The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has changed its name to The Diamond Collective and unveiled a new global strategy to reignite interest and strengthen consumer confidence in mined stones.
The strategy, which the organization developed following six months of consultation with industry members and consumers, will shift natural-diamond marketing from individual campaigns to a connected, long-term approach, it said Tuesday. Promotions will move from representation to collective action and from measuring activity to measuring desire, demand and commercial impact, the group explained.
The new name omits the word “natural” to indicate that the mined-diamond industry is no longer “playing defense” by allowing the “original to be defined by a qualifier,” when the word “diamond” itself indicates natural, and doesn’t need a qualifier, The Diamond Collective added.
Three principles will guide the new strategy, and will connect culture, retail, trust, advocacy, digital discovery, partnership and industry alignment, the group said. “Unite” will bring producers, retailers, brands, designers and new voices together around shared priorities for growth. “Protect” will strengthen consumer confidence through clarity, transparency and facts, challenge misinformation, and clearly differentiate natural from lab-grown. Meanwhile, “inspire” will create desire through culture, creativity and globally connected storytelling, with a clear path to consideration and purchase.
The Diamond Collective will introduce new global programs, including culturally relevant campaigns, a universal Trustmark, stronger origin and provenance narratives, renewed retailer and brand partnerships, and investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital discovery, it said. Further initiatives will strengthen evidence-led responses to misinformation, elevate producer nations and create new forums for collective industry leadership.
The organization will measure whether its new strategy is changing consumer sentiment using a new Diamond Desire Index. The tool, which will launch in the US, India and China, will track consideration, purchase intent, sentiment and recommendation.
“Since taking on this role, I have listened to people across our industry and beyond,” said The Diamond Collective CEO Amber Pepper. “Their insight, experience and belief in natural diamonds have shaped this strategy. What I have heard gives me enormous confidence in the opportunity ahead and a clear sense that we will only realize it by acting together. The Diamond Collective will build on that shared ambition: to bring the extraordinary story of natural diamonds into culture, strengthen trust in what makes them unique and inspire a new generation to choose them. This is how we will transform enduring emotional desire into lasting demand.”
Image: Natural rough diamonds. (The Diamond Collective)
