The American actress and singer was given a Christian Paul Sydney watch and bracelet by a fan at a backstage meet and greet following Gomez’s concert in Sydney on 9 August.
A photo of the starlet wearing the Bondi Marble watch and howlite and rose gold bead bracelet was later posted on Instagram, while Gomez also posted pictures of the items on her fashion blog.
Christian Paul founder and CEO Timothy Caruana told Jeweller that sales requests increased “almost instantly” after the picture was posted on the social media platform.
Capitalising on the exposure, the watch business – which launched in July 2015 and is distributed in the local market by West End Collection – also ran an online contest to win the watch, dubbed ‘Selena’s Pick’.
“Within 24 hours of the post on Instagram and the introduction to the competition of winning 'Selena's Pick', sales for the Bondi Marble increased dramatically,” Caruana said. “We have now had to arrange for our logistics coordinator to further contact manufacturers to meet demand.”
The online buzz caught the attention of the mainstream media and Caruana was interviewed on several radio stations and quoted in newspapers such as the UK’s Daily Mail and Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph.
He attributed the rapid response to his business’ “large digital presence” and the “like mindedness” of its Instagram followers and Gomez’s fans.
Impact on bricks-and-mortar
According to Caruana, the impact of the publicity on bricks-and-mortar retail stockists was unknown at the time of publication. However, he said online interaction was generally a “great reflection” of overall sales.
While it might be too early for exact figures, early reports suggested the attention had benefited local jewellers.
Noah Gattea, of Gattea Jewellers in NSW, which stocks Christian Paul, said: "We have had more people ask about the brand, more people are familiar with the brand now and they are certainly considering it above other watch brands for their social media presence.
"We believe social media is an effective marketing tool and have a dedicated social media manager showcasing our designs as well as working closely with selected brands like Christian Paul.”
He added ‘Selena's Pick’ would be featured on his business’ Instagram feed.
Fellow jeweller Neil Watson, of Watson's Jewellers in Launceston, Tasmania, said he expected enquiries to increase soon and was in the process of posting pictures of the products to Facebook and Instagram with a caption along the lines of “got to get it” in an attempt to boost sales.
West End Collection general manager John Rose advised stockists looking to make the most of the sudden popularity to use the photos of Gomez on their own social media channels.
“Posting these images on Facebook or Instagram, along with a 'get Selena's look' caption, or a competition to win the watch will draw people into stores,” he said.
Christian Paul is currently stocked in more than 300 stores, with approximately 250 located in Australia and New Zealand.
It is distributed in multiple countries, including the UK, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Singapore. A sales office also recently opened in the US.
Selena's Pick
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