Shining Bright: A Conversation with Kendra Scott
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
Kendra Scott evokes a specific time in my life. Kendra Scott's jewelry was a conversation starter for me and many others attending college in the late 2010s. Many times, people would ask one another, "Oh my god, I love your bracelet; where did you get it from?" 99.99% of the time, it was a Kendra Scott piece. Kendra Scott allowed a younger audience to view jewelry as an investment and a way to make f ends. This experience is not unique to my friends and me. In fact, since the company's inception, Kendra Scott has continued to empower people with its high-quality jewelry. I had the chance to speak with Melanie Daifotis, Public Relations Manager, to learn more about the company.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
1. What makes Kendra Scott different from other brands?
Kendra Scott's north star is our purpose-led connection with our customers. This unique positioning is driven by the company's core pillars of Family, Fashion, and Philanthropy. We consider these pillars when making all business decisions and have stayed true to them for over twenty years.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
Our founder, Kendra Scott, understood the importance of excellent customer service. She understood the value of creating strong relations with customers. Unlike many jewelry brands, we encourage customers to touch and try on the jewelry and create a warm, welcoming environment in our stores.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
2. How does Kendra Scott stay ahead of upcoming trends in the jewelry world?
We spend a lot of time listening to our customers and getting their feedback. Additionally, in our collegiate ambassador program, our Gems provide insights such as what they'd like to see and what is trending. We also are constantly innovating to create a fresh, new products. We want to play with new materials or design techniques. Just this past year, we launched our engagement collection with lab-grown diamonds.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
3. How does Kendra Scott use social media to connect with established and potential customers?
Our social media team is fantastic and excels in keeping their finger on the pulse. Social media lets us get real-time feedback and connect with our customers. During the University of Alabama Fall Sorority Rush (Bama Rush), we connected with potential new members (the people going through recruitment) and different sororities when we noticed Kendra Scott was organically being worn by many Tik Tok creators and featured in their OOTD (outfit of the day) videos. The same day we noticed our jewelry was going viral, we created our own lookbook for Tik Tok to meet our customers where they are.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
4. How do you incorporate your mission and vision into your product offerings?
We have three core pillars: Family, Fashion, and Philanthropy, and Kendra Scott focus our giving in three areas: health and wellness, education and entrepreneurship, and women and youth empowerment. At all levels of the organization (product, store, corporate), we give back to these causes year-round. We also have specific pieces and collections with a designated percentage going back to various organizations, such as the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, whom we've partnered with since 2018.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
In fact, anyone can host a Kendra Scott event with organizations empowering women and youth, and 20% of all proceeds directly benefit the cause of your choosing.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
5 What is the future of the company?
2022 was a big year for us. Kendra Scott has been around for twenty years! Our founder Kendra Scott released her memoir Born To Shine: Do Good, Find Your Joy, and Build a Life You Love, which became a best seller. The company launched an initiative where we implemented a company-wide paid holiday the Monday following Mother's Day to celebrate and recognize all parental figures. We also entered two new product categories with the launch of The Watch Collection and The Engagement Collection. Plus, we celebrated Kendra Scott's first-ever brand collaboration with Emily Travis of @ChampagneandChanel and our first-ever collaboration with Barbie™. We look forward to continuing to grow and finding ways to surprise and delight our customers while staying true to our values.
(Image courtesy of Kendra Scott.)
