Francesca Simons is a leading fine jewelry publicist with a proven track record of developing and promoting brand stories across digital, social, celebrity placement, and print media platforms.
London-born and raised and New York City based Francesca Simons is passionate, instinctive and as fast-paced as the city she lives in. She can procure photos and quotes from her clients as quickly as editors and writers need them, “which is sometimes within the hour” Francesca explains. But this is just one of the aspects that makes her agency truly unique and has built her reputation as an advocate for her designers and the go-to publicist for the press.
Although she has worked for large well-known agencies since she was 19, when she launched her eponymous company in 2016, she knew she wanted to create a hands-on public relations agency that has a boutique feel in which she could cultivate and maintain intimate relationships with highly individualized attention for each of her clients. “Each of my clients have different needs and different goals and we work together on meeting them and having their voices heard in a very crowded marketplace.”
She continues, “Although each of my clients is given special attention, there are certain aspects of publicity in this ever changing market place that work and that also continue to evolve. The most important is diversity: crafting multi-platform narratives, encompassing everything from social media to special projects and collaborations that best communicate brand identity It’s equally essential to be one step ahead and be thinking about what will be most influential in raising awareness around the brands I represent.”
Her understanding of the fine jewelry marketplace, the trends, the type of stories that writers want to tell and when, individualized pitches to the press, the jewelry in which photo editors and celebrity stylists are dressing models and clients has created a proven track record that has designers clamoring to be represented by her.
Francesca has a sixth sense about which clients she can generate the most exposure. “I only take on clients for which I have a vision for and can cultivate. I become deeply and intensely involved in their growth and development. The first client who I launched my firm with four years ago was Spinelli Kilcollin; we became friends prior, and he then referred me to VRAM. Bea Bongiasca was referred to me by both Ananya and MUSE Showroom. I gain new clients by referrals and need to be a fan of their collections design aesthetic and see gaps in the market where I know they can be positioned.”
As far as press and stylists with whom Francesca work, they know they can depend on her to meet their needs seamlessly and send them assets in record time. Due to her attention to every detail, she has created lasting relationships with editors, writers and stylists that go way back to when she worked for other agencies, before she launched Francesca Simons Public Relations. Those that have recently met her have come to rely on her as well.
Her most recent project has propelled her into a new realm—that of working with jewelry designers and television and film. “This was very memorable for me to be involved. Rebecca Albeck, the Danish designer who created the jewelry for HBO six-part series The Undoing and I met on Instagram and was such an organic way of working together, which began as a friendly chat on DM which led to a phone call and on to an incredible project. I had never represented a jewelry designer for any movie or series and it was something I felt confident and strongly about. The costume designer was amazing. Darren Star wrote and produced the series and Nicole Kidman and Huge Grant starred in it. Could you ask for more?” I created a key target list. It’s always vital to know who will be excited about a story and due to my 10+ years in the business I was able to secure all of the press outlets within two days.” Francesca is already in negotiations on another series that is filming in LA in 2021. I am looking forward to more projects like this one and meeting and representing the uber talented designers I am working with at present and those I will work with in the future.”
Current client portfolio includes Anita Ko, Ashley Zhang, Bea Bongiasca, Cicada, EERA, Grace Lee, Jacquie Aiche, KATKIM, Marie Lichtenberg, Rainbow K, Suzanne Kalan and Yvonne Leon.
written by Beth Bernstein
