Tools for Success
Aneri Jewels
Beyond beautiful jewelry, successful brands know that it’s critical to arm retailers with other types of assets for fourth-quarter success. Think about marketing and everything that helps promote jewelry, from catalogs to professional images.
Shefi Diamonds offers its retailers a wide array of marketing materials, from window clings to Duratrans and social media posts, among other items. Two of its most extensive print offerings include publications to help bolster holiday sales. The first is a 52-page catalog titled “Hey You,” which has a vast display of offerings, a shelf life extending beyond the last quarter of the year, and a 20-page Christmas-specific gift guide featuring a range of jewels retailing for under $2,499.
Shefi Diamonds
“We provide retailers with the flexibility to personalize these catalogs to align with their brand identity,” says Surbhi Jain, marketing director. “To further assist them, we offer free digital assets for their Facebook, Instagram, and website banners, enhancing their online presence and marketing efforts.”
Jewelry manufacturer Ostbye goes the extra mile for its merchants in a variety of ways. Through robust product flyers, social media content, complimentary artwork for ads, and free CADs for select designs, the brand ensures retailers have everything they need for holiday sales success. “If our retailers are successful, then we are successful,” says Theresa Namie, merchandise manager.
Lab-grown gemstone jewelry maker Chatham also provides store owners with lots of marketing tools. From co-op dollars to ad design, predesigned marketing campaigns, social media posts, website content, and live and Zoom sales training, the company strives to keep its clients “motivated and informed,” says Monica McDaniel, vice president.
Chatham
The occasional piece of holiday memo doesn’t hurt either. “Sometimes we’ll memo out a statement piece for a VIP client’s window display,” she adds.
Perhaps the company’s most significant incentive is a $25,000 raffle program for retailers’ sales staff. Each time a salesperson sells a Chatham piece, his or her name is entered into the raffle for a chance to win prizes. Chatham pulls names at random during the JCK Las Vegas show. In 2023, there were 17 winners, with the grand prize winner taking home $8,500 in prizes. “The more you sell, the more chances you have to win,” notes McDaniel.
Still, other tools exist in the form of trunk shows or personal appearances by makers. This is a staple for Aneri Jewels, whose director Nancy Italia-Gajera, says the events “create excitement and help retailers drive foot traffic to their stores during the holiday season.”
Some of its other more traditional marketing assets are product images and videos, social media posts and website content, online ads, and custom marketing materials and display solutions “for retailers to enhance their in-store presentations,” Italia-Gajera continues.
Sales incentives and training help, too. In fact, the combination may be the company’s most successful tool. “Our most successful effort has been the combination of tailored marketing support and product knowledge training,” she says. “This comprehensive approach has consistently boosted sales during the holiday season.”
Marathon Company
One final tool is when wholesalers have plenty of back inventory and/or stateside manufacturing. Companies like Ostbye have many items in stock and ready to ship quickly, while Marathon can also respond in a timely manner to requests for merchandise not yet made.
“We are the factory in Attleboro, Mass., that is a benefit,” explains Barbara Barry, sales associate. “If we don’t have something in stock, we can make it in a week or two. We also offer a lifetime warranty to repair or replace items should an issue arise.”