MODELS & VIDEO VIXENS SURVIVING IN AN INDUSTRY THAT UNDERPAYS

The significant roles of models in the demand and supply chain of products and services in any society cannot be over emphasized. They play a major part in the promotion and advertisement of brands across board. I am of the opinion that they are arguably one of the unsung heroes when a brand becomes successful. Whether it’s runway, glamour, fitness, bikini, promotional or commercial print modeling, models are one of the major influencer that attract target audiences to purchase goods and services. If advertisement is instrumental to the success of brands, then we can conclude that the use of models to communicate advertisement is very important to the breakthrough of brands as well.

In today’s music industry dominated by hip-hop vibes, the influence of hip-hop models and video vixens is enormous. It does not matter if morally you concur to that profession or not, the fact remains, as long as sex sells and hip-hop music continues to be prominent, video vixens will continue to be in demand; like the saying, ‘Don’t hate the player, hate the game’. Arguably, it will be hard to separate the importance of hip-hop models and video vixens from the success of a hip-hop music video. To be candid, vixens drive massive viewership to hip-hop music videos. Vixens indirectly generate income for artistes from YouTube; they drive audiences to show up at concerts and are also significant to the amount of income artistes receive in royalties from television networks

As several multinationals continue to make inroad into Africa and especially Nigeria to establish and increase their market share, it will not take a rocket scientist to realize that marketing budgets will increase and in so doing, models will be in demand. The influx will also benefit artistes by making money from various activations and brand endorsements. As artistes continue to make money, they will be shooting more videos and by so doing video vixens will have opportunities to make more money as well.
Ideally, this is how the story should read but the reality on ground tells a different story.

Considering the amount of work they put in, models and video vixens are not getting the reward they deserve because their industry lacks proper regulation and much deserved recognition. This limitation is not out of the ordinary; the music industry, disc jockeys, and also the photography industry have all passed through this hurdle.

There was once a time when artistes received peanuts to entertain and disc jockeying was not seen as a premium profession. There was a time when the art of photography could not be respected more than the way they are viewed in campuses but today the story is different. Gone are the days when no child dares tell his or her parents that they intend to choose any of those professions. Today, music, disc jockeying and photography have become high earning jobs. Who knows, models and video vixens may be making more than enough from their industry in the nearest future. In my quest to understand the state of the modeling and video vixen industry in Nigeria, I sat with several models, video vixens, and their various managers to understand the progress they have made and the difficulties limiting their profession. With the existence of several modeling agencies and the encouraging numbers of hip-hop models/vixens/dance groups, it’s obvious that the country is churning out a considerate amount of models and video vixens in this country, which begs the question; why are most of them underpaid despite the fact that there is demand for their services?

The general consensus is that they earn less most times because most of their clients seldom want to pay them professionally. Clients constantly request professional services from models and video vixens but they don’t want to pay with the same rules.

They (client) always request for the best that suits their target. They want the finest that portrays their brands. The models and video vixens in that level have invested on their own brands to tick those boxes. They have expended a lot physically and mentally to fit that bill, so why won’t they want to pay? While some clients pay pretty well, other don’t because they think they will go for any random or desperate few to give them professional services which often they don’t get. Most clients need to wake up to the realization that this is a professional industry’ – words from a video vixen’s manager who wants to remain anonymous.

Despite the fact that the industry lacks proper structure, people are still making little  money. Some dancers and video vixens are still doing about two to three  jobs in a week earning close to one hundred thousand, so imagine if the structure is right, more money will be made.

I feel our industry is still in a baby stage  same as the music industry in cameroon. I feel the need for a structure that treats us as professionals is needed for us to compete globally. By this I imply price, quality, time, recognition and most importantly RESPECT. Our content is now being exported  and the world is receiving it with open arms’.

To progress, we would need stronger platforms to learn, enhance and transfer skills to upcoming models and vixens. We aint gon’ be here forever. We need to enlighten Cameroonians that models/vixens are not music video add-ons, prostitutes, or escorts rather we are the art expressing an artiste’s content. It takes a lot more than a beautiful face or body to stand in front of a camera and interact. To move forward, models/vixens and producers should always work with respect and professionalism so we don’t keep passing the wrong message to the society about our industry’