Latest news with #SabriSuby
7NEWS
7 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Shark Tank judge Sabri Suby reveals ‘ridiculous' part of his worldwide search for a coveted Rolex watch
A multimillionaire entrepreneur with his heart set on a Rolex watch says the luxury brand has made it impossible for him to actually buy what he wants, and claims their shopfronts have little to nothing to actually sell. Shark Tank judge Sabri Suby travelled the world to secure the smoked ombre Day-Date, only to come up empty-handed and back exactly where he started — in Australia on a waiting list. 'It got to a point where it was so ridiculous that I'd literally walk into a boutique and say, 'do you have any watches for sale in here?' They'd be like, 'no, we don't have any',' he told Suby's year-long, globe-trotting treasure hunt for the Day-Date took him to stores in Australia, the UK, the US and Asia, and even saw him dive deep into the underground Rolex market. The watch he is chasing, a surprise release in 2024 featuring an everose gold case, retails for about $80,000. 'I'm going in there with a Rolex on my wrist, making sure that it's visible, making sure they understand that I am in a position to definitely buy a Rolex and genuinely going in there to buy,' Suby said. 'I thought that somewhere along my travels that somebody would be like, 'hey, I've got one in the back'. 'That never came.' Despite the Swiss brand pumping out more than one million watches every year, the story was always the same — Suby would leave every boutique without the Day-Date around his wrist. 'Everyone plays the same game. There was no boutique in any country that treat you differently,' said Suby, the founder of marketing agency King Kong. 'It's the same textbook play: 'Do you have a profile with us? What would you like to drink? Let me show you this. What piece are you looking for? No, we don't have that. Everything's on the wait list. Let me try my best to try and source that for you.'' Suby, from NSW, claimed his journey helped him uncover the 'psychological tricks' that have made Rolex a desired, status-symbol juggernaut that turns over more than $10 billion in sales every year, and a brand that dominates the luxury watch market with a share of more than 30 per cent. Off-catalogue or hidden-menu items you can only view as a VIP client, open-ended waitlists that drive anticipation and create desire, celebrity endorsements, and product ladders that turn first-time entry-level buyers into lifelong customers Rolex can pitch new products to each season are among the tactics deployed, he said. Suby said another powerful strategy was 'story-selling'. The Rolex Day-Date for example is often referred to as 'The President' because of its association with powerful figures. It is positioned as a watch for people that make important decisions. Suby said Rolex's sales exploded when they switched to 'selling the waitlist, instead of selling watches', with customers ushered into a long-term partnership when told 'no, we don't have any (watches for sale)'. 'That's when they sell you the waitlist. And it's just putting somebody on the waitlist and then telling them, in a month or six months or a year, 'hey, we've got your watch',' Suby said. 'It changes the dynamics of that relationship... there's more desire for it.' 'Hundreds and hundreds of Rolexes' With his traditional in-store hunt for a watch unsuccessful, Suby turned to unofficial sellers. The 'grey market' features authentic watches offloaded by dealers who are not part of Rolex's official distribution chain. 'You roll into these places and there are safes of hundreds and hundreds of Rolexes,' Suby said. 'And that's when you realise that these (watches) aren't scarce. They are everywhere.' Of course, the grey market means there is a mark-up. Watch dealer Calum Best, who left an electrical apprenticeship to co-launch business Eminere three years ago, said the market for timepieces exploded during COVID, with some trading up to five times what they had retailed for. He has sold a smoked ombre Day-Date previously, and said they are almost impossible to get through authorised Rolex dealers unless you are a VIP client or have a big spend history. 'If I had the time I could get one, but I'd have to sell above retail,' Best, who has a following of more than 80,000 on Instagram, told 'Rolex have marketed them so well, and they've created a scarcity (within the authorised dealer network). 'Supply is definitely lower than demand.' Suby, who turned his experience into a YouTube video that has so far attracted more than 400,000 views, said Rolex pulled their range of tactical levers because they work. 'They are, without a doubt, the biggest luxury watch company on planet Earth,' he said. 'There is no shortage of people that make watches. There's people that make much nicer watches than them or much more expensive watches, but they are not as big as Rolex. 'And so the difference isn't in the mechanics of the watch, it's in the way that they sell those watches, and it's using all these strategies.' 'I am going full rogue' Suby said the reaction to his video had swayed from bewilderment that 'stupid rich people would play these games' to others who found his breakdown of strategies entertaining and applicable to their own businesses. reached out to Rolex about Suby's video and thoughts, but they declined to comment. Suby said Rolex had told him via email they were working to provide him the chance to buy his desired watch. But if they do not deliver, he is willing to take things into his own hands. 'I cannot keep waiting. If they do not find me the smoked ombre ... I am going full rogue — grey market, bags of cash, the whole enchilada,' he said.
Herald Sun
21-07-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
Warning as brands like Ikea, Tesla jump on viral cheating Coldplay scandal
Aussie businesses have rushed to piggyback the Coldplay kiss cam scandal, creating a flood of social media memes riffing off the viral moment - but this style of marketing can easily backfire, according to PR and marketing experts. The video has been watched tens of millions of times and spawned copycat moments at sporting games and social feeds worldwide. Sabri Suby, founder of digital marketing agency, King Kong and former judge on Shark Tank Australia said there was a brief window to take advantage of a cultural moment, where brands can ride the wave of mass attention without paying for it. 'Done right, it makes a brand feel plugged-in, human, and culturally fluent,' he said. 'But it's a double-edged sword. Move too slow and you look out of touch; get the tone wrong and you risk trivialising something serious or alienating your audience. 'The key is speed, relevance, and staying on-brand. Jumping on the bandwagon just for reach can easily backfire if it feels opportunistic or tone-deaf.' HR chief Kristin Cabot, and her company Astronomer's now-former CEO Andy Byron became a hot topic after the pair – both married to other people – were seen looking cozy while attending a concert on Wednesday night. Video taken at the show, which has since gone viral online, showed Byron with his arms wrapped around Kristin as they were caught on the concert's 'kiss cam' jumbotron. Mr Byron's wife removed his name from her now-deleted Facebook profile in the wake of the scandal, and it has also emerged Ms Cabot is also married to another man. Phoebe Netto, PR expert and founder of Pure Public Relations, said the sentiment surrounding meme-able moments could shift quickly. 'The human impact of this situation is starting to be discussed, and this will see the tone change,' she said. 'A CEO has resigned, families and relationships are impacted, Astronomer staff now have unwanted attention and disruption, and the sadness that comes from affairs are coming to the fore, and brands need to quickly move on from the jovial memes to avoid a lag in what is considered appropriate.' Bryden Campbell, founder at Brand Rebellion, said audiences were tuned in to authenticity. 'Chasing a quick win by inserting your brand into a scandal or trending topic that has no real connection? Audiences can smell that a mile away,' he said. 'It risks undermining brand credibility and leaves a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons. 'There's also a fine line between being clever and being careless. Brands making jokes or poking fun at this situation should take a hard look at whether that tone truly reflects their values. 'Just because something's viral doesn't mean your brand needs to have a once you enter the conversation, you may find yourself expected to keep having opinions. If the situation escalates, or a new one emerges, you've set a precedent. It creates an ongoing expectation that your brand will always be vocal, which may not serve you long-term.' Many corporate social media teams were quick to latch onto the trend – here are the best of them. Gritty Garms This Gold Coast-based vintage clothing store broke out the AI tools for their humorous take on the scandal. Nando's Offered a discount for 'a little something on the side' for customers who entered the code 'Coldplay' at the checkout. Ikea A post from the Swedish furniture brand's Singapore branch spread its way across Australian feeds on the weekend, featuring two of its plush animals locked in a cozy embrace, set to a Coldplay's Something Just Like This. 'Don't get caught … without these! Drama-free cuddles guaranteed,' the post said. Tesla The Elon Musk-owned EV company weighed in on the scandal on Musk's social platform X. TV networks Not to be outdone, presenters from Seven and Nine each gave slightly Dad-joke-flavoured versions of the meme. Originally published as Australian, international businesses piggyback Coldplay kiss cam scandal with memes
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gen Z job warning as new trend set to destroy 80 per cent of industry
Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at such a rapid rate that it could wipe out as many as 80 per cent of paid influencers in just a few months. In years gone by, content creators could earn hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars for a few social media posts. But these AI platforms are now able to churn out images and videos in just a few minutes for free that could be indistinguishable from reality. Sabri Suby, founder of digital marketing agency King Kong, told Yahoo Finance AI is "changing the game" in the influencer space. "I would say that 30 to 40 per cent of the short-form form content that people are consuming now, they're not even aware that it is AI-generated," he said. Gen Z Aussies warned over 'concerning' AI prediction ATO warning ahead of $1,288 cost-of-living cash boost $3 million superannuation tax change sparks property warning "Five months ago, it was very easily detectable, specifically with the lip syncing technology. "But now a few companies can create these hyper-realistic AI influencers, and that's been the missing piece of the puzzle." A report published by IZEA last year revealed that 55 per cent of adults aged 18 to 60 were willing to leave their 9-5 jobs to become a full-time influencer or content creator. The study also revealed one-third of 18 to 29-year-olds aspired to become influencers in the future. But they might find it next to impossible to make a living if current trends the bottom tier, you have user-generated content (UGC) creators. These are everyday people who might have followers in the three-to-four-digit space. Brands fork out hundreds of dollars to UGC creators in exchange for shooting content with their products, which the businesses can then use for marketing on their own channels. Micro-influencing has been a win-win for these creators and brands because costs can be low, and people might trust a nobody flogging a product over a well-known influencer. Fitness coach Sumbul Ari made $13,000 in just six months doing UCG. In the middle tier, you've got your run-of-the-mill influencers. They could be in any sector imaginable, like fitness, fashion, health and wellness, or food. They could have tens or hundreds of thousands of followers and get invited to events and parties, and make a pretty penny through brand deals. One bikini brand owner was shocked when three influencers she reached out to to collaborate with quoted her between $1,000 to $82,000 for a variety social media posts. Grace Garrick, founder of PR company MVMNT, revealed that a creator tried to charge an "entire year's salary" for a set of Instagram stories. Then you have your mega influencers at the top tier. They've got millions of followers, a brand deal or 10, and potentially a podcast, a fashion collection, makeup line, or a swimwear collaboration. They're the ones who likely jumped on the influencer bandwagon early and have spent years documenting their lives for their supporters. AI influencers have already infiltrated social media, and are racking up hundreds of thousands of followers, likes, shares and comments. IZEA found 31 per cent of young people already follow AI-generated or virtual influencers, however this is much less pronounced for people over 30 at just 15 per cent. One of the most followed AI stars is Brazil's Lu do Magalu, who has nearly 8 million supporters on Instagram alone. However, it wouldn't take a genius to realise she isn't a real person. But AI has come a long way since Magalu's first appearance on social media back in 2009. Even just in the past week, Google's Veo 3 AI video generator was revealed, and some of the examples it showed made it incredibly difficult to work out what's real and what's fake. Suby told Yahoo Finance this is where AI will be able to wipe out a sizeable chunk of the paid influencer space. "If you have a look at the total spectrum of people that are out there and creating content, 80 per cent of those people are micro-influencers that have 10,000 followers or less and this is directly going after them," he said. Of course people will still be able to be influencers and content creators, however they might not be able to rely on it as a form of income in the future. Suby said while UGC has been a win for both parties in recent years, some brands have found it difficult to work with certain people. He said creators and influencers can be "problematic" and "unreliable" because they might push back on certain requests or forget to film the product for several days. "But if someone can literally go in and write one prompt and get a video in five minutes, then we know what's going to end up happening, right?" he told Yahoo Finance. Not only that, but AI adds scale to this sector. They can pump out a month's worth of content involving 10 different AI-generated people in just a few minutes, which might have normally cost thousands of dollars and taken weeks to film. But what's truly impressive is how much AI can create incredibly lifelike content. "There's always an argument that AI is going to be able to do everything," Suby said. "But there are certain human characteristics and flaws that make a human relatable and real. "However, AI is basically going to be able to look at all the past data of all real influencers, and it's going to be able to pick up those uncanny flaws. They're going to adopt them to even make them into a more, very realistic model." The digital marketing expert said there will definitely be some influencers who will keep their jobs. The ones in the top tier will certainly be safe because they are bankable stars that have a genuine influence over people and that can be incredibly attractive for brands. The ones in the middle tier who survive will be those who are creative and carve out an authentic niche with their audience. "I don't think AI means that if you're an influencer, you can't make a living doing it," Suby said. "You're just going to need to be a hell of a lot better than what you would have needed to be previously. "It's going to be forged on you being more vulnerable, forming deeper connections, and doing things that AI isn't yet able to do." He said one example of that is doing TikTok Lives or doing a Q&A on Instagram. However, it might not be too far off the horizon before AI influencers are able to claim those spaces as while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
