IF YOU FEEL that your marketing is more scattershot than cohesive, it may be time to create a Brand Messaging Guide, says Andrea Hill, jewelry industry consultant and owner of Hill Management Group.
Begin by articulating your purpose, values and voice.
- Purpose is the answer to such questions as, “Who are we? What do we do that makes us different?”
- Values provide important emotional context to marketing.
- Voice is the personality or tone of your brand. Is your voice formal or warm? Playful or serious? Imagine your brand voice as a character and describe it. For example, siblings Desi Kraiem and Justin Kraiem, owners of Just Desi in Beverly Hills, CA, describe the “Just Desi girl” as being “complex, individual, and owing you no explanation.”
The next step is to create three things you wish every prospect and customer knew about your business. Those three things should inform every piece of marketing you create. Consider how each of these items benefits the customer and create two or three benefit statements for each. Finally, create a list of proof points, such as customer testimonials, awards or case studies for each benefit statement. Consulting the Brand Messaging Guide that results from this exercise will ensure that each of your marketing efforts forms a mosaic that is the perfect picture of your brand’s promise and value, Hill says. For more strategies about branding, visit instoremag.com/hill
Here are eight examples of retail jewelers that have a cohesive marketing story and an active and purposeful plan to deliver that message.
Engaging
Stuart Benjamin & Co’s branding reflects the elegant simplicity of its streamlined San Diego showroom and its custom designs. Marketing is a priority. A digital newsletter is distributed at least once a week with the goal of keeping it informative, fun and web-worthy. “Nothing engages viewers like our product and lifestyle videos on our Facebook and Instagram sites,” Benjamin says. Also important to getting the message out are Google ads, co-op ads, live interviews on local television, and informational videos.
Inclusive
Viviana Langhoff’s Chicago space for Adornment + Theory is relaxed, stylish and unpretentious, much like her brand story, and appeals to female self-purchasers. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Langhoff says. The main source of marketing is digital with a mix of products, jewelry history, artist highlights, gemstone education and humor. It’s also inclusive. “The models we select are from various ethnic, racial, and age backgrounds. It’s important for us that our clients see themselves represented,” Langhoff says.
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Irreverent
Occasions Fine Jewelry in Midland, TX, has worked with Williams Marketing for more than 20 years, developing Occasions into its own character, which is funny and irreverent with a romantic heart. It always strives for better but has an impulsive streak that can get it in trouble, says owner Michael Fleck. Every marketing item they create is crafted through this lens, including lifestyle shots featuring clients as models, for an immersive experience.
All in Good Time
Marketing for Watches on Wall Street, owned by Eva-Michelle and Elliott Spicer in Asheville, NC, always features watches or watch parts. The logo has a spray of gears, which are echoed throughout the branding and even on the exterior of the building with a mural by a local artist. Customers sip whiskey out of custom engraved glassware or place their beer on a custom coaster.
Sparkle
Employee-owned Kesslers, with eight stores in Michigan and Wisconsin, sells only diamonds and diamond jewelry. Their tagline is “We do diamonds better because diamonds are all we do.” The brand also has a celebratory vibe, giving away more than 4,000 bottles of champagne every year. For many years, Kesslers’ only marketing vehicle was radio, but more recently they’ve added a strong digital presence to the mix that includes Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and email.
Lifestyle
Brother and sister owners Desi and Justin Kraiem of Just Desi in Beverly Hills, CA, want everyone to feel like a celebrity. Their goal is to create a brand that consumers want to join and identify with. The content is meant to be viewed as thought-provoking art. Building a truly unique brand requires broadcasting an original message supported with original assets. Just Desi’s in-house marketing team is equipped with both a video and photography studio that allows for full creative control, resulting in dynamic messaging.
Vintage
Sisters Laura and Amanda Hornberger, owners of Maejean Vintage in Lancaster, PA, say the company’s core mission is to save priceless heirloom jewelry from being scrapped with the help of a talented in-house bench jeweler. But though the jewelry is vintage, their marketing approach is not. The sisters didn’t hesitate to jump on TikTok, producing viral videos that have earned more than 15 million views across the world. “We are unafraid to be ourselves and relate to our customers through our social media and reach them on a personal level that becomes vital when one’s business is conducted almost entirely online,” they say.
Quality
Stephen and Katie Kolokithas, owners of Jewelry Set in Stone in Chelsea, MI, aim for an intimate, personal experience with customers, who end up with a truly custom piece of wearable art. They implement strict quality standards to provide their clients with the best possible design and workmanship in custom and repairs, which are seen as a gateway to custom work. “Focusing on quality has led us to have a sterling reputation in the area, increasing the word-of-mouth advertisement we receive organically.” Marketing images have an organic sensibility and shiny rings are often juxtaposed against smooth stones for a tactile appeal.
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