Jewelers tout customization, craftsmanship in bridal push

March 14, 2018

Tiffany & Co.'s Believe in Love campaign. Image credit: Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. and Chaumet are among the jewelers promoting wedding bands and engagement rings, looking to be part of consumers’ plans as they prepare to tie the knot.

From turning diamond shopping into a game to celebrating love in all its many forms, jewelers are taking both playful and emotional tones in digital efforts aimed at reaching brides- and grooms-to-be. Reflecting the luxury business' focus on bespoke creations, jewelers are promoting their personalization experiences, hoping to win customers seeking the unique.

"Individuality and personalization have impacted almost every luxury category, so it should come as no surprise that the jewelry industry be in sync with this," said Fred Reffsin, president of Brandgrowth, a luxury brand consultancy, New York.

"Individuality is the new luxury," he said. "The ability to express who you are, stand out and make a statement--regardless of the brand, size or cut of the diamond."

Put a ring on it

Chaumet is prompting consumers to “Crown Your Love” with a campaign that presents customization as the answer to commemorating unique love stories.

Pulling clips from its bridal video, the brand shows a newlywed couple exploring Paris (see story). Presenting a modern image of nuptials, the bride is shown pairing her short lacy dress with a leather jacket, while the groom opts to forego a tie.

The effort presents the ring customization process as a card game. In a series of episodes, a “dealer” lays out several cards, allowing a couple to pick their style, cut and carat size.

Chaumet Crown Your Love

Along the journey, the couple clasp hands, presenting the design selection as an act of love.

Chaumet’s Joséphine collection, named after the house’s first muse and wife of Napoleon, features rings that resemble tiaras.

Tiffany is similarly playing #LoveGames in a campaign that remixes arcade classics and puzzles. In one clip, an engagement ring bounces between two paddles in a Tiffany-style Pong game, while the mobile game Snake gets a branded touch as the animated reptile attempts to eat a solitaire ring in another.

An appetite for brilliance. #TiffanyLoveGames #TiffanyEngagement
A post shared by Tiffany & Co. (@tiffanyandco) on Mar 6, 2018 at 8:55am PST

Taking a more inspirational approach, Tiffany is also highlighting the diversity of love through a series of videos. The latest effort in the brand’s ongoing “Believe in Love” campaign sees couples sharing their stories.

One husband and wife detail how they met at a party and were friends for months before dating, while another couple proves the adage that opposites attract. Among the pairs featured throughout are interracial and same-sex couples.

Tiffany Believe in Love

Tiffany is encouraging customers to share their own love story on social media via a photo, captioning it with their initials.

Harry Winston is inviting consumers to find “the one,” leading with its craftsmanship. The jeweler takes a “5C” approach to diamonds, adding character to the typical quartet of carat weight, cut, color and clarity.

With a meticulously handcrafted halo of glittering micropavé diamonds, The One by #HarryWinston captures the unique and rare beauty of the world’s finest #diamonds, and your one true love. #BrilliantlyInLove
A post shared by Harry Winston (@harrywinston) on Mar 13, 2018 at 3:30am PDT

"This has become much more of a joint purchasing decision," Mr. Reffsin said. "Gone are the days when the bride-to-be alone thumbs through bridal magazines or Web sites before 'suggesting' the decision with her parter.

"Jewelry brands have to build awareness with all involved and create communication plans that simply go where the people are," he said. "Avoid tradition and embrace innovation.

"Create exceptional in-store experiences. Whether it's social media, influencer marketing or seductive storytelling, build your brand and be unique."

Bridal business
The wedding industry is flourishing, propelled by the growing population of millennials reaching marriageable age.

About one in five couples’ wedding budgets top $1 million, with spend on luxury apparel and accessories part of their plans for their big days, according to a new report from Fashionbi.

Worldwide, the wedding industry is a $300 billion business. While most of these celebrations are economical, some have big budgets that stretch into the millions (see story).

Reflecting the importance of bridal business for jewelers, LVMH-owned Chaumet took its role as the “jeweler of feelings” to the next level with the opening of a dedicated bridal boutique.

For more than 200 years, Chaumet has created tiaras and bridal sets as well as engagement rings and wedding bands for is clients, who range from royalty to affluent consumers. The jeweler’s association with bridal baubles has included pop-ups, book publishing and mobile applications to assist in finding the perfect Chaumet piece for an engagement (see story).

While the height of the holiday engagement season has passed, putting themselves on consumers’ radars may win bridal business and more for these brands.

"From a pure marketing perspective, the ability to win over bridal consumers is one of the best investments a jeweler can make," Brandgrowth's Mr. Reffsin said.

"Jewelry is a life-stage purchase--for birthdays, holidays, special occasions or just because you feel like it," he said. "If a jeweler can capture a customer at this stage of their lives, build referrals and create exceptional experiences beyond just product, the lifetime value of that customer will far exceed that of the the initial purchase."

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