Today we’d like to introduce you to David Robinson.
Today we’d like to introduce you to David Robinson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us David. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am originally from Lathrup Village, MI (a suburb of the city of Detroit). Growing up, I’ve always loved connecting people and had a natural inclination for branding and marketing (even before I knew what it was). It’s funny, because before I had any official roles in the entertainment world, I was introduced to it in a large way at an early age. Growing up as a child living in metro-Detroit, which was the home of Motown and many gospel music legendary families, it was common to run into someone that was part of the industry but never had I imagined that I would one day be one of them.
I remember when my church hosted a major event in Detroit that took place at Ford Field Stadium (the stadium of the Detroit Lions), and I was on the special operations team. I was responsible for talent logistics from the airport, to the hotel, and to the venue and it was intense! I was overwhelmed but loved every minute of it! I remember later asking my pastor’s daughter, who was in charge of the special operations team, “What do you go to school for in order to make this type of work your every day?” She replied, “I believe this falls under Public Relations.” It was this conversation that influenced me to study this field in college.
In May 2010, I received my Bachelor’s of Communication in Advertising & Public Relations from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI. However, in Grand Rapids, there’s no entertainment scene (with the exception of Grammy-winning gospel singer Marvin Sapp who I built a great rapport with accidentally when my pastor requested me to sing at his church) and was introduced to corporate public relations. Upon leaving Grand Rapids, I moved to Chicago where I worked in a marketing company that trained me not only in direct sales, marketing, brand development, and mentorship, it also trained me in all the fundamentals I needed to start my first business. In October 2011, I opened my first business, Mainstream Marketing, in Baltimore, MD. Mainstream Marketing was an office that I lead with 30+ employees offering our clients the opportunity to sell brands to major big-box retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club. Though the company grew tremendously, it didn’t connect to my personal passion. This lead me to follow my dreams and move to my favorite city, Atlanta, GA where I opened my current company: The David Brand.
The David Brand, which bears my name in its title, allows me to grow in my passion and help people and their personal brands to grow and flourish. Since it’s inception, I have been able to collaborate with a host of mainstream celebrities including Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Dreamgirls”/”Moesha”), Drea Kelly (Ex-wife of R. Kelly/VH1 Hollywood Exes), Trina Braxton (WeTv’s “Braxton Family Values”/TV One’s “Sister Circle”), Evelyn Braxton (“Braxton Family Values”), TC Carson (“Living Single”), Wyclef Jean (Grammy-winning R&B group The Fugees), LaTavia Roberson (original member of the superstar girl group Destiny’s Child), Terri J. Vaughn (actress/director/producer /”The Steve Harvey Show”), Byron Cage (Grammy-nominated gospel music legend), Micah Stampley (Stellar-nominated gospel music artist) Fred Jerkins (Dark Child Entertainment) and more! With these clients, I have had placements on Essence, DishNation, Entertainment Tonight, TMZ Live, TheJasmineBrand, Bossip, TheShadeRoom, and more!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first initial hurdle for me was the belief that I could even do it. I’ve never been on a first-name basis with a celebrity before, much less represent one! As a result of my inexperience, I made honesty my best policy. I was intentional about being forthcoming with any new clients and letting them know, “Hey, I’m new to this, and still building my network. However, I assure you that I will always do my best to always provide value to you while growing your brand.” With this disclaimer, I could tell my clients appreciated my honesty and it allowed me to create a closer bond with them as we “figured it out” together.
The David Brand – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The David Brand develops individual brands in both mainstream and grassroots media. The biggest thing that separates The David Brand from other companies is we help the client develop its product and brand voice from start to finish. Whether it’s a new show idea, music career, or maybe someone that has done something extremely notable in the past and needs help being visible to a new audience, The David Brand is the best place to be.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There was a client that I spoke to years ago to discuss the possibility of my company taking them on as a new client. I was still fairly new in the industry and still growing every day. After our meeting, they asked for a proposal summarizing the services that I would like to offer them. Well, at the time I had only worked with one or two clients and still didn’t know very much, but I wrote down what I knew. Well, the client looked it over and basically said, “no”. It hurt my feelings at the moment, but I recognized I needed to let it go and focus on the next opportunity. Over the next four years, I still maintained a great relationship with them and allowed them to see my growth. As a result of that, when this person was releasing a new project, I was the person they called and they have been a happy client ever since.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thedavidbrand.com
- Phone: (470)485-8005
- Email: info@thedavidbrand.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedavidbrand
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thedavidbrand
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