Outside The Box: Diamonds & Desserts
Innovative Events That Succeeded
Published in the March/April 2012 issue
To celebrate her store’s fifth anniversary, Cathy Cook hosted a private event for 150 top customers featuring the launch of a new black diamond jewelry line and special desserts, including a sculpted cake of edible jewelry and diamond-shaped chocolates from Antwerp. Swag bags included a free Gabriel & Co. necklace, pearl charm, T-shirt, and bamboo writing pen with store logo.
INTERVIEW WITH CATHY COOK, OWNER, CATHY COOK JEWELRY
How did you measure success for the event?
It was the talk of the town. We are still receiving “thank-yous” in the form of calls, notes in the mail, Facebook, and e-mails. Our guests were so excited about the event, the details at the event, and the contents of their swag bags!
What made up the “diamonds” portion of the event?
In addition to the diamond chocolates and black diamond line, we flew to L.A. and picked up a $100,000 diamond necklace that each guest tried on and had their picture taken in (we later sent them thank-you notes with a copy of the photo). We also gave away a diamond bracelet and shirts that said, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” which provided a 10 percent discount to customers who wore them into the store during the holidays.
What other features did the event offer?
We had a celebrity chef who made Belgian waffles and a “French” coffee bar with diamond-shaped sugar cubes. We also had college girls to whom we gave a store gift certificate in exchange for being a hostess/model. We decked each one out with a suite of diamond jewelry from different brands.
Who were your jewelry partners for the event?
Michael Johnston from Gabriel & Co. showed our Gabriel collection as well as new, larger pieces that we don’t normally carry. Donna Singer from Waxing Poetic was also with us, and each guest could sign up to win a free necklace donated by Waxing Poetic.
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