Data in the Rough

Jewelry in the Movies: Looking at The Divorcee (1930)

July 7, 2023July 7, 2023Michelle

With summer in full swing, I was hoping there would be some summer movies to look forward to seeing, so far nothing looks that good. As I wait and see what else comes to theaters, I am watching movies online from places like Turner Classic Movies. I recently watched The Divorcee with Norma Shearer and Chester Morris who play a young married couple with a new age thought of equal roles until the husband cheats on the wife. Throughout the movie I saw how jewelry, specifically the rings the wife wears add an extra detail to the story. This had me think of analyzing this movie and others where jewelry takes on a major role.

This movie released in 1930 looks in on the seemingly happy couple on their anniversary with the husband presenting a ring to his wife. This ring once belonged to his grandmother a beautiful colored stone (I believe emerald, the movie is in black and white). The wife puts it on immediately and wears it to a party that her husband will have to leave soon to catch a train out of town for a business trip.

The party is a small gathering held at the couple’s apartment to celebrate their anniversary with some friends. All seems to be going well except for one attendee that is not part of the group.

I highlighted the ring and the person in question. The mysterious woman keeps her gaze on the husband waiting for a chance to meet him alone. She gets her chance for a moment until the wife walks in realizing that the two have met before.

The couple talk and the husband confesses to a drunken one-night stand that meant nothing. This is not a statement the wife believes and the couple part in distress as the husband needs to catch that train.

He returns to find the wife calm and wearing his anniversary gift. She is calm because she has evened the score sharing a night with a mutual friend while the husband was away. He is furious with the wife, but she leaves him to attend a friend’s wedding that he is supposed to attend as well.

The jewelry on the wife is light, classic but still very in style for the time. She seems at ease until her husband interrupts the wedding reception drunk and disorderly initiating the start of the divorce. The film transitions to the wife embracing her divorcee status with the removal of the tasteful heirloom, replacing it with a bright flashy diamond from her new lover.

Pivotal scene where Divorcee gets replacement for her anniversary ring

Divorcee is with wealthy men as represented by the men’s jewelry as well as the ring the Divorcee receives and wears

On the outside she seems glamorous traveling and wearing expensive clothes but as she reaches the look reminiscent of the earlier woman who slept with her ex-husband, the divorcee breaks down in from of her friend who she meets by chance.

A friend helps the Divorcee grieve the loss of her marriage, ring in full view

The two start to kindle a romance but he is unhappily married and hopes to divorce his wife to marry Norma Shearers’ character. The movie shows the Divorcee’s transition back to her old self with the missing diamond ring and a more relaxed style of dressing.

Diamond ring is missing and the Divorcee’s style and demeanor is relaxed

Norma has gone back to her classic look of earlier and is wearing pearls representing wisdom which she shares with her new love. She can not break up a marriage even a seemly unhappy one as the wife of her friend does care for him. He acknowledges this and the divorcee goes on.

Jewelry shifts back to a more grounded life

The ring looks to be stone free as the Divorcee plans her next move

Norma’s character tracks down her ex-husband and is back to wearing her anniversary ring. It doesn’t imply in the movie the ex-husband ever wanted it back. The Ex is resistant to her at first, but he hasn’t moved on either and looks to want to start again.

The anniversary ring is back an so is the couple

The acting was good, I have given the high points, but much has been left out with the other characters that would still allow you to watch and enjoy the movie. Period films are something I am watching more of to see the fashion and style back then. I hope you enjoyed this analysis and will return as I try to do this for the next few months. Please let me know if you’ve watched this movie. Thank you for coming to Data in the Rough!

How Marvelous was Mrs. Maisel for Amazon?

June 4, 2023June 4, 2023Michelle

This is the first weekend in about 2 months that I have not had a new episode to watch of Amazon’s the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I got interested in it when it premiered in 2017. The show had 2 subjects I loved breaking into stand-up comedy and vintage fashion. Where there is vintage fashion there is vintage jewelry. The show was a success among critics with over 200 Emmy nominations and 80+ wins but after 5 seasons the show ended. I’m going to share my opinion on the show regarding marketing for Amazon and how you can embrace trends that may further your business.

Fashion and Funny

The premise was a 1950s housewife that found comedy due to her husband leaving her. The main character, Mrs. Midge Maisel embraced fashion and presenting herself in the best way possible even when doing something as everyday as running errands. When her husband leaves her for another woman, she doesn’t stop taking an interest in herself and staying fashionable. One common beauty trend from the 1950s that was a detail used for Midges routine was matching her lipstick and nail polish.

Amazon promotions and beauty market

One of the better promotions Amazon had was partnering with Revlon to pack vintage lipstick colors to sell as a set from the show. These colors were used on the set and had been in production when Revlon sold them in the 1950s. Below is a screenshots of 1 of the 2 varieties (pink and nudes). Cherries in the Snow was a color popular in the 1950s that is still made by Revlon and was used a lot on Mrs. Maisel.

Mrs Maisel Pinks sold through Revlon and Amazon Partnership

This promotion seemed like a good deal for both Amazon and Revlon. Amazon could break more into the beauty space and Revlon could reach a new niche of customers. Looking at the beauty trend report by Common Threads Company below:

The beauty and personal care has been growing at an average of 2% overall. The online market is growing more than offline which is seeing a decline but the online growth is not increasing year over year at the same or increasing rate. 2018 seemed to be the peak year in % growth by this chart.

With offline shopping not decreasing at a larger rate I found a chart comparing the online giant Amazon with the Brick-and-mortar giant Walmart. Price and location were the biggest draws for Walmart in this report. Ease of website seemed to be a big plus for Amazon but 2 other categories stood out to me Trust worthiness of retailer (Amazon 20.2% vs 10.9 Walmart) and Quality (27.1% vs 20.5%). Those factors should be used in thinking of how to get more money spent on Amazon and if Mrs. Maisel’s promotions went right then this should have helped in creating more ROI for this series.

Misses and final season

From what I saw of the show the costumes, accessories and makeup were fantastic. The show as far as story and script was fair. I think Amazon missed opportunities to do some product placement to encourage some additional shopping. One example is when watching on prime if you hoover over the screen the actors that are on and the name of the song playing has the title and artist name. Sometimes you might see a fact about the show or scene. Would have been nice to see the lipstick or nail polish used in that mix and be a click away to buy. Also, after watching the new episode Amazon could have suggested going to the Mrs. Maisel store page (once they created it) to buy merchandise licensed by Amazon relating to the show.

Tupperware also partnered with Amazon to reissue vintage Tupperware to sell through Amazon. Much of it seemed sold out. I was able to buy a few pieces after I saw it mentioned on a Vloggers site about the Tupperware Company.

There were some promotions in New York City by Amazon turning a street into a little bit of the feel of the series but really that should have been online to celebrate the final season. I feel like this show could have done more for Amazon with the right ideas in place. After 5 seasons Amazon ended the series. I read in a recent article that talked about the creators having ideas for a season 6 but the cost of producing a period era series is expensive. An article detailing the sets and production.

Conclusion

Overall, I liked the idea of the fashion from the series and have started collecting nail polishes that match lipsticks I can wear to feel more polished. Amazon has gotten a bit more out of me, and more could have been bought if their marketing strategy had been more focused. Amazon won with the critics but the ROI on the show doesn’t show the story as marvelous. Thank you for reading and I hope to have a new summer series started by the end of the month!

How I am remembering Betty White at 101

January 16, 2023January 16, 2023Michelle

“Does desire melt away with age? I’m waiting for that day to come.” Celebrating what would have been Betty White’s 101^st birthday on January 17 by starting off with a quote of hers. Before the new year, a year had passed since Betty White left this life. She was a part of so much entertainment history it was hard not to feel a sense of loss at the news when it happened. I loved her most in the Golden Girls series but as years went on I loved her attitude about life.

Instead of immediately looking back at her death I wanted to remember her at a happier time like her birthday and go over how I came to find a piece that will be a good reminder of her moving forward.

It began with hearing about Betty’s items being auctioned in September, I wanted to think about what piece I would like to own to remember her.

Julien’s Auction did a wonderful job with the catalog. It was a massive 3 book set that I treated myself to. In it, it showed the pieces for auction but also how Betty last displayed them in her house. Items like art, sea glass and seashells caught my eye.

Needle work displayed in Betty White’s home

Photos of Sea glass and Seashells displayed in Betty White’s home

The jewelry came later, several pieces caught my eye like Betty’s wedding ring to her second husband Allen Ludden.

I really liked a sapphire ring that came with several photographs of Betty wearing it throughout her life. The ring was by Erwin Pearl and sold for $10,240, far above the estimate of $600-$800.

Erwin Pearl ring with Sapphires and diamonds owned by Betty White

Betty White wearing Erwin Pearl ring with husband Allen Ludden

As you could guess I was not going to attempt to bid on this auction, I have for others but haven’t won one yet, maybe that will change in 2023! I noticed several pieces by Erwin Pearl were in Betty’s collection, so I started looking into seeing if the company was still in operation. I found it was still selling pieces and I decided to find one to remember Betty by.

I looked through several categories and saw a pair of clip earrings that mimicked shell pieces. They were modeled after some pieces the designer found on his beach combing walks. Betty and her husband were mentioned as also enjoying walks on the beach picking up seashells and sea glass, a favorite hobby of mine too! So, I purchased them.

These earrings had a beautiful phrase etched on the back that I found fitting as a tribute to Betty. Engraved at the bottom it says ‘Treasure Life’ . In Betty’s photos and in her time on earth she seemed so grateful for everything she had regardless of how much time she had with her experiences and loved ones.

Engraving ‘Treasure Life’ near bottom of my earrings

I plan on trying to improve my outlook and work towards bettering my experiences. I had a lot of changes in my life last year as many of you reading have probably experienced too. I thank all of you for reading my blog I continue to think of ways to improve my content and reach to better the experience for those online. Please return soon to read more on my 2023 plans!

I will leave you with one more photo of Betty and her true loving enjoying life!

Summer Wedding Season Kicked off by Britney Spears

July 3, 2022July 3, 2022Michelle

As June ends and I look back on the month one event that made the summer feel more normal was a celebrity wedding! Sam Asghari and Britney Spears were wed on June 9^th. What I love about this wedding is it was both Sam and Britney’s wedding. Pictures with them together and separate with highlights of the little touches that made their wedding special I want to highlight the jewelry for the wedding and how the jewelers used this to display their product. I also want to show the increase in interest of this event that needed to mentioned sooner rather than later if you are marketing.

Wedding Jewelry

The 4-carat round brilliant engagement ring was by Forever Diamonds NY. Sam helped design it and had it engraved with the word ‘Lioness’. Sam’s nickname for his strong and independent girlfriend (at that time). The jeweler’s Instagram gave some details to the ring.

This theme was seen again with Sam’s cuff links worn for their wedding. The photo looks like something out of a high-end advertisement, and I loved seeing the groom’s jewelry on display.

The wedding rings were created by a different designer Stephanie Gottlieb. Britney had 2 options for her diamond wedding band and Sam got a sleek platinum band.

Several necklaces were brought for Spears to chose from below is a tennis necklace that was one option.

The bride ended up with the heart shaped tennis necklace made with 27 carats and a 23-carat bracelet. Those pieces plus a pair of earrings cost over a half million dollars (USD).

Britney Spears in wedding dress and jewelry (IG of Britney Spears)

Marketing from Wedding

The couple did not use this as a marketing moment but there was some interest in the event. Looking at Google Trends the searches for Britney Spears peaked June 10^th the day news went out about the wedding occurring the day before. The trend declines the day after and by the 16^th the numbers have plateaued.

Some brands related to the wedding saw more searches, like Versace, the maker of Britney’s wedding dress. The peak wasn’t as high as it was for Britney but with Versace being so public it’s not surprising.

For other less global designers like Gottleib this gives an opportunity to try and introduce more people to her jewelry. One nice way that she did this was showing a necklace she gifted Britney to mark her wedding date.

Necklace gifted by designer to Britney to remember her special day

I saw this piece on the designer’s Instagram page 2 days after the wedding was announced. Her posts about a week earlier were getting 1,000-3,000 likes on average, the post for Britney’s necklace got over 6,000 likes.

To End With

Even if you don’t have a celebrity to buy your product yet, if you have a product or service that is similar to what is mentioned in the news, see how you can communicate that to your clients If you’d like someone to consult with reach out to me on Instagram or my email: [email protected]. I look forward to researching more on the Wedding Industry and posting about it. Thank you for reading my thoughts on Data in the Rough!

What would Faberge have Tweeted?

November 6, 2021November 6, 2021Michelle

I took a break from blogging and then wasn’t sure what to write as a big piece to return to. Would it be addressing the past or focus on an industry issue? I had drafted something and left it. Returning to my blog this piece still holds up with a few edits. Please read on as I address both.

After seeing so many from the jewelry community sharing their political preferences over the past 18 months, I took a break from the online writing as I thought about what course I want to take for my blog and future aspirations. Over that time, I had a post pop up in my feed from a designer I follow and whose pieces I liked, it had nothing to do with jewelry and was very divisive. There was no war of words, but I am no longer following or supporting the designer.

Recently I was curious to see if that designer was having any improvements to their situation. In a word, no. Since the beginning of June, they had 36 posts:

9 Political
13 Jewelry
14 Other (food, costumes, etc)

Barely a third of that jewelry designers Instagram feed was for their craft. It made me realize I should not get so caught up with others social media and most importantly I need to continue to be positive with my media and not alienate those that only wish to enjoy what I enjoy: jewelry.

This was not the only sad tale of a jeweler getting too focused and overwhelmed with current events to realize that if their jewelry outlives them a strange history may follow it. When you look at a piece from the workshop of Faberge what do you see? How does it make you feel? What comes to mind?

I see fine craftsmanship. A feeling of awe and excitement comes over me as I wish I could find out more about its past. The piece above is coming up for auction at Christie’s, so I know some of it’s importance and time period (1913). The mention of Faberge brings to mind a world of grandeur and splendor, many happy moments and the end of an era. I have done several articles on Faberge that you can read here and here if you would like to know more. Honestly, I do not look at it and say, “I wonder if he supported the Bolsheviks” or “Wow how terrible he did business with those Elites”. I’ll never really know his deep political leanings and that is all the better for me. He had many artisans under him whom I’m sure had opinions (some fought in the army), but they just came to work and did a quality job.

What concerns me with the jewelry industry today is that more “designers” are trying to be recognized and bought for their call outs than their craftsmanship, for their conformity to the mainstream versus their creativity. Jewelry should be enjoyed not create disharmony. There is a difference between expressing yourself and shouting at others.

I see the trend reports and social media marketing tips about personalizing your brand. My question for you to think about is, when you buy for yourself do you value how well the product works for the maker or how well it would work for you? How would you feel if a designer recognized the death of a person in another state but ignored their neighbor that died protecting a store near you? (That is a true case for me, I will never look at that designers work the same again after they ignored the death of an innocent person in their own town)

This has also taught me something about the art of jewelry, I need to look at the piece not the person. Do I like it or not? The designer I just referenced has quality items, but it is not something that wows me, I just liked the idea that there was someone near my Midwestern home that was recognized for fine jewelry. That sentiment will be true for others down the road, a piece may be bought for the branding but if it is not a piece that has a timeless quality, it will not thrive long after its purchase.

Now what do you want to focus on, the things you have no control over or the things that you do? What do you want to be associated with? How do you want to live your life? I want to master my analytics skills and take Data in the Rough to a higher level. I can do more and do better, so can you. If any of this resonates reach out on my Instagram. I’d love to connect and see where this year takes us! Thank you for reading this! Please return soon for more Data in the Rough and ignore the haters!

How Jewelry Businesses are Branding Wrong

June 2, 2020June 2, 2020Michelle

With more time inside I have been looking at articles about what the future of the jewelry industry and retail will look like. The articles and videos I have seen have almost dreary existence for retail. In an earlier post I mentioned some of the changes stores like Nordstrom were making to adjust to the pandemic. What I have found to be troubling is that these are short term trends and how people are interpreting them and applying them to their brand is misguided. I will look at a prediction from the past and see how you should evaluate it for your brand.

McKinsey published a trend report for the jewelry industry on Feb. 1, 2014 titled, ‘A multifaceted future: The jewelry industry in 2020’. Looking back, it was good about identifying a key trend that I will focus on in this post, branding. Below are the predictions leading up to 2020:

In about 10 years their will be a growth in branded jewelry. Reading the report, you will realize that they are talking about big brands like Prada and Louis Vuitton doing more with jewelry. There is another way to interpret this trend and that is branding will be more important to even smaller businesses. This is evident now with everyone seeming to have an Instagram account and articles telling you how you need to show the ‘personal’ side of your brand for others to relate to.

Current Environment

With recent events the jewelry industry is using their business platform as a political forum and losing sight of the purpose of a business account to share about your business. If you use your account to win a popularity contest or be in with the in crowd you risk diminishing what you built.

People need to see a product not a statement. If you attract only people that agree with you that can work but what happens when you don’t share those same opinions’, or your workers don’t all agree on the subject? Boycotting products or bullying others online to support your cause is not a good way to live; many people work at making those products and may not share those views. It will be hard though to buy from an artisan that is disrespectful as you know who the money is directly going to.

One Direction you can go

In my opinion you should focus on the quality and value your brand embodies. If you can build on that you will be ahead of many small jewelry brands who try and say that ‘I am just like you buy from me!’ There are lots of counter arguments and I have heard many, but it should be the individual that makes the decision not a business dictating their stance. That is where real change will happen treating others kindly that you come across.

If you need help refocusing you brand please reach out to me: [email protected]. Stay safe and I will be writing again next week!

Brand Awareness: 365, A Year of Cartier

May 12, 2020May 12, 2020Michelle

I have enjoyed the online lectures and Instagram Live talks by designers, but do you look and say I wonder if that will help my business? It might but there are other ways to advertise that can be just as effective with out having to compete in this industry. I like the online videos but came across something from Cartier that I found refreshing an online magazine you could download called 365, A Year of Cartier. Cartier addressed the stay at home order the world was facing and decided to let you read about what is happening in its company at your leisure. Here are some aspects that I liked about the magazine that might be good for you to think about in your advertising.

Their History

Cartier talked about their most famous Creative Director, Jeanne Toussaint. Toussaint was the first female Creative Director for Cartier. The article highlighted her designs and creative process. Even though many of those familiar with the company know those facts seeing more visual aspects and focusing less on long stories entertain while keeping the branding focused for the customer.

The iconic Love collection is also featured in an article as celebrating 50 years. A great way to talk about your product without making it feel like a sale.

Their New Products

Sometimes you need to be less discreet about selling. Cartier highlighted their new bag collection, Guirlande de Cartier. They could have just put it in as an ad but instead they tied it back to their heritage. They talked about the inspiration being their iconic boxes. Ranging from $1,140-$3,150, the price points while still high for some are much lower than a good portion of their jewelry and showcase variety in products.

I wish they had featured their sunglasses as well with summer coming on for the US and as may are walking outdoors it could plant seeds for future sales.

Their Community

I loved the article that focused on some of the clients that owned a piece from their Panther collection. Wording it as a community felt right as this situation has many wanting unity and a sense of belonging. I am hoping to own a Cartier Panther someday and this helps build that strong branding message.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed the magazine. I have more parts to read and reread but I like that the articles are not too long. Some are short blurbs to describe the photos and give a brief background. Making the magazine something you did not have to RSVP for or be at your computer at a certain time was nice too. If you think you’d like to try something over this shelter in but don’t think Instagram broadcasts are for you reach out to me and lets come up with some creative ways to get your brand back in peoples thoughts. Have you seen other ways businesses are reaching out that you’ve like? Did you read 365, A Year of Cartier? Would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you for reading Data in the Rough! I hope you return next week for more!

Tiffany & Co reopens some stores: How will Jewelry Stores adapt over the Summer?

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020Michelle

Looking online at jewelry is about all I have been able to do in this state of confusion and uncertainty about the retail environment. There is concern for all aspects of life currently, but I am focusing on the Retail Industry in this post. Even if you want to order online you probably get the notice of delayed shipping. The questions that I see again and again are: When will the stores reopen? When can things return to normal? What will be the new normal? Those answers will vary depending where you are, but we can get an idea of some of it for the retail world by looking at the news and stores that are reopening.

Stores Reopening

I was intrigued to see Tiffany & Co announce on their website that they were opening some stores.

I naturally had to click to see what was listed. My store was not on the list but those that were made sense.

Michigan and Texas both had protests about wanting to return to work. Seeing stores in those areas reopen makes sense. It will be worth watching to see how those stores fair in sales and adapt to the new norms of retail created from this pandemic.

Returning to Normal

Other retailers are opening some of their stores, a few to mention:

Those are just a few of the major chains looking at reopening.

New Normal

Even though stores are reopening this does not mean it will be business as usual. Nordstrom announced that they plan on providing health screenings for employees and offering face masks for both employees and customers. Macy’s will not be offering ear piercings or makeup samples to try on your own. There were more initiatives listed in the article here, but one stood out, ‘Customers have to use hand sanitizer before trying on jewelry and watches’.

Jewelry stores adapting

For at least the summer I predict a less relaxing retail experience as article I read all talked about continuing social/physical distancing while in the store. The hand sanitizers for jewelry like rings makes sense but what about earrings or necklaces? What are you concerned about as a retailer or consumer? These reports of the new protocol do not excite me as I have been planning to splurge on some items once stores start to reopen. Wearing a mask as I try on some shades or try and smell a perfume does not bring a happy thought for my customer experience.

If you are concerned how you will be able to adapt this to your business send me a message or leave a comment. I would love to collaborate and come up with some ideas that will benefit everyone and not hinder the experience you want your customer to have. Thank you for reading Data in the Rough and I hope you return soon for more!

Why starting a Project because you have the time is a Bad Strategy

April 14, 2020April 14, 2020Michelle

It’s hard to avoid the topic of the current events taking place. Many of you reading are probably in the same situation as I am requested to stay in to ‘flatten the curve’. I’ve enjoyed saving time by not commuting to work but I’m not embracing it as much as others. I have noticed several businesses trying to update their Instagram accounts more, email messages of how they are responding to Covid-19 etc. It’s good to see businesses trying to adapt but what will become of these strategies once the quarantine is over?

If you are thinking of starting a new project something to think about; is it because you have the time now? If it deals with your business would you still have pursued this if the extra time had not presented itself? No? Why? Because you did not have the time but didn’t your business still need this? See where I’m getting at. If it is important to your business you need to make the time. It’s easy to do this now that the time is available but unfortunately you are competing with lots of other businesses doing the same as you.

I started a project in November, put it on hold and started up again in March. It’s been harder the second time around but I need to do this for my business. I have a personal Instagram account that I put jewelry on that currently has over 23,000 followers. I started it before Facebook took it over and messed with the algorithm so I had a head start in growing my following versus others that started later. Now I want to get more involved with Instagram strategy and focus more on driving insights in the Jewelry Industry with data. So I am starting a new Instagram business account for my consulting agency and blog : Data in the Rough

It’s got a few posts and a very small following but it’s an experiment and a way to improve my business. I have already thought of my strategy to maintain a following and increase engagement when I have to resume my commute. It’s important to make good use of this time, don’t be like the articles below:

I did a search for news on jewelry and came across two articles reporting the same issue. There is a lot wrong here but two things that are glaring why are the reports so off on the amount of jewelry licked? Also why is a grocery store even selling jewelry at a time like this? I would use that space to stock sanitizers, those will fly off the shelves quicker than the jewels. Again there is so much more that is wrong with this.

For the lesson to apply don’t try and over due your attempts for attention, big sales and guest speakers are ok but try and connect with your customers who may be suffering financially too. One more thing I saw a new trend of crafting your own jewelry in a Yahoo article some of it’s cute but some of the hand made and sustainable pieces are going too far. To see what I mean head to my Instagram account: Data in the Rough Looking forward to posting again soon!

Why doesn’t the Jewelry Industry put out a Superbowl Ad?

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020Michelle

Last month roughly 102 million people watched the Super Bowl and 23.6 million tuned in to see the glamour, gowns and winners of the Oscars. Town and Country put out it’s February 2020 edition with the 3^rd Annual Jewelry Awards and after the first two events I thought, who is this really reaching, and should the Jewelry Industry think about a different strategy to reach consumers?

I’ve done a more detailed analysis on the last two awards issues here and here last year. This time I’m going to ask some bigger questions that might get you thinking about how you want to market your company. Let’s first look at how Town and Country presented the awards this year.

Town and Country Jewelry Awards

The small mention of the Jewelry Awards on the cover (it gets smaller every year), had the statement: The right way to spend your money. The first thought I had was investment pieces, but the pages showed off jewels that lacked a proper description of why you should spend for these jewels. I was also hoping for more on future designers but only about a quarter of a page with 4 designers sharing the small spotlight making it feel more like a passing thought.

The Editor’s Letter talked about the Dresden Green diamond that was not part of the crown jewels of Saxony that were stolen on November 25. The diamond was loaned to The Metropolitan Museum for the current exhibit, Making Marvels. The editor talked about how the exhibit embodies the, ‘link between technological innovation and social prestige.’ The hope was that the awards would also show some innovative designs. The pieces were nice but if no one really knows what goes into it or how valuable the materials are then there is not much prestige or social admiration for the wearer. Jewelry is a more of personal object but if you didn’t want others to see it you wouldn’t wear it.

Overall, I don’t think the issue did that great of a job educating the reading and putting a proper spotlight on the designer. The issue could have really show cased the process and the person behind the designs. With more people looking to lab diamonds for their engagement rings, show that these designers are responsibly sourcing materials and labor would be a plus in helping diminish the bad reputation the Jewelry Industry gets on mining.

Demographics of different Medias

Looking at other places to advertise the Superbowl 2019 saw 98.2 million viewers 39.95 were between the ages of 18-49. The 2020 age demographics are not in yet, but we can look at this as about 40% of viewers are between 18-49. The Oscars only had 23.6 million viewers and saw a major drop in there 2020 viewership for 18-49-year olds, in 2019 the viewership was 29.6 million. Looking at Town & Country’s media kit, their readership is 638,000 and the median age is 49.7, skewing two-thirds (66%) female.

Why the Jewelry Industry needs to think inside the box

Depending on what you are selling and who you hope to attract, being in Town & Country if you sell jewelry might be great for you but for the industry not so much. The Oscars are still good for exposure but with drops in viewership and the controversy it can bring it doesn’t allow for controlling your brand as much if you are a designer. The emphasis on reaching younger consumers the Jewelry Industry needs to look at ways to get people talking more positively about jewelry and thinking of it more than just a one-off item you buy for marriage. So why not have a Super bowl ad? I know cost is an issue but there are other alternatives; YouTube ads that you need the audience’s opinion on, create a social media campaign that puts couples in the ad or something else that gets people excited! The focus needs to be how to make jewelry a part of the wearer’s life so the over used response of, ‘It’s beautiful but where would I wear it’ comes less into play.

How I can help

If you are looking for ways to reach your audience and need help in seeing how effective it was then please look me up on Instagram and reach out to me. As a business analyst with several years of Retail Industry experience the questions of how to improve reach affect all sizes of businesses. Let me know your thoughts or questions below and thank you for reading Data in the Rough!