JEWELERS OF AMERICA has met an initial fund-raising goal of $300,000 with support from industry associates, including INSTORE, to test a jewelry-marketing campaign that organizers hope will become as widely recognized by consumers as the ubiquitous “Got Milk?” campaign.
The announcement was made during the JA National Convention in New York this week by JA’s Amanda Gizzi, director of public relations and special events, and Molly Fallon, director of marketing and communications, along with Mark Smelzer, industry consultant and JCK magazine publisher.
The goal is to promote the national jewelry industry as a whole and focuses on the potential of the female self-purchase market. Testing will begin on a targeted group of women in Los Angeles in mid-September. The five zip codes in the test market were selected based on their volume of JA member stores as well as the number of women who fit the demographic.
The tagline for the initiative is “Another Piece of Your Story,” developed by ad firm Cramer-Krasselt based on the idea that there’s an emotional connection with jewelry that’s far different from how consumers relate to any other luxury product. So much so that each piece of jewelry a woman chooses to wear becomes another piece of her identity. “No one ever cried when they got their Grandma’s cell phone,” Smelzer says.
The campaign will be tested on 30-something, married-with-children jewelry enthusiasts, who represent 8 percent of the population and have a combined income of over $100,000, as well as on 20-something women, who are single, make less than $100,000 and have been indifferent to jewelry. They represent 11 percent of the population.
Companies that have supported the effort thus far were recognized as being a part of the Pioneer Program. “The purpose of the campaign aligns with INSTORE’s core mission to support independent fine jewelers,” says INSTORE Publisher Matthijs Braakman. “Collaborative initiatives assure that our industry evolves and grows to meet new consumer demands. We encourage all stakeholders to learn more about the campaign and contribute where possible. INSTORE is proud to be a pioneer sponsor.”
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Pioneer Sponsors also include independent retailers H. Watson Jewelry Inc. and Krombholz Jewelers as well as Jewelers of America, The Plumb Club, American Gem Society, Ashi Diamonds, Artistry, Ltd., Emerald Expositions, Forevermark, Gemological Institute of America, Gumuchian, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group, JCK Industry Fund, Midas Chain, Rahaminov Diamonds, Royal Chain Group, Shy Creation, Silver Promotion Service, Synchrony, Chow Tai Fook North America, Hearts on Fire, Memoire, Gabriel New York and Greenland Ruby.
The next step is to work toward creating a large-scale industry campaign for early 2020, for which more funding will be required.
For more information about the initiative, contact agizzi@jewelers.org or mfallon@jewelers.org.
