My journey
I started my career in the advertising industry as an Art Director and within only 2 years got promoted to Creative Director looking after a team of 4 creatives and liaising with clients, mainly business owners to develop creative advertising campaigns and brands for their business. After about 5 years in the advertising world I wanted to develop my strategic skills as it became quite obvious to me that there is more to a brand than the design element. So I embarked in a masters in Neuromarketing focusing on Lovemarks which was one of the first emotional branding theories developed by Keven Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi back then.
When I completed my Masters it was obvious to be that to have a significant impact on the brand I needed to work within a corporation instead of just with one. As a marketing/brand manager for the past seven years I developed various skills in all aspects of marketing including branding, product development, media planning, marketing plan, international sourcing and quality assurance.
At the climax of my career at Anchor Foods and Abco Products as Head of marketing managing a team of marketing coordinators, quality control officers and product development technologist, I developed various processes and systems that enabled exponential growth for these companies. The same methodologies and processes when applied to some small businesses have quadruple revenue and increase margin exponentially in only 6 months.
With a deep respect for locally made products and entrepreneurs wanting to make a difference in the world, I decided to offer my skills and expertise in business development and growth strategies to further accelerate the surge of conscious start-ups wanting to make their local and the international community a better place. With the magic of the internet there is no boundaries to who and where I can help. If our values are align then I am your ‘man’ for marketing your business!
If you have a great business idea and are ready to commit to your business give me a call today!
Working with me is like working with a friend you can trust. When I was working with Mr Peter Kailis, he told me “Always go into business with friends”. Back then Young and naive back then I said “Why? I thought it was the opposite, never to in business with friends and family”. He smiled and told me “If the business does not work out, at least you still have your friend.” And this marked me for life and now I get it! Managing a business is very hard at least with a friend you know you have someone you can trust and rely upon.
100% Return on Investment Guaranteed. We start by defining what results looks lie. In my first 2 hours brain storming session we will deconstruct your business model and strategy and have clear goals drawn up of what we want to achieve together. I have never missed a deadline or failed at a project only because with a clear vision and timeline everything is possible!
Most people have a very limited understanding of marketing. Marketing impacts every part of your business from the product you offer, to the delivery method, to your Cost Of Goods, Margin Analysis, Budget Control, Business Case, Corporate Culture, People Strategy and Sourcing Strategy. While most companies have various departments looking after these areas of their business it is the CEO, MD and Marketing Directors who is ultimately responsible of strategy alignment. If there is a misalignment, the business will lose money due to inefficient processes, low productivity and margin erosion.
Some of my work...
Here is quick over view of some of my marketing executions from sales collateral, advertisement, product development to website and trade shows.
My Career
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2020
Founder & Managing Director Brand Guru Agency
An integrated marketing and branding agency focusing on helping small and medium size businesses to develop sustainable growth strategies by streamlining and optimising their marketing processes & capacity.
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2019
Freelance Marketing Director
Offer my 15 years of marketing experience and expertise to conscious entrepreneurs to help them skyrocket their business and make the world a better place.
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2017
Head of Marketing @ Abco Products Pty Ltd
My role was to evolve the brand and develop a marketing strategy to execute the growth strategy of the business to grow the business by 20% from 2017-2019 by focusing on the following
- Branding positioning strategy (New corporate brand and purpose strategy)
- Own Brand Product Range development
- International Sourcing To improve COGs
- Quality Assurance & Control System Implementation
- Customer Satisfaction Program through Error Rate Capture Process
- People Strategy bu developing the culture team to promote company values
- Develop an online sales funnel to generate over 300 leads per month
- GECA, Global Greentag, FSC , PEFC, ISO, Greenfleet CSR Programs -
2017
Co-Founder @ Chakrabombs
Passionate about handmade and local products my daughter and I embarked by pure coincidence into this journey of making Chakra Balancing Body Care Products and collaborate with various local community markets to develop a range of products that is Aromatherapeutic and Non-Toxic. From a small batches of bath bombs to now being a key featured vendor at Artisanal markets and health food stres accross WA, we have developed a strong customer base of people looking for an eco-friendly and consicous health and beauty range of body care product that celebrate the body and natures best ingredients.
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2013
National Marketing Manager @ Anchor Foods Pty Ltd
My role was further develop Ancho Foods brands which are Lighthouse, Spencers Spices, Lion and Anchor Foods to grow their market share in the FMCG industry. Dealing also with main grocery chains such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi to develop new supermarket products in the flour, spice & condiment, Baking and Vinegar Category.
At Anchor Foods I was managing a team of Food Technologists, Marketing Coordinators and Graphic designers to manage over 800 skus to meet various KPIs including margins, sales targets, market share growth. Working with the biggest retailers in Australia has taught me a lot about the cut throat FMCG industry and the pressures it puts on farmers and manufacturers worldwide. This has developed my respect for a sustainable supply chain and help me foresee the growing demand for a circular economy.
Key Skills Developed
- Product Development Gating System
- SAP ERP System
- Quality Assurance
- BRC Audits
- Packaging Covenant
- Packaging Designs and Optimisation -
2009
Masters in Innovative Technology (Neuromarketing) @ ECU
Intrigued by the concept of Lovemark, I embarked on a 2 years full-time Masters Course while working full time at the Answer Agency to further broaden my understanding of emotional branding strategies used by Saatchi & Saatchi to create brands loved beyond reason. In 2011, after sending a copy of my Thesis to Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi he recognised my work by writing an article about my thesis on his blog. That is one of the highlight of my career!
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2011
Brand manager @ Kailis Organic Olive Grove
Product development, Distribution channel planning and implementation, Marketing plans. Packaging design. Promotional Design. Brand Strategic planning and implement branding and advertising for the Kailis Organic product range of Organic Olive Oil products. Campaign positioning and execution. Media planning and buying.
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2005
Creative Director @ The Answer Agency
Creative Director at a Boutique Agency working with clients from divers sectors including medical, local councils, mining, digital companies, food & beverages, etc... Involve in branding artwork development, advertising campaigns, photography, video production, marketing strategy, media planning, public relations and graphic design.
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2005
B.A. Creative Advertising @ Curtin University
I completed my B.A. at Curtin University majoring in Creative Advertising. Passionate about communication I studies visual communication, rhetorical writing, copywriting, photography, marketing and multimedia. A combination of subjects that would satisfy my artistic side as well as my passion for product design and business.
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2001
Curtin International Student Scholarship
Based on my A-Level Cambridge Certificate results for High School, I was awarded a Curtin International Scholarship to Study in Australia.
“Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so.” – David Brooks
This is Deena to a tee, a professional with self belief and the edge to make great ideas happen. I would suggest another unique skill of Deena’s is the ability to read the moment, interpret and distill it to a usable hook, in order to pass on the message.
I have known Deena Syed now for over 2 years and have had the pleasure of this connection via our association with ABCO product. Deena was the National Marketing Manager and our Key contact. Her attention to detail has always been faultless and the speed that which she handled our requests was without question. It is my pleasure to write this recommendation and can honestly say that Deena has my deepest of respect and as such l have no concerns at all in recommending her to anybody seeking her very broad skill sets encompassing but not limited to Marketing, Branding, Communications and Sustainability
Deena joined us at Abco in March 2017 and did an awesome job in many area’s – particularly in getting our whole marketing strategy sorted out and also more holistically in clarifying the strategic direction of the business – I would recommend Deena 100%!
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