Goldsmiths looks to stand out in ‘beige’ jewellery market

Goldsmiths is aiming to make its brand more distinctive in a “beige” jewellery market with the launch of a new strapline and marketing push that aims to give the brand a more “aspirational and luxury” feel.

goldsmiths 2014 460

The initial activation will focus on Goldsmiths’ in-house jewellery collection and run across digital, in-store and PR. It introduces the strapline “It starts with Goldsmiths.

Executive marketing director Ruth Benford says the new line shifts the focus of Goldsmith’s marketing to storytelling.

“At the moment the middle jewellery market is very beige, there is no category leader with distinctive brand stand-out. This is an opportunity to create a distinctive and relevant brand for today’s consumers,” she adds.

Benford says the investment is in response to customer research that showed that while Goldsmiths has strong brand awareness, people couldn’t pick out why it was different to the rest of the market. Figures from YouGov’s Brand Index show Goldsmith has a brand awareness of 57.6 per cent, behind rivals H.Samuel and Ernest Jones, but has very similar scores for metrics such as value, impression and quality.

Goldsmiths wants to shift those perceptions so consumers no longer see it as a jewellery retailer but as an “aspirational, luxury” brand, says Benford. The campaign will be judged on measures including brand perception and loyalty, as well as sales.

“The products we sell are luxury, we want to replicate that in our marketing and brand image. Historically the marketplace has been about being a retailer, we want to behave more like a brand and interact with people like a brand would do,” she says.

The ads aim to articulate Goldsmiths’ heritage, products and customers, for example telling the story behind the people buying an engagement or wedding ring. The first set features a couple in an open-top car along with the new slogan and old “Since 1778” line.

Created by the Portas Agency, the campaign will expand to include print and direct marketing.

Goldsmiths has 110 stores in the UK and is one of four jewellery retailers owned by Aurum Holdings, alongside Watches of Switzerland, Mappin & Webb and boutique.Goldsmiths. The marketing push is part of a wider review of the company that includes the introduction of a range of new products, as well as improved staff training to boost the customer experience and store refits. 

Watches of Switzerland recently ran its first major campaign in 20 years to coincide with the launch of its new flagship store in London. That campaign eschewed luxury watch cliches in favour of Alfred-Hitchcock inspired ads.

Recommended

Branded content night, the Marketoonist

Branded content night

Tom Fishburne

Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here.