Creating Magic in Metals: Make your business sparkle with this Gen Z’s marketing techniques! [Monday: Marketing Marvels]
Miles Everson’s The Business Builder Daily speaks to the heart of what great marketers, business leaders, and other professionals need to succeed in advertising, communications, managing their investments, career strategy, and more.
A Note from Miles Everson:
Happy Monday!
Let’s amplify your week’s mood by delving into another “Marvel” who serves as a shining example of feat and glamor in the fields of marketing and business.
In our weekly articles of “Marketing Marvels,” we feature free-spirited personalities with great insights, contributions, and perspectives in the marketing realm.
For today’s release, we will highlight a Gen Z entrepreneur’s remarkable narrative.
Discover how you can implement this person’s marketing tactics in your brand’s endeavors.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Marketing Marvels
One of the well-known people in human history is the biblical figure of Eve, who is regarded as the “first woman.” She rose to popularity since her tale holds great importance in numerous religious and cultural practices.
However, aside from the biblical “Eve,” several notable figures named “Eve” carved their names in history.
To name a few, we have Ève Curie, daughter of Marie Curie and a prominent French American writer, and Eve Arnold, an American photojournalist.
Meanwhile, in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, another “Eve” stepped into the limelight, and she is…
Eve Gay!
Photo from Pepperdine University
Gay grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. At the age of 22, she obtained her degree in International Management at Pepperdine University.
In her academic journey, Gay had the opportunity to be an international student since she spent her sophomore year at Fudan University, China, where she studied International Business. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gay made the decision to return to her hometown in Florida.
At a young age, Gay displayed a keen passion for fashion. She had a definite aspiration to carve her name in the fashion industry. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an internship opportunity at a sustainable clothing designer didn’t materialize… but wait! There’s more to her story.
Equipped with an entrepreneurial mindset and interest for jewelry and accessories, Gay took advantage of her extra time during the COVID-19 pandemic to start her self-funded business. She was inspired to open her business as she recognized the rise of online shopping during the health crisis.
The name of her business?
Stoned Fine Jewelry (SFJ)!
Photo from Stoned Fine Jewelry’s Official Instagram Account
SFJ was launched in November 2020, while Gay was a full-time senior college student. Currently, the brand is deemed as a “contactless way” to shop for one-of-a-kind jewelry such as necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, saucers, serpents, and tennis bracelets.
Gay said starting a business during a health emergency was challenging, especially because she lacked generational ties or industry connection. So, to step up and launch her business competitively while in college, Gay consulted her professors for insights regarding brand establishment.
Eventually, SFJ became notable for its dedication to curate handcrafted pieces using the high-quality materials that are sourced responsibly. SFJ complies to commitment, top-quality, and ethics through using diamonds that are “Kimberley Process”-certified and ensuring all gemstones are of AAA grades. Through this, SFJ ensures it provides its customers with jewelry that are rare and valuable.
[Diamonds that are “Kimberley Process”-certified are those that have been verified and approved by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The goal of this initiative is to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds and to ensure that diamonds are mined and traded through legitimate channels.
Meanwhile, AAA grade refers to the highest quality grade given to a gemstone. Once a gemstone is AAA graded, it obtains one-of-a-kind clarity, color, and beauty.]
What else?
SFJ helps its clients to closely examine their chosen items through an online video chat concierge service. This enables customers to design their exquisite fine jewelry dreams that align with their unique styles and preferences.
As a result of these exceptional offers and services, Gay and her diamond company embarked on a significant leap by headlining in several media outlets, such as Playboy Magazine, DailyMail, Tatler, People Magazine, and Authority Magazine. Gay also guested in interview podcasts like Audible, Crying in Public, and Hotter in Person.
Photo from Audible
A Purpose-Driven Enterprise
Establishing a business was Gay’s means to empower women to explore entrepreneurial endeavors. She wanted to convey the message of giving importance to education and internship opportunities, which are stepping stones to strengthen one’s connections in the industry.
She also advocates for entrepreneurship and innovation to be intertwined with formal education so that the youth, especially girls, would be trained to “bring different perspectives to older generations” through business.
How did Gay accomplish such an impressive performance in the jewelry and accessories industry?
- Engage with “Anyone and Everyone”
Since Gay started SFJ from scratch, she said the core of her marketing strategy is to “engage with anyone and everyone.” She actualizes this marketing tactic by networking with professionals in the business realm and connecting with potential clients.
Takeaway: In the business world, engaging with “anyone and everyone” is pertinent because it allows entrepreneurs to gain insights, learn from others’ experiences, increase their chances of discovering new opportunities, and keep up with market trends.
Incorporating this marketing scheme to your brand can guarantee professional growth and business success.
- Befriend Digital Technology
Gay utilizes digital technology to offer a simple and convenient shopping experience for her high-quality jewelry. She mentioned that managing SFJ’s user-friendly website and social media platforms enables her to cultivate an appealing aesthetic and promptly respond to customers, thereby enhancing her brand’s profitability, productivity, and overall customer satisfaction.
Takeaway: Leveraging digital technology in business is integral since it offers marketers expanded reach, enhance customer service, enable data-driven decisions, and optimize operational, communication, and marketing costs.
Remember that in a thriving and ever-changing business landscape, embracing digital transformation is crucial to remain on top of consumers’ minds.
- Partner with Influencers & Celebrities
Gay collaborated with powerhouse models such as Hayden Webb, Ireland Baldwin, and Aslayy to promote her jewelry collections.
Takeaway: In marketing, it is important to collaborate with influential figures such as celebrities, models, athletes, and other people with HUGE following to gain customers’ attention and trust, drive engagement, and create compelling content.
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As you’ve just read, today’s “Marvel” faced unique challenges and opportunities during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic before breaking through the market with her own business.
Gay’s story and marketing techniques will enlighten you to consider the importance of innovation and contemplate on fostering a customer-centered brand. Because of that, she and her brand are able to thrive in an ever-changing business landscape.
We hope you learned useful and helpful business and marketing insights from today’s feature!
Stay tuned next Monday for another “Marketing Marvels” article.
(This article is from The Business Builder Daily, a newsletter by The I Institute in collaboration with MBO Partners.)
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Mondays: Marketing Marvels”
Too often, industry experts and the marketing press sing the praises of some brand or company’s marketing strategy.
… only for the audience to later find out that its product was a flop, or worse, that the brand or company went bankrupt.
The true ROI in marketing can’t be separated from the business as a whole.
What good is a marketing case study if one can’t prove that the company’s efforts actually paid off?
At the end of the day, either the entire business is successful or it isn’t. And the roles of marketing and communication are always paramount to that success.
Every Monday, we publish a case study that highlights the world’s greatest marketing strategies, marketers, and communicators.
However, the difference between our articles and the numerous ones out there is that we will always make certain that the firm really did generate and demonstrate earning power worthy of study in the first place (compliments of Valens Research’s finance group) in keeping with a person’s leadership skills in the area of marketing and/or communication.
We’ll also study the greatest marketing fails and analyze what they did wrong, or what they needed to improve. We all make our mistakes, but better we learn from others’ mistakes—and earlier, rather than later.
Hope you found this week’s marketing marvel interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Monday’s “Marketing Marvels!”
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
Powered by Valens Research
www.valens-research.com
