An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Every business looks for loyal customers because they know these people will eventually bring more revenue into their business. You might sell once through your marketing and selling efforts, but building a loyal customer base will allow your business to stay profitable even during those “low” seasons.
As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to Interview Diana Jakubcova.
Diana Jakubcova is the Founder and CEO of Deeply Rooted Studio, a branding and consultancy firm that serves female founders worldwide. Diana graduated from Fashion Design & Business in Denmark which is what inspired her to start her journey as a brand strategist & designer. With her branding and marketing background, Diana is a trusted expert and works with some of the most influential female founders and growing brands within the space.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I always used to settle for less. I was known as the shy and quiet girl who didn’t know how to express herself. Someone who chose to make everyone else happy, except for myself. I used to hustle for what is rightfully mine.
Growing up with a single mom, having little to no choices was something that felt normal to me. Which resulted in feeling closed up and to some extent, angry and frustrated. No matter what I did or which career path I chose, I always felt like I was falling into similar patterns and nothing seemed to help me express myself the way I wanted it to.
After finishing my degree in fashion and working in the industry for a few years, my partner suggested that I help him build his company so that we could become digital nomads and move to Bali. Although the idea sounded amazing at the time, I quickly fell back into feeling unhappy and unsatisfied. This wasn’t my dream and this wasn’t my choice. I still didn’t feel like I was living up to my full potential. Now more than ever, what I truly wanted was to be seen, to feel heard, and to express myself in the ways that I choose.
Our move to Bali meant that we would need to shut down our business in Slovakia. A business that was “secure” and had almost 300 students enrolled and learning through the courses we had built. But what other choice did we have? If we wanted to move to Bali and live this new lifestyle, we had to make tough decisions like this. Although this time we still had no choice, the difference was that I decided to create my own path.
They say living a happy life isn’t about money, but money gives you the power of choice. You can’t choose to live in Bali if you don’t have the resources.
Deciding to use my own skills, knowledge and discipline to start my own business gave me the ability to make my own choices. It opened new doors to a life where I could be the one who makes the decisions. The bumpy ride has never prevented me from sharing my expertise with others, if anything it’s what makes me unique and has always pushed me forward in business. This journey has allowed me to work with some of the leading names in the industry and help them build brands that support the growth of their business in the most aligned way. I made the choice to choose myself and since then I have never looked back.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I don’t really use the term “mistake” as I believe everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens to you but it does happen FOR you. I think every business owner knows that lessons are what comes with running a business and they are here to show us a better path.
But some of the lessons I’ve learned could include running ads to cold audiences and not having solid foundations before pressing the publish button.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I started Deeply Rooted Studio to help female founders be seen and heard. This mission has now evolved into a bigger vision where the passion I have for design is now connected with everything we do. Most of our clients work with us because they trust us to build their brands and turn them into their biggest asset. I believe that the true passion I have for design combined with my experience, skills and industry knowledge is what makes Deeply Rooted Studio stand out. We focus heavily on client experience and building strong, long lasting relationships which has resulted in over an 80% client retention rate, which is the ultimate goal when building a strong brand.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
As a matter of fact, I am actually working on building a Directory and certification platform called Ethical Coaching in Diabetes Care for one of our clients, Lissie is a founder of Needles & Spoons Health and Wellness Coaching. Lissie has been with Deeply Rooted Studio for over a year now and I couldn’t be more excited to bring this project to life. This directory runs with a certification program that focuses on teaching coaches in diabetes care how to ethically run their businesses without sacrificing their values.
This is a sign that the coaching industry is changing. I believe it’s time to say goodbye to old marketing and selling tactics, and welcome new ways of offering our services, programs or products which are led by values not the society’s norms.
Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?
It’s simple: Branding gives your product something to advertise.
Branding helps you communicate your message which is then translated into an advertising campaign where you are able to sell your product or services through that message. This message can only be fully understood and expressed if you have strong brand foundations and you know who you’re selling to. This is done through getting clear on who your target market is and what speaks to them most.
Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?
I read this amazing book by Marty Neumeier called “The Brand Flip”. In this book Marty talks about the “traditional” way of building brands and what needs to change in the brand building process so that you can retain more clients and attract more aligned clients into your business.
To put it simply: Investing in your brand is crucial. A lot of online entrepreneurs jump into marketing and selling their products/programs and services without the foundations that only your brand can provide you with. And the cost is high! If you are spending way too many resources on actually selling your products or services, you need to come back to your branding.
It’s the branding aspect of your business that will help you build long lasting relationships with your clients and audience. Something that can only be done through creating a strong brand presence (brand touchpoints) that will help with client retention.
At the end of the day marketing and advertising is a form of selling your products. Branding gives your product something to sell.
Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand?
Everything in your brand building process is connected. And by everything I mean EVERYTHING. Let me explain and you’ll know exactly what I am talking about.
- Brand Strategy
Please don’t skip this part. Ever. I know it’s tempting to start selling and marketing your offers right off the bat, but the purpose of your brand strategy is to solidify your brand’s purpose and mission. This is where you set the foundations for years to come. At Deeply Rooted Studio we came up with the Deeply Rooted Method that helps us build timeless, personality infused brands for our clients through full-circle brand approach. This approach helps us cover all parts of your brand so that we can connect the dots between your business and your ideal client. - Brand Direction
This is the fun part! The trick to this is to make sure you do NOT skip the first step which is Brand Strategy. Your brand direction consists of several brand assets such as your Logo Suite, Typography, Moodboard and Color Palette. These assets are connected to your overall brand strategy and long term business goals. The aesthetics of your brand are here to tell us a story without using any words. This can be done through a strategically designed brand direction that is, to some extent, a reflection of you. - Creative direction (Photoshoots)
The Creative Direction goes way beyond just using high quality images and studio headshots. If done right, your brand photos will act as the glue between your brand’s message and direction. At Deeply Rooted Studio we focus on all brand touchpoints and our client’s brand photos are one of them. This is how you’ll be able to seamlessly communicate your values and attract the right people into your business. If you want to go all in, hire a Creative Director to help you pull the vision together because as simple as it sounds, your brand photos can make or break your messaging. - Client experience
As mentioned before, when building brands for our clients we look at all aspects of their brand. Your brand consists of different touchpoints that affect your brand’s client experience overall. Now, the client experience starts WAY before someone pays the invoice and signs their service agreement. Your client experience is reflected through your visuals, messaging, content, DMs, marketing, website, emails and beyond. All of these touchpoints show your audience/website visitors what you stand for and who you are as a business.
Every business looks for loyal customers because they know these people will eventually bring more revenue into their business. You might sell once through your marketing and selling efforts, but building a loyal customer base will allow your business to stay profitable even during those “low” seasons.
5. Find and stick to your own values
Lastly, I’d like to talk about values. This is how you can build an authentic brand everyone keeps talking about. This isn’t done through following the “norms” and other people’s opinions, It’s done through sticking to your own values and opinions. This is what will help you build a brand and movement where you’re the one leading the way. You don’t have to do this in the obvious way by listing all of your values on your company website. Although that isn’t a bad idea, what you want to do is simply just STICK to your values. Your values should be reflected in your copy, design, creative direction, brand voice….everywhere. Your brand is a reflection of a unique set of values that only you possess. This is the key to standing out.
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
One of our clients, Melissa, is the perfect example of creating a brand that is not only believable and beloved by others, but a brand that stands time. Melissa is founder of Litchfield Media, a full service digital advertising and funnel building agency for small businesses and online entrepreneurs.
From the very beginning she has focused on building a solid brand presence through strong visuals, messaging and networking with other like minded online entrepreneurs. Deeply Rooted Studio has been a part of this journey for 2 years now and throughout our time together, Melissa has implemented all of the 5 steps we discussed today. In doing so, she has been able to secure many high level PR opportunities simply because she has built a believable, beloved and TRUSTED brand.
In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?
The ROI on brand building is priceless. But how do you measure it? The ROI on branding will always be a question for many as it’s not measurable through the usual metrics, or at least not that quickly. Brand building is a long term process that requires a lot of research and specific tracking in order for you to determine its success. I also think that each business measures the success of their brand differently according to their own individual goals. However one of the best ways to measure the success of your brand is through brand loyalty/client retention. Whilst advertising brings you sales, it does not guarantee your business’ success. It’s a short term plan when one focuses ONLY on sales. Branding helps your audience create an emotional connection with your business which will result in a shorter sales period and more loyal/returning customers.
What role does social media play in your branding efforts?
Social media is a medium to spread your brand’s message. It’s a place to connect with your audience and it’s, most likely, the beginning point of your client’s experience. No matter if you love or hate social media, this is where you’re always going to look for customer reviews, services, previous product uses or simply who is the person you want to buy something from. And there is nothing wrong with that. But this is why it’s so important to build a strong brand presence because that is what allows you to communicate your message effectively.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’d love for us to be more mindful of what we’re putting out there. There are some brilliant ideas out there and there are also ideas that don’t really have a positive impact on others. Before I share something with my audience I always ask myself if it’s the “ego” part of me talking or if it’s the real message I want to share things that inspire others. I have learned a lot throughout my life and judging others is only a reflection of our own fears and desires.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I don’t really do quotes but I love this verse from The Road Not Taken poem by Robert Frost:
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost
I’ve always been a person who wanted to do things differently and this usually comes with a couple of lessons. But the reward is that you truly build something that is only yours and no one else’s. I love showing others that there is another way. There is more than just one strategy. There is more than just one method. There is always more than one way to succeed.
We are blessed that very prominent leaders in business and entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a lunch or breakfast with? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I don’t follow or consume a lot but I would absolutely love to have lunch with Regan Hillyer and Juan Pa! Their programs have been transformational on my own personal development journey.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
My main social platform is currently Instagram. But if Instagram isn’t your thing, you can also connect with me on Pinterest for a daily dose of inspiration, Linkedin and through my Website if you’re looking for some Branding resources!
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Diana Jakubcova Of Deeply Rooted Studio: Five Things You Need To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
