Roxanne Assoulin, a veteran in the jewelry business, shares her journey of building a vibrant and fresh brand that defies traditional 'aspirational' branding. She discusses leveraging authentic influencer relationships for explosive growth, navigating retail partnerships from online to brick-and-mortar, and steering her business through economic challenges with intuition. This episode offers valuable lessons on brand positioning, organic marketing, and resilience for any ecommerce entrepreneur.
Key takeaways
Authenticity trumps paid influence: Roxanne Assoulin's brand took off due to genuine connections with influencers, not paid endorsements. Focus on fostering real relationships that align with your brand's values for organic reach.
Embrace intuition in strategy: Despite market fluctuations and economic pressures, Assoulin relies on her 'gut feeling' to guide product development and business decisions, demonstrating the power of founder vision beyond pure data.
Diversify retail channels: The brand successfully expanded from online retailers like MatchesFashion into brick-and-mortar stores like Nordstrom, highlighting the importance of an omnichannel approach for sustained growth.
Define your brand ethos clearly: Assoulin intentionally distances her brand from an 'aspirational' label, focusing instead on accessible luxury and bold self-expression, which resonates with her target audience.
Leverage personal history to inform brand identity: Assoulin's decades of experience in the jewelry industry, combined with a fresh design approach, prove that heritage and innovation can coexist to create a unique market position.
Roxanne Assoulin has been in the jewelry business for over 40 years. But, thanks to its reliance on bold colors and youthful designs, her 7-year-old namesake brand feels as fresh as ever. Prior to launching her own brand, Assoulin designed for major brands like Michael Kors and had her jewelry sold in major department stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Her current brand took off thanks to boosts from influencers like Leandra Medine, who happens to be a friend of the family.
“We never paid influencers,” Assoulin said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “Leandra had dated my son when she, like, 17. She’s best friends with my daughter-in-law. I asked her to come to the office and tell me what she thought of what I was working on, and she took some pictures. I said, ‘Don’t post those pictures anywhere,’ and she said, ‘No worries, no worries.” That night, she posted them.”
The early buzz helped propel the brand, which grew 300% between 2017 and 2018. Now, Roxanne Assoulin is carried by both online retailers like MatchesFashion and brick-and-mortar stores like Nordstrom.
But in many ways, Assoulin said she’s still figuring out where to take the brand next. She characterized herself as a “gut person,” who focuses on her own creative sense to help guide the business through challenges like the pandemic and the current decreased spending caused by inflation. For this week's Glossy Podcast, she spoke with Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff about this philosophy, as well as her work with influencers, her history in the business and the inspiration behind her colorful jewelry.
What does this episode say about influencer & creator?
Authenticity trumps paid influence: Roxanne Assoulin's brand took off due to genuine connections with influencers, not paid endorsements. Focus on fostering real relationships that align with your brand's values for organic reach.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Embrace intuition in strategy: Despite market fluctuations and economic pressures, Assoulin relies on her 'gut feeling' to guide product development and business decisions, demonstrating the power of founder vision beyond pure data.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Diversify retail channels: The brand successfully expanded from online retailers like MatchesFashion into brick-and-mortar stores like Nordstrom, highlighting the importance of an omnichannel approach for sustained growth.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Define your brand ethos clearly: Assoulin intentionally distances her brand from an 'aspirational' label, focusing instead on accessible luxury and bold self-expression, which resonates with her target audience.
What does this episode say about influencer & creator?
Leverage personal history to inform brand identity: Assoulin's decades of experience in the jewelry industry, combined with a fresh design approach, prove that heritage and innovation can coexist to create a unique market position.
