Darien Sobion
The Sobion surname is widely known in Trinidad and Tobago. Either we are familiar with Keith Sobion, the former Attorney General and Principal of the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica; Jules Sobion, the event czar or Justin Sobion, the international attorney and author. Darien Sobion, the youngest in the Sobion clan, has also been making a name for himself in the marketing/advertising world without much publicity, until now. He is a marketing executive and the founder of 10 Caribbean Marketing, a relatively new creative agency which recently received three ADDY Awards from the American & Caribbean Advertising Federations. His creative abilities and marketing genius are not his only assets. Darien has a passion for giving back and has been actively involved in a number of community and charitable projects. Here, Darien tells us about finding his purpose, the impact that his father’s life had on his decisions and his social activism:
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I’m the youngest of three sons born to Keith and Judith Sobion who both hailed from Mayaro but met in Port of Spain, fell in love and started a family. Diego Martin, however, was my childhood home and I have fond memories of living there. As children, we were mischievous and adventurous. We spent our free time, catching fish in a nearby river and playing wind ball cricket, small goal football on the street and video games with the neighbours. I’d definitely say that Keith and Judith’s parenting styles helped to shape the Sobion boys into the men that we are today.
“Standing out”
In 1997, at just 16 years old, I moved to Jamaica after studying at St. Mary’s College. That was the biggest challenge I faced as a teenager. There was definitely a culture shock and for the first time in my life, I felt like I didn’t fit in. During the first few years, I would visit Trinidad every chance that I got and tried desperately to maintain close contact with all my friends who I had left behind. I eventually got over the shock to my system and went on to pursue my undergraduate degree at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus. I ended up living in Jamaica for 17 years, longer than I had lived in Trinidad. In hindsight, I think that the biggest lesson out of that life-changing experience is that standing out is better than fitting in.
“I think his entire life had a significant bearing on the way that I dream.”
My father, Keith Sobion, entered public life in Trinidad and Tobago as Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs and Member of Parliament for Ortoire-Mayaro in 1991. When he passed in 2008, he was Principal of the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, the first Caribbean-trained lawyer to hold that post. He was a remarkable Caribbean man and his life continues to have a tremendous impact on me. His legacy lives on through the family-run Keith Stanford Sobion Foundation which recently published his biography, The West Indian Lawyer. My elder brother, Justin, who is also an attorney, wrote it. Growing up, there wasn’t overt pressure from my father to follow in his professional footsteps. He believed that it was his duty to move his family up one rung on the ladder of life but it was our responsibility to climb one rung further in whatever arena we chose.
The name of my company, 10 Caribbean, is a tribute to him. It is taken from the famous quote by Dr. Eric Williams about Jamaica leaving the West Indies Federation and crushing hopes for Caribbean unity, “One from 10 leaves nought.” I know he is looking down and would be happy to see that I’m building a company with a regional slant, excelling in a field that I’m passionate about and using my expertise to help my family achieve their respective goals as well.
Showcasing us in the best possible light
Finding one’s purpose is a lifelong pursuit and coming to terms with that, is the first step. It took me many years of trial and error before I found a career that challenged and excited me. I decided on a career in marketing and advertising because I want to showcase the best that the Caribbean has to offer. My 10 + years’ experience at advertising agencies taught me two things that led me to start 10 Caribbean Marketing. One was that there are many great Caribbean entrepreneurs that simply may not be able to afford to hire a traditional advertising agency to promote their brands. The other was that even if they could afford it, they were more often than not ignored by the agency machine that prioritized larger clients and bigger profits.
Caribbean brands are my passion and I truly believe that they don’t receive the international recognition that they deserve. 10 Caribbean addresses this by offering the full range of agency services to clients that seek innovative creative marketing that delivers results. Together, with my business partners, our goal is to turn local favourites into global powerhouses. In just three years in business, 10 Caribbean has lived up to that promise, by producing work for clients in over ten Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora territories – including Atlanta, Barbados, Bermuda, Florida, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Switzerland and of course, Trinidad and Tobago.
My own way of adding value
The work that I do, whether as a Marketing Executive or as a volunteer, is important to me as I strive to continue to showcase the Caribbean region in the best possible light. The pandemic has also been a stirring reminder that I always want to produce work that is authentic and imaginative from our space to the world stage. It’s my own little way of adding value to projects and delivering best results for businesses. The 10 Caribbean team shares this vision so we collectively work to underscore the importance of relying on Strength In Numbers. Technology and innovation will help propel us but Caribbean culture will always anchor future generations wishing to compete among the best that the industry has to offer.
I am inspired by my eldest brother, Jules
Throughout this journey, I have been inspired by many of the persons that I have worked with during my career in advertising but I’ve never had a formal mentor. As an entrepreneur, I am inspired by my eldest brother, Jules, who won the Emerging Entrepreneur award in 2017 and continues to do great work with Caesar’s Army. I’ve also been supremely supported and guided by my business partners, Louville Moore and Samantha Burke. Louville as Creative Director, has been committed to pushing creative boundaries and Samantha, as a co-founder with experience in Corporate and Commercial Law, has kept the business on track through our growing pains, challenges and successes.
While I believe that there are many, many great role models for black men in Trinidad and Tobago, I often wonder if these men accept that responsibility and if they are given a platform to be seen and heard by the young men that need them most. Being seen and heard is important and in this regard, I think MENtions is a great initiative to shine a light on persons who may not otherwise be highlighted.
As a company, 10 Caribbean Marketing is also big on mentorship and we support these causes in our own way, by using our skills to partner with various organisations. Recently, we developed the marketing & communications plan in partnership with CZAR to promote the ME to WE Mentorship programme by the Volunteer Centre of Trinidad and Tobago (VCTT). It’s a community-based initiative that I’m tremendously proud to be involved in. Outside of the Keith Stanford Sobion Foundation and VCTT, 10 Caribbean Marketing has also contributed time to Habitat for Humanity Trinidad and Tobago and worked on “The Choice is Yours”, an initiative which encourages youth participation in the political process. Each intervention had a unique purpose underpinned by social issues that we are passionate about and we were happy to assist in any way that we could.
Seek your purpose
To the young man who is unsure about his career path, the onus is on you to find what brings you joy, achieve your goals and find your purpose. Your purpose won’t find you, you must seek it. When you find your purpose, pursue it with vigour and enjoy it while it lasts! None of us knows what the future holds so celebrate your successes now because challenging times may lie ahead. Cherish your friends and family while they are around. Plan for the future but live in the moment.
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10 Caribbean Marketing recently received three ADDY Awards for Outstanding Advertising Agency Self Promotion for our 3rd Anniversary Reel celebrating its body of work since the company launched, Outstanding Animation, Special Effects or Motion Graphics for their Bacchanalia Animation produced for Caesar’s Army and Outstanding Social Media Campaign for The Immortelle Beauties influencer marketing campaign produced for Immortelle Beauty.
