| MARKETING HISTORY |
A significant feature of Supplier of Choice was the merging of the Diamond Trading Company's (DTC) Sales Department with its Consumer Marketing Division; thereby, combining more than 70 years of sales experience with 40 years of marketing and promotion skills.
SALES
Once sorted, diamonds are blended into selling mixtures in preparation for sale to the DTC's clients, or Sightholders as they are also known
Sales to Sightholders take place at the 10 sights held each year in London and Johannesburg:
MARKETING
The De Beers Group began generic diamond advertising and promotional campaigns in 1939. Since then, its activities in this area have been successful in creating interest in diamond jewelry.This continues today through the DTC:
- In 18 languages
- In 15 countries around the world
- Through the DTC's Diamond Promotion Service (DPS) and its Diamond Information Centres (DIC's), located in all the major consumer markets around the world, the company is also able to focus on the retailer and the point of sale.
- The DTC creates new ideas and designs that capture and express the deepest of emotions - in keeping with the most famous advertising promise:
"A Diamond is Forever".
DIAMOND GEOLOGICAL FORMATION
Geological evidence suggests that the diamond story began some 3.3 billion years ago, when the first diamonds were formed deep under the Earth in conditions of extreme temperature and pressure.
DIAMOND CENTERS
- Venice established an early predominance in the diamond trade, as stones from India were carried across the southern trade caravan routes via Arabia to Alexandria, and from there by sea to Venice.
- The Venetian leadership both in trading rough diamonds and in cutting lasted until Vasco de Gama's discovery of the sea route from India to Europe in 1498 sealed its demise.
- First Bruges, then Antwerp, Amsterdam, Lisbon and London established significant positions as diamond centres.
- By 1650, the British East India Company had consolidated the export of India's entire production via London, which established the position London has held to this day as the leading distribution centre for rough diamonds.
- From 1725, significant finds in Brazil led to an oversupply and prices collapsed until the bulk of Brazilian production was routed through London.
- Towards the end of that century, the first evidence emerged of alluvial deposits in the North of Russia.
- Almost one hundred years later, the first diamond discovery in North America was reported (1863).
- But by then, the focus of unprecedented diamond production was about to shift to South Africa.
Diamond centers today include New York, Antwerp, Ramat Gan, Surat, Mumbai, Dubai, Russia, Johannesberg, Botswana, Namibia, and the NWT - North West Territories in Canada.
DE BEERS - PAST HISTORY - ADVERTISING
- 1939 - Harry Oppenheimer visited the US to investigate the possibility of a pilot consumer advertising campaign to stimulate demand. As a result of this trip, the first diamond advertising campaign was run by N W Ayer in 1939.
Harry Oppenheimer is quoted as saying:
- It was obvious that if it was to be done at all it would have to be there, because the United States was then, even more than now, the main market for diamonds.
- I saw various advertising people and finally I hit upon NW Ayer, which was one of the more reputable firms in New York.
- NW Ayer said to me that while they thought diamonds had great potential, the first thing one needed to do was to make an enquiry into why people buy diamonds in the first place, which was a fairly novel approach back then.
- They conducted a survey and came to the conclusion that the high fashion side of selling diamonds was just a bit of icing on the cake and not important at all, and that the real reason people buy diamonds is because they are a symbol of love.
- The whole advertising campaign subsequently designed by NW Ayer was based on this premise and it has continued along the same lines ever since.
A decade after NW Ayer launched its first campaign:
- 1947 - Frances Gerety, a young copywriter on the De Beers account at N W Ayer in New York, penned the famous slogan "A DIAMOND IS FOREVER".
- This timeless line, first used in 1948, was voted top advertising slogan of the century by the prestigious US magazine Advertising Age in a special 150 page supplement.
In an interview, Harry Oppenheimer, said, "It was and is a great line. No one who heard it for the first time could fail to think that it was very good. The phrase has the double advantage of not only being very catchy, but also true. It is one of the great attractions of diamonds that they are forever."
(Source: www.debeersgroup.com)
FAST FORWARD
Public relations and publicity surrounding celebrity endorsements and Red Carpet events has increased consumer awareness in diamonds of all shapes and sizes including fancy colors.
During the past few years the DTC has initiated a number of very successful advertising and marketing campaigns through the Diamond Promotion Service and the worldwide Diamond Information Centers.
These sophisticated and well researched campaigns include the Forevermark, "I Forever Do", The RIGHT HAND RING, Trilogy, Whisper Campaign, Sensuality, Past Present & Future, Journeys, Anniversary, Valentine's Day, and Operation Rudolph for Christmas to name but a few.
The new Lili Jewelry Collection ties in nicely with a number of these and other marketing programs, as does the Triple 8 Jewellery Collection.
Advertising and promotional material is available for all Lili Diamond branded diamonds, proprietary cuts, special cuts, signature diamonds, watches, and jewelry. For more information:info@lili-diamonds.com
LILI JEWELRY
"To better serve our clients, the marketing office for our jewelry collections is located in New York", noted Chaim Lazarus, the manager of our NY office. "We are also planning the official launch or our new jewelry collection for June in Las Vegas at the JCK show".
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