At the We Make Future 2024 in Bologna, the speech by our founder & Creative Director Martina Pescioli captured the attention of those seeking unconventional approaches to communication and branding by recounting the Chiara Voliani case – a jewelry brand that made its way in just 5 years, going from zero to 200k followers with a total ad spend of less than 5k.
Chiara Voliani designs and creates jewelry in silver resin. Beautiful, unique, and distinctive, but how many other competitors would she have found on her path to building identity and positioning if we had chosen to remain in the jewelry and craftsmanship sector?
Our journey with her began in 2019 with a precise goal: to make the products known and sell them without underselling them. Very little budget to invest. A strategy entirely to be designed.
A change in logic: creating a new product category to have no competitors
Faced with a market crowded with luxury brands and artisanal jewelry, competing meant only one thing: spending astronomical sums to stand out. But Chiara didn’t have that kind of budget. So, we decided to play a different game, a game that had no competitors.
Thus were born the SCULPTURE JEWELS of Chiara Voliani
Unique pieces, with great personality, that become wearable works of art. In this way, the brand does not enter into direct competition with other brands but positions itself in a category of its own, where what matters is not the price but the taste and vision of the artist.
We don’t just sell a precious object; we sell an experience, a style. Chiara is not just a designer; she is an artist who communicates her vision through every piece she creates.
Temporary exhibitions: when relationships matter more than e-commerce
Without an e-commerce platform and with a very limited budget, the question was: how to sell these niche jewels without having to compete on price?
We chose to focus everything on direct relationships and an exclusive purchasing experience. Hence the decision to sell only through carefully selected temporary exhibitions. Not simple temporary stores, but places that reflect the desired positioning: prestigious locations, consistent with the world of luxury and art, capable of adding value to the brand and attracting an interested audience aligned with the product.
Each exhibition was a new opportunity to tell Chiara’s story and create a personal connection with those who approached the brand. The result?
More than 190 exhibitions in five years, all strategically chosen to maximize visibility and reputation.
This was possible thanks to the great tenacity and perseverance of Chiara Voliani, with whom we immediately managed to create a great relationship of trust and mutual esteem. With respect and continuous dialogue, we built a path together in which she has always been the protagonist and the driving force.
The role of the communication agency is very delicate when it comes to personal branding; it must interpret, listen, and make itself available because communication is convincing only if there is truth and alignment of intent between the marketing strategy and the essence of the person telling the story.
The heart of the strategy: Chiara Voliani’s personal branding
At the center of everything has always been Chiara. Her image, her style, her way of communicating: every detail of the project contributed to building an authentic and recognizable personal brand. We didn’t just promote the jewelry; we built a narrative around the artist, transforming her into the sole true ambassador of her own brand.
Chiara became the face and voice of her community, recounting the creative process, showing the behind-the-scenes, and sharing her artistic vision. This created a strong and genuine bond with the audience, who identified with her story and chose to follow her not only for the jewelry but for what she represents.
That’s why the results speak for themselves: 200,000 followers reached without an e-commerce platform and with a total advertising spend of less than 5,000 euros.
The numbers of an unconventional success
In a context where it is often believed that large budgets are necessary to achieve great results, the Chiara Voliani case shows that there is another way: creativity, lateral thinking, and a tailor-made strategy.
Here’s what we achieved in five years of work:
- 200,000 followers
- 193 temporary exhibitions in prestigious locations
- Over 29 million impressions
- A database of 2,500 subscribers with an average newsletter open rate of 50%
- An increasingly rapid expansion beyond the Italian market
The lesson we take home: no excuses, only solutions
The speech at WMF 2024 was not just a moment to recount a project, but to share a vision: when it seems there are no resources available, it’s possible to reinvent the rules and find an alternative. Big budgets are not always necessary: what’s needed are ideas, courage, and the ability to build authentic relationships.
The story of Chiara Voliani teaches us that when you have a clear vision and a strong strategy, you can go far, even starting from zero. And above all, that there are no excuses: there are only solutions.
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