It may come as a surprise to some, but celebrity endorsements have existed for hundreds of years. Its roots can be traced as far back as the 18th century when a British businessman named Josiah Wedgwood branded one of his tea sets as Queensware, to signify the elegant design as attributable to Queen Charlotte. With the endorsement of the monarch, Wedgwood’s business became an instant hit.
Leveraging Celebrity Endorsements for Brand Building
These days, celebrity endorsements have become the norm. In fact, large corporations like Pepsi, Louis Vuitton, and Nike have all allocated large amounts of money to getting the best and brightest stars to endorse their brands.
This is true even for budding businesses like Flawless Diamonds Co. Nicholas Flathau, the daring and young owner of the custom jewelry shop, learned that by leveraging celebrity endorsements, one could increase revenue exponentially.
In 2019, following his success in obtaining his own AT&T franchise, Flathau decided to risk it all and create his very own business from scratch. He was enticed by a jeweler from Dallas, Texas who eventually became his mentor after Flathau saw the craftsmanship of his pieces. With the help of his mentor, and his fair share of research, Flathau earned his first million at the young age of 25.
His business flourished. He has been trusted by celebrities who fell in love with his custom jewelry, such as Te’a Cooper, NLE Choppa, King Louie, Chatarius “Tutu” Atwell, Cole Bennett and more.
Craftsmanship: More than Meets the Eye
Celebrity endorsements will surely attract customers, but that doesn’t mean that influencers will always actively affect a consumer’s buying behavior. A study conducted by researchers from Nanhua University in Taiwan found that celebrity endorsers could indeed affect a customer’s brand awareness, especially if they are credible and trustworthy. However, buying intentions still depend on subjective perceptions and preferences that are not dictated by an idol or personality that endorses the product.
Hence, a business should still focus more on the quality of its product or service rather than just paying celebrities to promote them.
Flawless Diamonds Co. knows this by heart. That’s why craftsmanship, above all, is the name of their game.
“Quality is all we know,” says Flathau. They wouldn’t attract the attention of these celebrities if they did not know how to deliver the best jewelry pieces to each and every one of their clients.
“It’s a struggle starting out because people don’t know who you are, [and have] no respect towards your name until they start seeing your work,” adds Flathau.
Today, Flawless Diamonds Co. is well on its way to being recognized as a premium jewelry company, thanks to its dedication to quality products and its ability to leverage celebrity endorsements as well. Flathau says that any business can achieve this level of success by following in his footsteps and making the right sacrifices at the right time.
