Case Study: The Digital, PR, and Business Development Transformation of Harry Winston

Company: Harry Winston, a premier luxury jewelry and watch retailer.

Act I — Revelation (Background & Challenge

Background

Founded in 1932, Harry Winston has carved a niche as a premier luxury jeweler and timepiece designer. The house’s blend of timeless elegance and innovation continued to attract discerning clients, yet the digital era reshaped how discovery, desire, and loyalty form.

The Challenge (2021)

Expand the brand’s digital footprint and convert social interest into measurable actions.

• Engage younger, digitally savvy audiences without diluting heritage.

• Elevate market profile through awards strategy, media/film product placements, and deeper influencer relationships that create durable momentum (not one-night spikes)

Act II — Resonance (What We Did)

The Solution

A coordinated program across digital, in-store experience, creative, PR, business development, influencer marketing, and product placements.

1. Digital Initiative — Curalaste

   Launched to convert social views into website sessions, product discovery, and boutique appointments/sales—creating a direct path from inspiration to action.

2. In-Store Corporate Events

   Revamped 100+ in-store experiences into memorable, ritual-led touchpoints that increased dwell time, try-ons, and care-program sign-ups.

3. Targeting Younger Audiences

   Creative campaigns refreshed the brand image for digital-first consumers while preserving house codes of provenance, craft, and care.

4. PR Strategy — Golden Globes (2021 & 2022)

   Built a map of 70 stylists and managed end-to-end placements (pulls, fittings, insurance/courier, on-site handling, returns) with provenance briefs and on-carpet credits.

   2021: 22 celebrity & influencer partnerships; 2.0M+ impressions.

   2022: 19 celebrity & influencer partnerships; 2.9M+ impressions.

   Extended impact with a 72-hour “afterglow” of editor outreach and talent-approved social packaging.

5. Partnerships with High-End Fashion Publications

   Consistent features and luxury gift guide inclusions across Vogue, W Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and peers to sustain premium visibility.

6. Business Development & Influencer Marketing

   Structured collaborations that broadened reach and deepened relevance with creators aligned to the brand’s stewardship values.

7. Product Placements (Media & Film)

   Secured 4 upcoming film partnerships, including Netflix’s Heist, embedding high-end jewelry within culture and extending discovery windows beyond live events.

8. Pop-Up Experience (2020)

   Boutique-grade pop-up introducing younger luxury clients to the house through curated try-ons, gemology demos, and concierge-level clienteling—captured as reusable PR and digital content.

Act III — Legacy (Results & Enduring Impact)

The Results

1. Curalaste turned social interactions into tangible website traffic, product exploration, and boutique appointments/sales.

2. Revamped in-store events increased engagement, loyalty, and care-program enrollments.

3. Younger-audience creative refreshed perception and expanded top-of-funnel awareness.

4. Golden Globes performance:

   2021 — 22 partnerships, 2.0M+ impressions

   2022 — 19 partnerships, 2.9M+ impressions

   
   
   

5. Editorial wins: 23 long-lead features secured across top-tier outlets.

6. Screen integration: 4 film partnerships confirmed (incl. Netflix’s Heist), reinforcing relevance beyond the carpet.

Conclusion

Through a strategic blend of digital conversion (Curalaste), ritualized in-store experiences, awards-season PR engineered for afterglow, long-lead editorial, influencer collaborations, and cultural placements, Harry Winston modernized its presence and deepened relevance—shifting from visibility to experience-led luxury that audiences remember and repeat.

Prophecy Brand Method: Prominence · Amplification · Elevation · Exposure

3-Act Narrative: Revelation · Resonance · Legacy