Over the last decades, we have seen many influencers transform the way of marketing. They can engage and communicate with the audience in a more authentic way.
Many influencers, rather than working with brands, think of selling their own brand products. One of the influencers who done the same is Alex Cannon, Co-founder of Craftd London.
Early Beginnings of Cannon
Cannon started his career as a model, persuaded by his mother at 18 to go into the field. Along with modelling, he spends a lot of his time launching a nutrition business and working as a barman in many bars and clubs in Europe.
At the age of 25, he decided to travel back home due to the hectic lifestyle & traveling and find something that really sinks his teeth. Coincide with the rise in social media platforms like Instagram. He decided to set an account and utilized his mobile camera to take photography from his modelling shoots.
Over time his creative talent shone through, and his followers continued to grow from hundreds to thousands. It was a great success for Cannon and for his modelling career while traveling around the world for shoots.
Cannon knew that modelling and marketing for brands were not his whilst and had a desire to launch his own brands.
Founding Craftd
In 2018, Cannon decided to launch a jewellery brand based on the problem he had faced. While buying fashion jewellery for his modelling, he noticed that- the cutting-edge jewellery made by small-business, but unfortunately was of low quality. There were high brands who were not thinking about their design.
He thought of launching a brand that was a combination of both- quality and cutting-edge design. He previously meets Danny Buck to discuss promoting the brand and thought about the potential partnership between them.
"Cannon knew my strengths," Danny said and knew that we both shared similar views for the creative side of the business. It would be great to accept the partnership with one who could manage the operational side of the business.
After the meeting, Danny accepted the offer, and both invested a couple of pounds in Craftd to take it off the ground.
Craftd and Future
Cannon already had a vision about the design and type of jewellery he wanted to create. He started the design of his jewellery on the kitchen table. Once they had designed, the duo started the CAD version created. The first product they launched was Compass Pendant in silver and gold. The jewellery represents that two founders share " following your inner compass in both life and business."
The first product was a great success with thousands of units got sold. However, they knew brands founded by influencers have initial success but taper off. They need to keep innovating new designs and launch new products. They re-invested the profit to strengthen their success and with an amazing knit team.
Currently, Craftd is experiencing 400% growth, and don't expect it will fade away soon. Today, Cannon achieved his objective and no longer modelling for other brands. He would spend his time as a designer and Creative Director of Craftd.