Today March 13th is Jewelry Lovers Day

The world’s oldest known surviving jewelry was found in 1900 when archaeologists excavated the Egyptian tomb of Queen Zer (circa 5500 BC). On her wrist they found a Turquoise and gold bracelet.

Diamond Lil Fishing Lure

From toe rings to belly button rings, to nose rings and more, jewelry (or jewellery)has been made to adorn nearly everypart of the body. Jewelry is a fashion statement and has been made from precious metals, gemstones and other unusual medium.  Today the design and creativity are as valuable (if not more) as the content in which the jewely is made from. And lets not forget costume jewelry which, because it is innexpensive, can be purchased for every outfit owned.   

Jewellery has been used for a number of reasons:

Monetary exchange or currency and as a financial investment 
For its functionality as pins, buckles hair clips and more
As a sign of status and display of wealth
For protection such as amulets, stones and magical wards
And as pieces of ART to be displayed and admired

Here’s how one company capitalized on jewelry to create a publicity frenzy for their company and products:

In 2006,  MacDaddy’s http://www.macdaddysfishinglures.com/ the company that carries a collection of solid gold fishing lures and flies created a campaign to promote their brand of precious flies and lures showcasing the various ways they can be uses such as adornment (worn) art (on display) or to be used to catch fish. You don’t want to loose these fishing lures!

The company created a Million-Dollar Lure in their campaign too attract media attention and that of the buying public. Manufactured by high-end jeweler Uneek, the Million Dollar Lure was lure created from three pounds of 14k and 18k gold and platinum and encrusted with 100 carats of diamonds and rubies.

The compnay enlisted the help of the governor of Baha, California to actually use the lure at the world’s largest marlin fishing tournament, the 26th Annual Bisbee’s Black and Blue Tournament in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The event was covered by CNN, ESPN, Rocky Mountain Television, National Geographic, and Mexico’s Televisa network. ESPN also did a feature segment on the lure for the Wanna Go Fishing show.

Along with all that media attention, the lure was featured in Maxim, Forbes Life and other holiday gift guides. The company got millions of dollars in media coverage and substantial revenue increase. The company also donated thousands of dollars to charity as a result. You can see a picture of the lure here: http://www.macdaddysfishinglures.com/million_dollar_lure.shtml

In August 2006 my retail florist celebrated our 25th anniversary in business.  To show our appreciation to our customers we gave away flowers and hosted a drawing of sorts.  Everyone who called in and placed an order, placed an order online or came into the store and either placed an order or registered for the drawing (we did not require purchase to enter), was entered into a drawing for sterling silver jewelry. In additon to all the “specials” we had, we gave away sterling silver necklaces, earring sets and key chains to 25 lucky winners.  Typically August is a slower month for the floral industry as people are either getting ready to send their children back to school or finishing up their summer vacations. However, we saw a 17% increase in business that year from our Anniversary Campaign.

By the way, in my research I came across this FREE 99-page jewlery retailing eguide offered by World Jewelry Confederation at http://www.cibjo.org. There is information on evaluating and improving a retail jewelry business as well as handy forms and worksheets on everything from how to have a friend mystery shop your store to evaluating ad media. Even if you are not a jewelry retailer, it has valuable ideas and tips to help you in business.

More great marketing ideas can be found in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year!

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