Hi, I’m Gianni
the founder and lead facilitator here at Naka. Throughout my 20+ years of marketing, design, advertising, and branding, I’ve always heard the same thing… “Oh, I don’t have the budget for a big marketing campaign, that’s not where my business is right now.”
Look, I get that initial impulse. It’s not wrong. Most start-ups and small companies truly can’t afford big agency pricing and long-term contracts, and taking that kind of work inhouse can be even more expensive to staff and manage. But without some kind of marketing or strategic communications in place – that’s all many brands will ever be – stuck in the realm of too small to make a difference.
That’s why I started Naka, to help companies realize that Small Actions Add Up to Big Results. All it takes is an experienced person with a flexible approach and established resources for taking things one step at a time.
What can thinking small do for you?
- Establish a social media presence
- Make daily gains in prospects
- Distribute ideas through multiple channels
- Improve operational process
- Expand your reach on social media
- Make your website sticky
How do I know what you need?
Well, for starters, we talk about it. You tell me what you’re trying to achieve, and then I put my experience to work to tell you different actions you can take to get there. It doesn’t matter if you take one recommendation or all of them – even one smart marketing initiative can provide the lift your business is looking for. Then, we keep building upward from there.
The Journey to Get to Naka
My road through the world of marketing has a lot of twists and turns – which has given me a more holistic picture of the industry than professionals that have remained in one sector their entire careers.
Years ago, I started out studying graphic design (against my parents’ wishes I might add) because I’m a visual thinker. This quickly translated to digital and online design as that platform started rising to become the world’s most powerful communication outlet. I knew how to speak in the language of visuals, and I taught myself to program to be able to execute the web solutions I’d been concepting. I got some solid foundational experience in Cold Fusion – and jumped in towards the latter end of the dot-com explosion.
Thankfully, that self-motivated shift led me to Alienware gaming computers, where I became one of the company’s first art directors. I helped establish the brand down to the logo which appears on all their products today. A too-good-to-pass-up offer came up to lead design at Luminaire home design, and I immersed myself in the nuance of luxury marketing. Not long afterward, I returned to Alienware where the company was pushing the envelope of the PC gaming industry and I got involved beyond the creative aspect and started working to take the brand international. In that capacity.
I saw nearly every challenge, win, partnership, relationship, and sales pitch you could ever imagine and I knew that marketing was much broader than anyone was currently discussing in the marketplace. So, I opened my own agency, managing full-scale marketing departments for in-house and third-party teams. I consulted with and took positions with various Miami-based agencies. And, I took what started as marketing accounts with brands like Camacho Cigars and ActivePBX and turned them into larger relationships with a worldwide presence. In opening myself up to every possibility, I often found myself at the forefront of emerging industries. I helped Camacho Cigars set up the cigar industry’s first-ever social media site. ActivePBX lept ahead of a fledgling VoIP industry because we knew how to get their point across faster.
I even had the rewarding experience of being part of the dawn of cryptocurrency – helping Ethereum early on with branding, later as an integral part of the team lead by an Ethereum co-founder that developed the Jaxx cryptocurrency wallet.
I’ve been on the creative side, the development side, the sales side, the management side, and even the entrepreneurial side. Along the way, I’ve always been connected to marketing in one way or another, but with each new venture, I realized how marketing solves different challenges in different ways to different people.
In other words – I don’t believe in “this is the way marketing, branding, and advertising must be done.” Instead, I like to think of marketing as a tool, or oftentimes, a window through which to view your business and identify opportunities. Identify. Evaluate. Respond. Repeat. It’s a philosophy that’s gotten me where I am today – and that I’m confident can do the same for your business or brand, too.
After decades of providing insight through agencies and as part of in-house teams, I now cultivate direct relationships with companies and brands who share the vision that effective marketing doesn’t have to be a huge expense.
Many small businesses believe that they’re not “ready” for a CMO – and that it’s best to let their agency handle everything. Unfortunately, that approach doesn’t provide any incentive for your marketing or advertising agency to act with your interests in mind. The Naka model is different because it’s built around us being your best partner.
- We don’t make our money from printing markups and media buying commissions. That means, we’re never trying to convince you of solutions you don’t need because its a revenue stream for us.
- We don’t insist upon 100% exclusivity. If you have a partner you like working with for your logo and branding, public relations, or something else, Naka is happy to work together to maximize results for the entire team.
- We understand that business needs change… sometimes more quickly than we anticipate. So we don’t insist on hefty retainers that can last a year or longer. We let you get started with small commitments that reflect the actual amount of work you need from us… and we adjust so you feel comfortable growing with us.
Look at the Results my Clients Have Gotten
“Gianni is one of the most talented and driven creatives that I know. A great mind for business and a keen eye for cutting edge technology“
Dylan A.
“Gianni is a passionate, talented artist with a good mind for business. He is an enjoyable character and an asset to any creative team. Gianni established Alienware’s creative department and developed it into a productive force that helped communicate the Alienware brand..”
Kevin W.
“Gianni is an idea-machine. The combination of his innate creativity, his keen interest in understanding our business processes and his grasp of the technologies being implemented allowed him to develop a series of exciting new initiatives for our business. Highly recommended.“
Erik C.
“Gianni has done work for me many times over the years and he has delivered top-notch results on every occasion. He has a gift for coming up with cool ideas and fearlessly pushing the envelope on technology to get the job done. … If there’s something innovative you need to get done for your venture, give Gianni a shout. “
Alex G.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with Gianni this year onethereum. Always dedicated and hard working, always diligent andthorough. His wisdom and guidance have helped us develop ethereum to become the recognised brand it is today. Gianni is thefirst person we turn to for advice and guidence.“
Richard W.
“I worked with Gianni on setting up two integrated web sites as well as the re-packaging/re-branding of an entire skincare brand. Not only was he great to work with, he was extremely creative and understands his are of expertise.”
Jonathan F.
“I have never met a person with as much insight into the current trends of 21st century marketing as Gianni D’Alerta. His ideas for new media concepts, a blend of techo-saviness and creativity,attract a positive and profitable result from the end consumer.“
Loïc D.
“Gianni worked at our studio as CTO helping in the creation of projects for our clients. He has a lot of insight and creative ideas that go beyond traditional marketing. I would recommend his services for anyone looking to expand their ideas online.“
James B.