Anyone who has owned a radio or television in the Philadelphia area in the past 25 years knows Jerry Robbins, or at least thinks they do. His commercials, which feature his velvet baritone honed from years of work on the stage, have transformed him from jeweler to brand icon. But the 70-year-old jeweler is also the chief of Leo Robbins & Sons Inc., the company founded by his father Leo in 1949. (His family has roots in the jewelry business even before that.)
Though semi-retired, he still shows up to work. Now, he's in the process of figuring out how to pass the torch to his three sons. The next generation in the business also includes a daughter-in-law, a former daughter-in-law, and even a 21-year-old granddaughter. He recently spoke with Jonathan Berr for PhillyInc about his career, though he declined to divulge how the diamond stud stays in his beard.
PhillyInc: What's the secret of working with your family?
Robbins: It takes a lot of work. ... We consider [the business] a golden goose that lays golden eggs and we try to get everyone in the family that's working in the business to understand that.
(More below. But first, here below - and here - is a hilarious clip of the Rockin' Robbins Mascot in reheasal.)
Q: Was it tough to persuade your family to come into the business?
A: I worked for my father. My children work for me. They all chose to come into the business.
Q: When will you name a successor?
A: I haven't named any one son. [That decision will be made] hopefully in the next year or so.
Q: What is the biggest change you've noticed in the jewelry business?
A: It's become more of a commodity (and) very, very competitive. ... We responded by offering better service.
Q: Can you say anything about how business is going?
A: Sales are good. We are a mature business, so we don't have monstrous increases. We are growing and progressing. ... Same-stores sales are excellent.
Q: Has your business been hurt because of uncertainty about the economy?
A: Our business is related to the bridal business. We have not noticed a diminishment in the amount of weddings because of the economy. ... Luxury jewelers are hit by economical problems that occur more so than us.
Q: How has Jewelers Row in Philadelphia changed?
A: There's a lot of old family business on Jewelers Row that have gone by the wayside. ... (Our) store on Jewelers Row is doing very nicely.
Q: How did your TV commercial career start?
A: It started in 1974. I wrote all of the spots and went to the radio stations and recorded them.
Q: Did you have any vocal training?
A: I did a lot of stage work in Philadelphia in Baltimore and Washington. I was a member of Actors Equity. [Robbins also appeared in the thriller 12 Monkeys, shot in Philadelphia.]
Q: Has your advertising spending changed lately?
A: We're spending a little more on cable than we used to and a little less on radio. ... Radio, though, remains important. Radio is still a major impact for us.
Q: What's the story with the diamond beard stud?
A: About 25 years ago, I saw an ad for it in one of the jewelry magazines. … A lot of people got a big charge out of it. I made it a trademark. It's one of the symbols that people remember.
Q: How does the stud stay in your beard?
A: (Laughing) Being from a long generation of jewelers, it's a birth defect.
