Jesse Brenner, President and Co-Founder, Modiba Productions

One of the reasons I think Modiba has had so much success with our branding in such a short time is because of our demographic. As relatively young people, we have a familiarity, even an intimacy, with today's technologies with which our parents' generation and beyond did not grow up. We find ourselves squarely in the 18-30 demographic that is so highly sought-after by corporations, and especially those in entertainment. So we often look at what we want ourselves as consumers, find what's lacking, and fill in the gaps. We also takes what works for us as consumers and expand it to encompass the kind of meaningful musical and cultural experiences we are trying to create, evolve, and convey to others.

Although 'world music' is often perceived as a fringe industry, many of the basic strategies used for mainstream culture can work for communicating the essence of what makes this musical culture exciting and accessible to us (and, we hope, to other people as well). And in the end, that's what it's all about: communication. Without communication, the most brilliant idea will never be heard. I truly believe that so much of what's happening in 'world music' has mass appeal already built-in, waiting for someone to tap into its potential. The problem in this industry isn't the product; it's the exposition of the product in the languages and channels that people can understand and to which they can relate.

Thus, it's not at all about 'watering down' the music; it's about presenting it in a way that jives with people's framework for experiencing and internalizing art-as-entertainment. In today's world, this means striving to attain a lateral reach across the myriad technologies on offer in the ever-expanding digital universe. Keep the message strong and substantive, but simple and accessible, and broadcast it over any and all technologies accessible to you. That, to me, is the essence of a 'brand,' and it's just as important -- if not more so -- for world music as it is for the pop culture behemoths who have snatched this idea from the individual and made it a word we fear and loathe. It's up to us to take it back and make it work for our think-global/act-local industry.