The Small Business Sessions: Marketing a 233-year-old family business

This week's Small Business Sessions podcast welcomes Henry Deakin, who's taken the helm of seventh generation family business Deakin & Francis.

Gemologist and designer Deakin discusses his gamble to open a flagship store in Piccadilly Arcade, influencer marketing and what it's like to join the family firm.

Deakin talks about the kind of marketing and experiences that can help retailers succeed in spite of the growth of ecommerce.

"We needed this flagship shop and it had to be in the right location. Piccadilly Arcade is such a wonderful place to be, it's so historic. It is a shop, but it's actually an experience," he said. "Retail is now all about the experience. Gone are the days of just buying things. People can go online and buy whatever they want."

Host Dan Martin and Deakin also talked about:

1. Moving away from white labelling

2. The power of going to events and talking about the brand

3. How to use influencers effectively

Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and other podcast platforms.