When it comes to marketing, the same broad principles apply in any industry, regardless of market and country; it is only the delivery of the message that changes as communication channels evolve.
Many people would consider me a relative newcomer to our industry, but I have been working in marketing positions all my life – including a couple of years with the JAA – so you could say that I have learnt a thing or two.
The jewellery industry has today realised the importance of marketing itself in a world where consumers have many options. Jewellers looked at the fashion, electronics and computer industries, and recognised they had to fight to be seen and heard, but it took the Pandora phenomenon for the industry to recognise the power of branding and marketing.
Did Pandora come up with a brand new concept? Well, no. The company merely took an existing concept – charm bracelets – and provided the marketing and branding support it needed to be brought back to life.
Of course, Pandora isn’t the only one. There are plenty of suppliers who now understand the need to help their stockists by spending money on advertising and developing a website for consumers; however, it was Pandora that brought the concept of the über brand to the Australian jewellery industry.
The Australian industry needs to improve the way it markets itself to consumers as a whole. The trade has not yet understood the need to work as one to grow the pie rather than fight each other for slices of an ever-shrinking market.
The industry needs to find a way to reinstate the trust in Australian jewellers that has been eroded away by the media’s ever-present fixation with topics such as diamond swapping, price fixing, a lack of staff knowledge, and discounting. I wonder how many consumers even know that Australia boasts jewellers who are among the best in the world.
A change in consumer thinking can only be achieved with a bit more risk-taking on the part of the jewellery industry to highlight that not all jewellery is the same. Jewellers wishing to enhance their image should concentrate on two key areas: online marketing and building their store brands.
The internet has now achieved a status of respectability when it comes to gathering information and making purchases. It has also made the average person an expert in many subjects, placing the onus back on the retailers to work for each sale. It is the favourite medium for Generation Y and so it exists as the best way for you to attract them into your store or to maintain some regular contact with existing customers.
As for developing a store brand, it is this brand over all others that will differentiate retailers from their competitors. Your own brand – your store and identity – is your personal pot of gold. It is what will transcend trends, fashions and fads. As a result, it will be most effective when it is a genuine reflection of you and your store, and if it is communicated in a consistent and clear manner.
Putting a corporate brand together does involve doing some work – you have to determine what you are good at, and what sets you apart from rivals. The answers to this will help you create a list of brand attributes and key selling points that can be translated into brand messages, colours, fonts, logos and slogans.
Who are your customers? Do you want to be perceived as friendly and trendy, or reliable and classical? Decide which qualities best reflect you, then apply them to all marketing material – shop signs, decor, brochures, websites, ads and even stationery.
A few words of warning/advice when it comes to your brand: don’t promise what you cannot deliver. There is nothing worse than having a website that says you handle all repairs then knocking back a customer’s request. Know what you are good at, and work to improve the rest. Above all, remember to communicate consistently across all marketing material – don’t appear one way in a brochure and another way on a website. Your brand is you and unless you have a Jekyll and Hyde complex, you should communicate the same qualities in everything you do.
There are often complaints that the creation of a brand costs a lot of money. This is true, but it really does set you up for the future. The money you invest is a long-term investment that will reap benefits for years to come.