The duo opened their clothing store in Toulouse on June 15. Between music, their upcoming festival in September, and their clothing brand, Bigflo and Oli are building a real marketing universe. Decryption with Mathieu Alemany Oliver, professor at Toulouse Business School.
The “Visionnaire” store was inaugurated on Wednesday June 15 in the historic center of Toulouse. At the head of this brand, the duo Bigflo and Oli as well as the artistic director Malick Seck.
Created in 2017 by the 3 friends, the brand has flourished with the online sale of clothing and accessories.accessories. Prosperity due to the growing success of the Toulouse duo
Combining business and music is nothing new, as Mathieu Alemany Oliver explains to us. This teacher heads the “management of cultural and creative activities” department at Toulouse Business School.
“Initially, American rappers quickly entered the business world. They created brands and got rich. They use a system that they denounce in their music. However, they remain creative, artists and they are like everyone else: they want to make money.“
For the teacher, Bigflo and Oli are from another generation. They have created a real universe that encompasses artistic creation and marketing:
“Bigflo and Oli were born in the consumer society. they have created a real universe that resembles them. We didn’t force them to build a marketing strategy. They capitalize on their brand image. An artist is like a brand. He seeks to position himself and therefore be different from his competitors.”
The Toulouse duo lives fully in its time or the ccreation and business are not mutually exclusive. Bigflo and Oli have managed to federate a real community. And for that there was a lot of work. Music, a brand, a Netflix documentary…something to feed the community.
“They show themselves like everyone else, they evoke the family, the city of Toulouse. They managed to capture an audience mainly made up of teenagers and young adults. They are aware that this community must be kept alive, but without lying. They have their own universe, a lifestyle that is told through music, a brand, a documentary or even a festival that they are launching in September in Toulouse..”
One of the first French rappers to create a brand was Joey Starr with COM8. The clothing brand started in 1998. It was very successful among rap fans. Yet in 2004, the company was placed in receivership. Joey Starr is always at the top, especially in the cinema. Again, diversity pays off. For Mathieu Alemany Oliver, the question of the sustainability of the “Visionnaire” brand arises:
“When you have an audience of teenagers, you can wonder if this audience will grow with Bigflo and Oli. That’s the question. That’s why it’s good to have other sources of income. In addition, the “Visionnaire” brand can appeal to people who do not know Bigflo and Oli.”
After opening a store in Toulouse, the 2 rappers are releasing a new album on June 24 after two years of absence. His title : “The others are us”. A creation that is likely to surprise since the people of Toulouse sing with many very different artists from each other such as Francis Cabrel or Vlad.
Finally, on September 2 and 3, the first edition of the “Rose Festival” will be held at the Parc des Expositions in Toulouse, the MEET. Bigflo and Oli become organizers and invite around twenty artists on stage such as IAM, ZIAK or even Mouss and Hakim. A prosperous year therefore for these artists who are not yet thirty years old.
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