Recently, a spate of ads and campaigns for natural diamonds has been popping up, causing divisiveness among the trade.
The promotions, which seem to buoy natural diamonds by belittling synthetics, have some wondering if the natural industry is so desperate amid prolonged falling demand it largely attributes to lab-grown, that it feels the need to mudsling in an attempt to resurrect interest.
For instance, a recent ad from the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) seen in midtown New York City by Michael Schechter, caught the attention of several industry members on LinkedIn. The campaign, which uses Gen Z lingo to denote why consumers would want a natural, includes images of a natural diamond with phrases like “swipe right,” “for better” and “rizz,” while the synthetic has “swipe left,” “for worse” and “fizz.” Schechter, who helps fine-jewelry retailers with omni-channel strategy and innovation, said in his post that he was “deeply disappointed” in the NDC and noted that “we are better than this as an industry. There’s a healthy way to compare and differentiate these two diamonds. This isn’t it.”
Commenters agreed, calling the move “sad,” and “self-sabotage,” and questioning who thought this was a good idea. One responder pointed out that diamonds had long been positioned as symbols of timelessness, elegance and integrity, but that the NDC’s campaign missed that entirely, in tone, imagination and empathy.
Like for like
However, the NDC’s ad is only the latest in a string of similar campaigns. Last week, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) ran a live two-day promotion at a crowded Antwerp shopping mall in which it stuffed a gumball machine full of lab-grown that shoppers could “win” for EUR 5. The slogan that ran along with it was “You get what you pay for,” and the AWDC stated that while it was not trying to throw shade, it wanted to make consumers aware that synthetics and natural were different products with completely different values.
Meanwhile, a recent social media campaign from the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) implies lab-grown are “not real” and “imitation,” and dubs them a “shortcut.”
Who’s your audience?
The marketing ploys really call into question who the intended audience is. The majority of the trade seems to dislike these ads, and the organizations running them have tried to please that audience. Yet industry members generally deal with both natural and lab-grown, so these campaigns seem to make a mockery of half their inventory.
On the other hand, if they’re geared toward consumers, do ads like this make a difference? If a shopper is intent on a lab-grown, would an ad like the NDC’s change their mind, or even make them ask questions?
What do you think? Do you like the promotions, or do you think they don’t properly represent the natural-diamond industry? Weigh in below, and leave us your comments. Check back for a future story on what the trade’s response was and what consumers think.
Create your own user feedback surveyImage: The Natural Diamond Council ad. (Michael Schechter/LinkedIn)
