk show with as much popularity. You are a brand if you do an advert for a product and people discuss you more than the product you are advertising and the product advertises your skill as in ‘where is the Tusker advert I see Jeff acting.’

Churchill

Before JKL there was CL. Churchill is such a brand he stopped cracking comedy and gave a show his name took a back seat and we still find it funny. Whether it is a kids’ festival an adult’s themed night, a play or a just a random gig, the name Churchill makes it legit and a must follow if you lack the convenience to attend. You are a brand if people get annoyed when the president chooses to deliver a State of the Nation address when you are about to come on. He has gone from just a household comedian name to a unifying factor, a platform and a reputable and influential authority.

Julie Gichuru

Unfortunately the only lady in the group. Fortunately, it is her and she ably bears the task. Even when it appeared she had peaked, with the boardroom position and the Sunday Live segment, she came up with African dialogues and great debaters and then went beyond the studio and TV platform. Such is her brand she would easily be the face of anything great around these parts and you would bet her brains to deliver. She may have her gaffes when conducting interviews that call for firm direct probing but that doesn’t stop us welcoming her every Sunday to our living rooms.

Juliani

Juliani the artiste among his fellow artistes is arguably the first among several equals. Juliani the brand is indubitably heads and shoulders above the rest. The gospel, conscious hip hop artiste whose name can be placed alongside Agriculture and not just feel correct but have the desired impact, make farming cool to the youths. His numerous initiatives, across cutting appeal and international environmental and poverty eradication roles have seen his stick rise at the national and international level to iconic status.

Willy M Tuva

Is there a bigger radio personality than Willy M Tuva with such regional appeal? No Sir, I hear you say and I would have stopped there but allow me to play the court poet. Such is personal standing and appeal, you no longer think of his show with the Royal Media Services or Citizen image in your mind. MsetoEA stands alone. When you hear someone talk about Willy M Tuva, it is not with the same distant feeling they would attach to another celebrity, to the masses, he is Mzazi, said with the warm adoration and familiarity you attach to your beloved reliable brand.

Dr. Chris Kirubi alias DJ CK

He is the only billionaire and knight in the list and the only business magnate whose name fetches the traction in boardrooms as well as in blogs.  The average person in the streets knows Chris Kirubi and knows that he is a billionaire with a number of top businesses but will hardly name more than two, a pointer to a person who has transcended the industry to be a powerful brand himself. Easily identifiable both by trait and face are a mark of a strong brand and such is Chris Kirubi. I would love if he did is autobiography, it would be a good parallel to Njenga Karume’s biography ‘A handful or terere.’

Dr. Paul Tergat

Yes, this list does have a place for a living legend. He may not be turning up on the international circuits and games but he still carries the aura of a champion and the suaveness of an accomplished statesman. He is icon defined and makes brand appeal look like an expensive silk suit only the special few get to wear. His Johnny Walker Giant induction video takes you back more than a Thursday can ever do.

‘You know you are influential if you dominate a conversation if without being present.’