juliamarino.me

Julia Marino

Hi! I’m Julia.

I’m a brand strategist and a creative marketer.

I’ve built my own brand from the ground up, learning about storytelling, strategy, and creating meaningful content.

Now, I’m excited to help brands grow with purpose and personality.

About Me

I’m a graduate student at Rollins College, currently pursuing a master’s in Communication Management and Strategic Communication, expected to graduate in December 2025.

I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, a big city that never runs out of stories. My journey has taken me from Brazil to the U.S., blending my love for language, storytelling, branding, and communication along the way. Here’s how it’s been so far:

Education

Rollins College, Orlando, FL
Master’s in Strategic Communication
August 2024 – Expected Graduation: December 2025

EBAC, São Paulo, Brazil
Screenwriting for Movies, TV, and Video Games Course
December 2022 – June 2024

Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, Brazil
Bachelor’s Degree in Letras (Languages)
February 2018 – December 2021

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Intensive English Program
October 2016 – December 2016

Personal Branding

Over the years, I’ve built a personal brand as a singer-songwriter, entirely self-managed and strategy-driven. Every idea I’ve had, from merchandise to music releases, I’ve executed on my own, with very positive results.

I’ve designed, promoted and sold high-performing merch like t-shirts, cups, and lyric-based products, using creative strategies like pre-sales, bundles and personalized thank-you gifts to celebrate and connect with loyal fans. My lyrics became part of my brand identity, and I treated each song like a campaign, sharing content, engaging people, and creating momentum.

As an independent artist I’ve been fortunate to sell a variety of merch, gaining valuable experience in connecting with audiences and bringing ideas to life. For my Ambush t-shirt, I sold over 30 shirts on launch day, which was incredibly exciting and rewarding. You can click on the images to get a closer look!

My Book

At 13 years old, I wrote a novel called “Como um Anjo” (Like an Angel). Three years later, in 2013, my book was published by Editora Caju in São Paulo. That’s when my love for branding and marketing strategies officially started. I organized a book signing event, where I sold over 100 copies, and learned that I loved writing the book just as much as I loved promoting it.

I coordinated and advertised my own book signing, and sold more than 100 copies.
I attracted local media attention and was featured in magazines and newspapers.
I created an early release, where I provided a customized gift, creating a sense of exclusivity, enhancing engagement, and encouraging pre-orders.

My Book on the Media

My Music

Music has always been my passion, and it’s what led me to become a country-rock singer-songwriter.

Since I was 14, I have been singing professionally. I started out performing at private events and festivals, and now have my own music path.

I love writing songs about my personal life and telling these stories at my shows. For most of these shows, it’s just me and my guitar.

After my first original single “Ambush” reached the top hits on Antena A FM in 2018, I started building my brand as an artist and organizing my own ticketed shows, where I would sing my original songs and sell my merchandise.

With over 55,000 streams on Spotify alone, “Ambush” and my other original singles are available on all streaming platforms, with listeners in 43 countries in 2022. Each song has its own cover and has been promoted on my social media with short, engaging trailers, interactive countdowns, Q&As on Instagram Stories, and more.

As an independent artist, I manage every aspect of my career. This allows me to stay creative and make my music personal and relatable, while also developing marketing strategies, creating and selling original merchandise, and analyzing what tactics work and what needs improvement.

My Album
"Let The War Being"

In 2021, I took a big step forward by independently releasing my first album “Let The War Begin”, an EP featuring five original tracks. This project felt like a natural next step after years of performing and selling my merchandise. Now, people could also purchase a real CD.

I loved every part of the journey with this album. I was able to create and manage every detail, from the order of the songs to make sure they told a complete story, to the design of the CD, which ties up with the message behind one of my lyrics.

I also organized an early release, selling new and exclusive merch products. The official album release in São Paulo was carefully planned, with even the dim lights telling a story. I performed all five tracks and sold over 80 copies of the album that night, from small sets to deluxe bundles, all designed around the album’s theme. Seeing such support from fans was genuinely moving and heartwarming.

My Marketing Strategy Work at LocalBest

From 2018 until I moved to the United States, I worked for LocalBest Franchising, the company behind the LocalBest Award: Brazil’s largest local business recognition program. Launched in Morumbi, São Paulo, it has expanded to over 350 cities in 12 Brazilian states.

The award invites the public to vote for the best local companies and venues, with all voting conducted transparently through Facebook group polls. In these groups, participants who lived or worked in that neighborhood could nominate and vote for businesses, creating interactive awareness and visibility. The voting would last two months, and the winners were announced in gold, silver, and bronze categories.

The award itself came at no cost, giving companies the chance for nomination and recognition completely free. Many winners took full advantage of the opportunity to celebrate their success in a bigger way: about 20% would attend our awards dinner and purchase a commemorative plaque. Hosted at a winning restaurant, the dinner became a true celebration: business owners brought along employees, friends, and family to enjoy live music and the special moment of stepping on stage to receive their plaque and honor their accomplishment in style.

As their Marketing Strategist, I:

Developed and executed marketing strategies for the LocalBest Award, engaging 400,000+ businesses across 350 cities in 12 states (contacting companies, explaining the program, and helping them share with employees, clients, friends and family).
Increased public participation, achieving over 3 million verified votes on Facebook groups in 2023 (interacting with participants, responding to comments, and overseeing feedback).
Coordinated and promoted award ceremonies, overseeing ticket sales, event logistics, and vendor management (contacting winners, booking venues, arranging lighting and sound, and managing sales).

Digital & Social Media Projects

As part of my Master’s in Strategic Communication, I completed courses in Digital Campaigns, Web Analytics, and Social Media. In one of these classes, I worked for a fake client, BUHI Bags. Using Stukent’s Social Media Simternship, I created targeted social media ads, reached the right audiences, promoted content strategically, and scheduled posts across platforms, achieving great results. It was such a fun, hands-on learning experience!