MESSIKA
CASE STUDY
CHALLENGE
Maison Messika is a highly desirable, cool and contemporary French jewelry and fine jewelry brand, born out of a family’s love of diamonds. A prominent figure on the diamond trading scene since 1972, André Messika took his daughter Valérie on trips around the world from a very young age, to source extraordinary gems. Developing a passion for design and a love of exceptional precious stones, Valerie moved from diamond trading to launch her own jewelry under the name Maison Messika in 2005. The brand developed rapidly and today, its imaginative collections are sold in over 60 countries, offering a unique way to collect and wear the very best diamonds. In 2015 Messika opened an impressive, contemporary high jewelry atelier in its Parisian headquarters, out of which its reputation for exquisite craftsmanship has continued to grow. In 2016 Messika decided to enter the highly competitive Italian market and hire IC to launch the brand.
OUR WORK
IC developed and implemented a multi-channel communications strategy, with a strong digital focus, tailored to the Italian market. Our local knowledge and powerful network of contacts were central to the strategy. We succeeded in introducing Valérie Messika to key media, influencers and celebrities in Milan, Paris and at BaselWorld and during other key moments such as the Venice Film Festival. The Parisian headquarters of Maison Messika, with its high jewelry atelier, played an important role in the branding process, reinforcing its exceptional expertise and the unique blending of modern and traditional aesthetics in its creative approach. Messika’s collaboration with Gigi Hadid and the capsule collection “Messika by Gigi Hadid” were an essential part of the communications and branding strategy, emphasizing the brand’s current and contemporary cool.
RESULTS
Thanks to our expert knowledge of the jewelry industry and the media landscape, we swiftly developed and implemented a highly successful multi-channel communications program. Securing impactful brand sagas, product placements, celebrity and influencer endorsements, as well as strong social media coverage, we achieved a significant increase in brand awareness and visibility: Messika was viewed as highly aspirational, becoming top-of-mind with key target audiences. The collaboration with Gigi Hadid created a frenzy in traditional and social media and immediate sell-through. Significantly, distribution in Italy also rapidly and markedly increased in important cities like Milan, Rome, and Venice. Messika opened a corner in La Rinascente. Over a very short period of time, Messika became recognised as one of the key players in the world of jewelry and high jewelry. The launch in Italy was so successful that the brand is currently planning to open mono-brand flagship boutiques in Italy’s most fashionable cities.
