Rebranding and New Chapters: A Q&A With Founder Ali Grant

Be Social Group was founded in 2012 with a mission to disrupt the PR industry by being the first to utilize the power of influencer marketing. In the past seven years, Be Social Group has grown into a reputable agency that understands the power of traditional and non-traditional marketing. We’ve launched brands, signed talent, and stayed true to our motto of building real, authentic relationships. But we’re far from being done. This past month, Be Social Group moved our headquarters to downtown Los Angeles to accompany our growing team and rebrand. 

Our founder Ali Grant answered some questions on why it’s important to keep moving forward, especially as a business owner.

What inspired you to start Be Social Group?

I wanted to create a company that paired the perfect blend of digital and traditional methods to build lasting brands. 

Why the name Be Social?

It’s the heart of what we do. We create social interactions on and offline. We pride ourselves on having genuine relationships with our talent, our clients, and our team. 

What was your first office like?

You mean my house? Ha! This company has literally been built from the ground up. At one point, we grew so quickly we had to partially work out of a garage before we could move into a space that could fit everyone! Today, things are different and our new space finally feels like a center for our organization where we can grow and thrive. 

Why did you decide to move to Los Angeles and are you happy with the decision?

We were built on being social and interacting with our base and LA is definitely the spot to grow our brand. Influencers, content creators and media are more accessible in Los Angeles and we felt like this city was a place we could really break new ground. It’ll challenge us in the best way and give us the resources to take our company where we want to be. 

New branding, office, and new president. Why all the new for BSG?

We were ready for the next step in our organization and I knew that these were some of the areas we needed to adjust to get there. Part of the responsibility of being founder is assessing how we can move forward as a company, and not just get complacent. We’re constantly asking ourselves, “How can we be even better?” We needed a little bit of a rebranding to keep in trend and we’re not afraid to shake things up. 

Why do you suggest investing in outward facing things, such as an office, logo, etc?

In a business like ours, it’s about aesthetics. We need to be visually appealing in order for brands to trust us in helping them build their outwardly facing opportunities. We take a lot of pride in the quality of our work and we want our visuals to match that. 

What advice do you have for a new biz owner when it comes to branding their company?

Be unique. Don’t look at what everyone else is doing and try to copy it. Write your own story.

Why the new president?

I’m an ideas person. I have new revenue streams and new areas of the business I want to build upon and expand. What we were needing was a people leader, someone to foster growth in our team to mentor and guide them. Our new president will fill this role and be an asset for the team in new ways, allowing me to focus on the new. Part of what I’ve learned about being a business owner is that you can’t fulfill every role; you have to know how to delegate and play your strengths. 

What are you most excited about in BSG’s next chapter?

Our new space in Los Angeles, of course, really seals the deal on a fresh start. I am excited about some of the in-house brands we are building, the media we are creating, and the clients we are growing. We’re more focused than ever on what we want to accomplish.

Why DTLA (Downtown Los Angeles) for headquarters?

DTLA is such a hub for new, exciting businesses. We are in great company in our building at ROW DTLA with Adidas, APL, Ella Moss, Splendid, Shopify, Zappos, and more. These are all brands we admire and hope to build with during our time here.