What to Keep in Mind When Working with Influencers for Jewelry and Watches
This article was automatically translated from the Japanese original. Read the original in Japanese
When working with influencers for jewelry and watches, there are three things to decide first: product handling conditions, how the product appears on screen, and where to draw the line on expression. Once these three are settled, you can choose who to ask. If you reverse the order, conditions often turn out not to fit after the selection, and you end up starting over.
| What to decide first | Characteristics for jewelry and watches | What to decide before making a request |
|---|---|---|
| Product handling | Each piece is high in value and limited in quantity. Loans are the norm, and insurance and on-site supervision requirements often apply | Loan period, handover and return methods, the staff member who will be present |
| How it appears on screen | Worn items look small on screen. The quality of a post depends on whether close-up shots convey the texture of the materials | Shooting location (store or studio), the details to be shown, the scope left to the influencer |
| Where to draw the line on expression | The way value and rarity are described changes the impression. Expressions that refer to price or asset value are best avoided | Features that may be mentioned in posts, phrasing to avoid, how to include the PR disclosure |
| Defining results | Posts rarely lead directly to purchases | Treat intermediate actions as results, such as branded searches, event visits, and in-store consultations |
What should you decide before considering influencer involvement?
The first thing to decide is how you will entrust the product. Jewelry and watches are difficult to send out to many people and then wait for posts. The main approach is to lend items temporarily for shooting, which makes managing the process from handover to return a prerequisite of the campaign.
For example, consider lending a new necklace to three people. If you align the handover dates, shooting schedules, and return dates in advance, one staff member can manage all three. For how to run loans, see Influencer Campaigns for Jewelry and Watches: Practical Guide to Loans, Returns, and Management.
For projects with strict conditions, there are also designs in which products are not taken off-site and everything is shot together in a studio. If the management burden feels too heavy, don't insist on loans; reconsider the shooting format instead.
Who should you ask when the product appears small on screen?
When worn, jewelry and watches look small on screen. In selecting people, look less at follower counts and more at how they shoot close-ups in their regular posts. If they have posts that calmly show the texture of hands or necklines, it is easier for them to convey differences in materials.
For watches, there is also a design that combines people who know the specifications well with people who show the watch in the context of an outfit. Since a certain segment of the audience is highly interested in mechanisms and specifications, having both someone who can speak to specifications and someone who shows the watch in clothing and daily life widens the entry points for viewers.
How does the design change between high jewelry and everyday ranges?
Even within jewelry, the approach to influencer involvement changes depending on price range and role.
| High jewelry | Everyday range | |
|---|---|---|
| Role of the post | A single post becomes the brand's impression itself | Appearing naturally in daily life is what matters |
| Selection | Standards are strict and selection is careful | Choose people who suit their usual style and can wear the pieces continuously |
| Approval | Headquarters approval may be required | Proceed in line with the brand's own operations |
| Suitable campaigns | Loans to a small number of people, event invitations, studio shoots | Building up wearing posts continuously |
For foreign brands, headquarters approval may be required to select influencers. In that case, prepare the candidate's materials and the reasons for selecting them in advance, in a form that can be used for approval. If you set the schedule without anticipating approval, you may miss the launch.
When should you start, in line with launches and seasons?
Work backward from the announcement date to decide when to start. If you are aligning with a new product presentation or a limited-edition exhibition, plan in the following order:
- Decide the announcement date and the period when you want posts to go live
- If approval is required, allow for the time it takes first
- Finalize selection and loan conditions
- Set the shooting and handover schedule
- Arrange the review of post content and the return process
For example, when introducing an everyday range for the winter gifting season, deciding selection and loan conditions before shooting slots get crowded gives you more choice of shooting dates.
What should you watch for in post expressions?
Narrow your checks down to three points: whether the product name and features are accurate, whether the PR disclosure is included, and whether the wording asserts value or asset worth as fact. If you give overly detailed instructions, the post stops feeling like the influencer's own and ends up not reaching viewers. For how to think about disclosure, see What Is PR Disclosure in Sponsored Collaboration Posts?.
In most cases where things go poorly, the cause is that handling conditions and the line on expression were not shared at the time of the request, not a problem on the influencer's side. For the difficulties of the luxury category as a whole, see Why Is SNS PR for Luxury Brands So Difficult?.
Our approach to the jewelry and watch category is summarized on the jewelry and watch casting page. We also explain our approach from selection through loan management on the casting information page.
Scope of This Article
This article is a general overview of what to decide first when working with influencers for jewelry and watches. It does not cover individual arrangements for insurance or product handling, or detailed contract clauses. For individual projects, the brand's own rules take priority.