Tiffany & Co. Case Study:

Luxury Brand Storytelling Experiences

Building Brand Engagement & Client Development Through Events, Partnerships and Strategic Communications with Copy & Content Across Touch Points

In my 10+ years working with Tiffany & Co., I developed event strategies and VIP client experiences with 360 marketing campaigns to grow client acquisition, loyalty and revenue.

See below for how these elements were applied to a Digital Influencer Experience Program and Retail Store Opening Event Campaigns

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. is the oldest and one of the most iconic American brands. A luxury staple, the retailer is known for its exquisitely crafted jewelry and sparkling diamonds. The jeweler’s global brand identity signifies heritage, specialness and love.

To keep this brand top of mind and maintain loyalty, it’s essential to continue to tell the one and only Tiffany & Co. love story that gleams with an on-brand tone that is wondrous, sophisticated and classy, bringing customers joy. Luxury marketing content must tell a great story, highlighting exclusivity and heritage to connect to an emotion, such as from a memory, that evokes an action.

Objective & Strategy

The goal for this luxury brand is to deliver exclusive and one-of-a-kind experiences for media and clients with the finest products that add value to the customers’ lives that endure through generations. My challenge at Tiffany & Co. was to extend the reach beyond gift-giving timeless tokens of love to year-round self-purchasing from a broader high-net-worth market base.

I developed strategic marketing and communications plans focused on unique live and digital events to attract media, strengthen brand loyalty with top clients, drive traffic, and ultimately increase sales. At the same time, I ensured the brand’s integrity was represented correctly and cohesively throughout regions with effective copywriting. I did this by:

  • SHOWCASING BRAND STORY through conveying traditional aspects with today's relevancy.

  • POSITIONING the brand as fashionable and current.

  • CONNECTING with target audiences through both traditional and digital communication vehicles and experiences that appealed to an emotion, memory or desire.

  • REGIONALIZING global brand messaging and initiatives.

See below for an overview of projects for both live and digital events that continued to elevate brand positioning and client loyalty, harnessing media, partnerships, content and influencer relations.

Influencer Hosted Seasonal Digital Webinars

Engaging Clients with Exclusive Experiences via Influencer Partners

CHALLENGE: As a result of the pandemic, Tiffany & Co. retail teams needed an opportunity for client interaction in place of in-person events during the critical holiday shopping season. Loyal clients expect exclusive, special experiences.

STRATEGY: I generated a series of exclusive, private online event webinars, partnering with high-profile influencers, that top clients from all over the North American region could participate in. These represented different themes that were tied to respective product categories. I shared this strategy with global communication colleagues overseeing other regions to replicate and implement.

TACTICS: To attract attendees and execute the events, I collaborated cross-functionally to move this forward:

  • Set budgets and developed wish lists for desired influencers and corresponding topics. Worked with artist representation and entertainment marketing team to negotiate and secure contracts.

  • Created invitation copy to secure attendees, tailored to apply to email and SMS versions.

    • Voice reflected the exclusivity and elegance of the brand that is to-the-point, but expressed more casually to connect easier with the audience.

  • Determined merchandise to represent per event and produced product sheets to detail item placement based on the influencers’ feedback. Secured hosts representing fashion, media and home decor.

  • Wrote the scripts, talking points and product descriptions for the influencers to follow as an outline.

  • Directed production vendor to execute the vision and ensure smooth delivery.

  • Developed custom gift packages for attendees, tailored to each chat to represent the influencer and theme.

  • Crafted internal communication newsletters, emails, messaging and presentations for sales leaders to secure guests.

  • Recreated events into videos to share with a secondary select group of clients.

Below are photos from the presented webinar and examples of content I produced and/or oversaw to promote these influencer webinars and videos, followed by the results:

Invitation Copy to Secure Attendees

Internal Communication Newsletter

Webinar Script Excerpt

Digital Influencer Event Results

  • Holiday Influencer Series

    Sales Conversion: 70%

    Sales: $2.6M

    ROI: 340%

    Video Clickthrough Rate: 60%

  • Spring Influencer Series

    Sales: $2.7M

    ROI: 800%

New Store Openings:

Event Launch & 360 Marketing Campaign

Creating Immersive Luxury Experiences to Introduce New Stores to Markets

CHALLENGE: Establish new stores as luxury destinations and drive traffic and purchases. Ensure retail teams are supported with event tools, client building opportunities and guidelines to meet sales goals. Attract the right customer attendees and media visibility.

STRATEGY: Cultivate brand loyalty and generate new clients with an omni-channel marketing approach surrounding events and experiences for clients within a calendar of a few months before and after the launch. This was supported by marketing collateral, media relations, community sponsorships, celebrity partnerships and digital/online content to drive engagement and awareness to the right clientele.

TACTICS:

  • Developed and executed a 360-marketing plan with participation from cross-functional teams to secure the right email lists, social media marketing, media outreach, advertising and merchandising.

  • Created copy for promotional vehicles, including invitations, email blasts, social media, press outreach, marketing collateral and on-site signage. Brand voice was enticing, hinting of a magical experience to uncover, with clean, crisp and concise copy.

  • Oversaw copy for cross-promotional opportunities in social media and ads in high-profile event programs by negotiating community partnerships with local organizations, catering to high-net-worth individuals to drive store attendance.

  • Drew social media and press results by ensuring press, influencers and, if warranted, celebrities, attendance at the launch event, the latter of which dressed in key collection products.

  • Secured and coordinated vendors, managing logistics and run-of-shows.

  • Aligned with production and creative visual teams to integrate intriguing installations that represent global marketing initiatives.

The following are examples of promotional content, event elements and community partnerships for new stores, followed by the resulting outcome from this work:

Promotional Content

I drove creative direction and approvals to internal partners with drafted copy and brand design direction to develop event communications to target audiences such as clients, prospects and media. Content included e-blasts, printed and digital invites, social media posts, press outreach, website postings and SMS. I also worked on cross-promotions with partners such as the mall owner of the store, providing branded taglines and graphics, for these third-parties to promote store openings via their communication vehicles.

  • Store Opening Invitation

  • Social Media Posting

  • Cross-Promotional Social Media

  • Press Release

Store Opening Event Elements

  • Social Media Activations

    I oversaw branded installations at the opening events for guests to engage with to make their own memories. With tools handy for sharing content such as photo kiosks, SnapChat filters and custom hashtags, attendees became our user generated content creators, promoting the new store to their social media followers.

  • Talent Relations

    I worked with talent liaisons to secure and negotiate talent with top talent agencies like CCA and WME for musical entertainment — whether A-list or popular local artists. This helped build client memorable client experiences, create buzz, maintain the event’s momentum and serve as media content.

  • Showcase Exclusive Collections

    I tasked internal teams to curate a relevant theme to tie into a store opening to build a brand story for media relations. These were unveiled as exclusive, limited-time-only trunk show viewings to drive traffic. Examples included the high jewelry collection in Beverly Hills and an Americana-themed archival display for opening month in DC. These collections generated media coverage and drew new clients.

  • Branded Activation: Pop-Up Cart

    I worked with our internal visual creative team to concept a branded pop-up coffee cart to engage DC residents and drive them to the store. This was installed across the street from the new DC store on the opening day’s first two hours to draw attention to residents and shoppers. Offering free coffee and treats, it drew 200 new client prospects to the store’s opening day breakfast.

Store Opening Partnerships & Sponsorships

To drive awareness and traffic to the new store, I secured local community partnerships with organizations made up of current clients, movers and shakers and local influencers that would help build exposure to a new store.

I identified organizations with board members fitting the target client demographic to set up stores to meet new clients. It was also key that these partners aligned with Tiffany’s core values such as the arts and sustainability or held a once-in-a-lifetime type of moment during the given time period.

The organization would be approached with a strategic sponsorship plan so that the non-profit would serve as a co-host at the opening event with board members in attendance, Tiffany would curate a special in-store moment for the nonprofit’s members, and the partner would invite Tiffany store sales team to their top event for networking opportunities.

  • Celebrity Brand Ambassadors for Media Relations Opportunities

    Opening events provided great content to entice media for local coverage to drive awareness. In major markets, such as Beverly Hills, outlets extended nationally to the likes of Access Hollywood, Women’s Wear Daily.com and Elle. Celebrities were secured for media-worthy photo and social media opportunities and dressed in key jewelry pieces.

  • SF Reopening Partners

    Art institution SFMOMA was reopening after a renovation with a huge gala and activities timed to our store’s renovation reopening, so it made sense to build on this theme with a strategic sponsorship. We hosted their gala committee celebration in-store while they hosted our senior store leaders at their gala. I also negotiated a sponsorship to support the SF Ballet’s Nutcracker season with exclusive in-store events for members and a holiday dance appearance in-store and ballet tickets to VIP clients.

  • Vancouver Store Partner & Sponsorships

    I negotiated a contract with Ballet BC in Vancouver to serve as an event co-host, inviting supporters to the store and providing an exclusive performance, resulting in $99k in sales. Within the first year, I coordinated a breakfast shopping event for Goop’s Health Summit guests . I also took advantage of an exclusive fashion exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery to build a series of partnered events around to the benefit of both store and museum clients.

Store Opening Results

  • Beverly Hills Store Opening

    Sales: 800% above target

    180 client guests

    154 media placements

    1.5B impressions

    800M social media impressions

  • Waikiki Store Opening

    Secured 229 guests

    Active social media sharing

    Delivered $132.6k sales for launch event

    Opening weekend sales = $1.17M, 20% above expectations and 430% revenue boost

    Featured in key media such as local broadcast, Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Modern Luxury

  • Washington D.C. Store Opening

    200 new client guests during first 2 hours

    Continued media coverage due to Americana-themed archival display for opening month such as WTOP news

    Charity donations to opening partner, Children’s Hospital Foundation, drawing new clients to the store’s launch event

Get in Touch and Learn How We Can Work Together

I can help you meet your business objectives quickly. I am available for full-time roles, contract or project work.

  • Are you overwhelmed with marketing materials to write?

  • Does your website copy need refining or updating?

  • Do you need support with strategic planning, media outreach, social media management or events?

  • Are you stuck grasping for the right words to develop your brand’s voice?

Allow me to step in and be that extra wheel to keep your team rolling along and focused.  

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