One Justin Bieber song has nearly 750 million views on YouTube. The Canadian pop star has spawned near-riots in cities just by showing his face. And the number of Twitter followers he boasts -- 23.5 million -- surpasses the population of Australia.
Cellairis, an Alpharetta company that sells cellphone cases and other accessories, is hoping The Bieb's popularity will rub off on it. Beginning today -- in conjunction with the sale of Bieber's latest album -- Cellairis will be selling cellphone cases endorsed by Bieber, with some that feature his image.
The company wants to sell more smartphone cases, of course. But it also wants to use Bieber's heft -- and those of other celebrities it hopes to sign -- to vault it into a household name, and to persuade people to open franchise locations of Cellairis stores, which are now mostly in mall kiosks.
"It's going to allow us to do a lot of things," said Joe Ciardullo, Cellairis' chief marketing officer. "We're expecting very exciting results."
The private company would not disclose its sales, but Ciardullo said it's experiencing growth at its 700 stores as more people use their cellphone cases as fashion accessories. They buy different ones to cloak their phones in at work or for a night on the town, and some fans will send pictures of just-painted nails that match their new cases. Cellairis expects to open its thousandth location by the end of the year.
"Many people want to show their personality on their phone," he said. "The phone is often more visible than the shoes."
So, Bieber. Cellairis is hoping to set itself apart and become the destination for cellphone case purchases, in a fractured industry. Michael Morgan, ABI Research's senior analyst for mobile devices, said there are so many cellphone case sellers, even he doesn't know how many there may be.
By signing on celebrity endorsers, the company increases its credibility among potential franchisees, said Ken Bernhardt, marketing professor at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business. "It gives the brand increased credibility," he said. "This positions them as a leader."
Morgan doesn't think the move will be a game-changer, but he did say it could help people become aware of the Cellairis name. Now, he said, between 40 and 60 percent of people who have cases on their smartphones do not know the cases' brand. And half the people who do have smartphone cases buy them when they buy their phones, often at their cellphone stores or at retailers like Best Buy.
The market for cellphones in the U.S. and Canada has slowed, but Morgan said its growth is still upwards of 35 percent a year. Cellairis, with kiosk stores in the U.S. and Canada, is planning international expansion and already has some stores in London. The company, which moved from Florida to Alpharetta in 2000, hopes to have 2,000 stores in five years. It is opening its first full-line stores outside of the mall kiosks, and also does phone repair.
If Bieber loses his squeaky-clean image -- or his teenage following -- Cellairis may be hurt in the short-term, Bernhardt said. But he said the pop star is a lever that can create instant recognition in a way few other things can.
"Among teenagers, he's just as big as you can get," Bernhardt said. "It makes them stand out."
Ciardullo said it has already become easier to persuade vendors to work with Cellairis. Other celebrities are calling, to get their own faces and catch phrases on fans' phones. And the number of licensing deals is making Cellairis franchises more valuable, he said.
Ciardullo doesn't yet know how Bieber fans will receive the cases, which start around $25. But use of his likeness has resulted in a bump for other retailers, and pre-released cases have shown up in audiences, as on the Today Show where Bieber performed last week.
"It's opened a tremendous avenue to share our brand with the rest of the world," Ciardullo said.
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