Episode 11: Building Brands through Purpose and Performance — with Darian Kovacs

Episode Overview Forward Together host Rod Miller sits down with Darian Kovacs—Métis entrepreneur, founding partner of Jelly Digital Marketing & PR and creator of Jelly Academy—for a candid conversation on building ethical, measurable marketing that actually converts. Darian shares Jelly's origin story (combining PR, social, and digital ads), why storytelling + reciprocity sit at the heart of his approach, and how Jelly Academy helps organizations bring critical skills in-house.

They dig into law-firm lead gen, event and app marketing, the early charity-gala strategy that put Jelly in front of decision-makers, and the next five years of digital (hint: "silent social" communities and cutting through AI slop). Darian also offers practical advice for Indigenous youth and founders—from owning your digital footprint to tapping Indigenous Financial Institutions and testing ideas via crowdfunding. Key Takeaways

• PR + Social + Ads = Measurable Growth: Jelly launched by uniting disciplines and obsessing over conversions and qualified leads.

• Teach What You Do: Jelly Academy equips teams to bring SEO, social, and ads in-house—capacity building as a growth strategy.

• Storytelling & Reciprocity: Métis values of bridge-building and abundance inform brand work and community partnerships.

• Own Your Digital Footprint: For youth and job-seekers—optimize LinkedIn, publish listicles/blogs, understand SEO, and try micro-video.

• Community First Works: Early sponsorship of high-impact charity galas delivered relationships, clients, and tangible social ROI.

• What's Next: "Silent social" communities (Discord, WhatsApp, closed groups, Reddit) will matter more as AI content explodes.

• Measure What Matters: Track conversions, then verify quality (e.g., files opened for law firms) and attribute results accurately.

• Start Smart: Indigenous founders can explore funding/support and use Kickstarter to validate ideas with low risk.

• 2030 Vision: Indigenous perspectives embedded in-house across organizations—less outsourcing for "Indigenous insight," more real inclusion.

Guest Bio:

Darian Kovacs is the Indigenous founder Vancouver based SEO company Jelly Digital Marketing & PR & digital marketing course Jelly Academy. He brings 15 years of marketing experience and a passion for education, and creativity. He is the host of the podcast Marketing News Canada. Darian specializes in mixing PR with digital marketing and has worked with numerous internationally renowned brands on developing and executing their digital marketing and PR strategies. Darian lives in Fort Langley, BC with his wife and four children and likes to mountain bike, watercolour and read in his free time.

Host:

Rod Miller — President and COO of the Connect Partnership Group, producers of Forward Summit and Workforce Forward.

Resources & Links:

Learn more about Jelly Marketing → https://jellymarketing.ca/

Connect with Darian Kovacs on LinkedIn → Click Here!

Learn more about Forward Summit → https://forwardsummit.ca/
Follow Forward Summit on Social Media: LinkedIn
Read the Forward Magazine → Magazine Link

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