Ana Martins
Founder, Ana Martins Communications
For too many jewelers, marketing is an afterthought. Too many churn out one-off ads instead of developing strategic, long-term campaigns with core messaging. Effective marketing demands the same level of focus, detail and excellence jewelers invest in developing their designs and collections. All the parts and pieces must work together, and there is enormous power in consistency. Visuals and messaging should also resonate clearly and [should] repeatedly drive home who you are and what you offer, while also directly engaging with the audience.
It’s also important to remember that what worked in the past won’t necessarily work today. We are dealing with an evolving and increasingly sophisticated marketplace. Today’s consumers are incredibly brand-savvy and have come to expect elevated imagery, professional branding and coherent design. Take the time to button up all these details first, keeping your target audience in mind, and then identify the right channels to reach them.
Yael Fraynd
Founder, YaYa Publicity
I’ve seen and spoken to many brands that expect to see immediate, overnight results from their marketing efforts — which I think is a real miss. Marketing and PR is a process that lays the foundation for brand growth and recognition. My advice is to think long-term. Allocate a marketing and PR budget and be prepared to invest at least six months in your efforts. Equally important is to take time really getting to know your target audience — where they shop, which celebrities they follow, and other key identifiers. Align your social media with this target audience, and keep a pulse on what is happening in news and culture so you can post intentionally.
Francesca Simons
Founder, Francesca Simons Consulting
One of the biggest marketing mistakes jewelers make is when they market pieces that are sold out, no longer available, cannot be produced any longer, or not available on an e-tailer website. Which leads me to the factor of ensuring the website is user-friendly. Many brands we see in the marketplace have not been doing so, which ultimately means they lose sales and customers. Brands need to push styles one can easily find and purchase. If a certain style cannot be manufactured anymore, this leads to customer frustration, and customers will likely source elsewhere.
In terms of successful marketing, ensuring that the brand’s website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate is imperative. The website needs to be easily accessible in order for the customer to be able to purchase seamlessly and quickly. I advise all brands to push inventory that is new, best-selling and easily shoppable. Market styles that are on trend, current, and also pieces you perhaps have inventory of that you need to move.
Images (clockwise from left): Francesca Simons Consulting; Ana Martins Communications; Yaya Publicity Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2022. To subscribe click here.