Press Releases

Helzberg Diamonds Is Primed for Shinier Things With New Chief Marketing Officer and New Agency Partner

Published

8 years ago

March 12, 2018

INSTORE Staff

(PRESS RELEASE) KANSAS CITY, MO – Helzberg Diamonds is entering the new year with a focused effort on innovating its marketing strategies with the addition of a new chief marketing officer, Ellen Junger and a new advertising agency of record, Carmichael Lynch.

For 100 years Helzberg Diamonds has been helping to make people feel loved. And while love isn’t going out of style anytime soon, the way that people are shopping for jewelry to show their love is continuing to change rapidly. Helzberg Diamonds has plans to continue to help people feel loved in new ways by evolving its customer messaging and communications methods. The new chief marketing officer and new advertising agency are part of putting that plan into motion.

“We’re thrilled to announce Ellen Junger as the chief marketing officer of Helzberg Diamonds,” said Helzberg Diamonds Chairwoman and CEO Beryl Raff. “Ellen brings a wealth of experience in retail and will help lead Helzberg Diamonds into the next generation of innovation for the brand.”

Prior to joining Helzberg Diamonds, Junger held the chief customer and marketing officer role at Payless ShoeSource and a number of executive roles at Hallmark Cards, including chief marketing officer and president – Hallmark Canada.

“I have always been a fan of Helzberg Diamonds as a company with a strong legacy of success and leadership in jewelry retail, but also as a consumer,” said Junger. “I look forward to taking this great company forward by re-energizing the brand through smart marketing and new ways of reaching consumers.”

Helzberg Diamonds has overhauled its agency structure and named Carmichael Lynch as its agency of record for, creative, social, design, influencer engagement and analytics following a competitive agency review. Horizon Media, a trusted partner to Helzberg Diamonds for more than 10 years, will now take on an expanded role to include all media planning and buying responsibilities.

“As we evolve the Helzberg Diamonds brand, we’re looking to disrupt the sea of sameness in the jewelry industry while sharing our ‘I Am Loved’ narrative in new ways,” said Raff.

“Carmichael Lynch’s innovative thinking, collaborative approach and understanding of our business make them the ideal partner to do just that.”

“We are proud to partner with Helzberg Diamonds and help propel their business,” said Carmichael Lynch President Julie Batliner. “It’s exciting to work with a brand with such a rich heritage and story to tell that’s looking to breathe new life into the category.”

The agency begins work immediately and will launch new work for the brand in spring 2018.

Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."