(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – Jewelers of America, national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, announced that it will be coordinating the launch of a consumer marketing program in 2019. The campaign will be an industry-wide collaboration to increase consumer desire for jewelry and drive jewelry sales by promoting the unique and emotional aspects of jewelry ownership versus other disposable income purchases.
“The jewelry industry has voiced their needs for a generic consumer campaign that speaks with actionable, yet sentimental messages about jewelry,” said JA President & CEO David J. Bonaparte. “We are excited to be moving forward with the campaign that our industry has been so passionate about. We are also are calling on all levels of the supply chain to band together for this initiative that will truly be by the industry, for the industry.”
Jewelers of America is currently raising funds for a test campaign. The hyper-targeted, digitally based campaign will run in a targeted region, allow the industry an opportunity to see the campaign creative in real time and establish key learnings before launching nationally. To raise funding, JA has established a “Pioneer Program” for those visionary companies who see the potential for the campaign success and want to contribute. Pioneer companies will be recognized through a variety of mechanisms, including: press coverage, inclusion in trade advertsing, recognition in all digital content related to the program and recognition during the 2019 GEM Awards in New York.
The current companies joining Jewelers of America in the Pioneer Program are: American Gem Society (AGS), Emerald Expositions, Forevermark, Gemological Institute of America, Gumuchian, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group, JCK Industry Fund, Rahaminov Diamonds, Royal Chain Group and Greenland Ruby.
To learn more about Jewelers of America, the Consumer Marketing Initiative, Pioneer Program and see the growing list of early adopters, visit www.jewelers.org/ja/marketing/consumercampaign.
Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success
After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone.
Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently.
The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.
