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Industry News: DPA New Marketing Chief; Jewelry + Trend Forecasting Book Out; More September 14, 2016 (0 comments)
Diamond Producers Association Announces New Chief Marketing Officer
New York, NY—The Diamond Producers Association (DPA) has appointed Deborah Marquardt (left) as chief marketing officer. Marquardt will lead all U.S. activities for the DPA, with a focus on integrated marketing and media initiatives. She and her team will work closely with the U.S. diamond and jewelry trade, as well as media, to promote the diamond category with U.S. consumers. She will report directly to CEO Jean-Marc Lieberherr.
“The addition of Deborah strengthens our leadership team at a pivotal time for the DPA,” said Lieberherr. “Her deep expertise in integrated, content-driven programs aimed at Millennials, as well as cross-platform and social media, are critical to spearheading the launch of ‘Real is Rare,’ the DPA’s new category marketing platform.”
Marquardt is an award-winning strategic marketing leader and expert in marketing to Millennials. She has been recognized as The Delaney Report's Corporate Media Executive of the Year and both an AdAge Media Maven and an Advertising Working Mother of the Year. She has a proven track record of creating unique multi-platform programs that enable brands to engage, entertain and educate customers to drive loyalty, advocacy and purchase.
Marquardt most recently served as vice president and general manager of Time Inc.'s Style Network, where she led the publisher's digital product businesses across the beauty/fashion category to attract young, affluent readers via new brands, products, and content experiences. Prior to Time Inc., Marquardt spent 10 years at L'Oreal USA, leading media and integrated marketing-communications teams for iconic brands such as Maybelline New York and Garnier.
“Diamonds are a singular category,” Marquardt said. “Joining the industry and introducing ‘Real is Rare,’ the idea that diamonds have the power to celebrate and represent rare, precious, and real moments and relationships, is an incredible opportunity.”
The first DPA campaign is set to launch this fall with an initial focus on digital and social media channels.
Hiring Companies Can Now Register for GIA’s October Career Fair
Carlsbad, CA—Gem and jewelry companies seeking skilled and motivated talent are invited to participate in the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Jewelry Career Fair & Open House, Friday, October 7 at the Institute’s Carlsbad, CA headquarters.
The industry’s preeminent recruiting event will celebrate its 25th anniversary year with two panels, one-on-one career coaching. and hiring opportunities for various careers across the industry. Hundreds of job seekers, including many GIA students and graduates, are expected to attend.
Recruiter registration is now available online. Employers interested in recruiting at this year’s Career Fair can sign up by using the registration form, contacting GIA’s Career Services office at (800) 421-7250 ext. 4100. or emailing career services@gia.edu.
Career Fair hours are from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; recruiting will run 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Two panel discussions, “Job Success in Today’s Market” and “Creative Careers,” will feature industry luminaries, a celebrity designer, a jewelry blogger and other “rock” stars.
Trendvision Jewellery + Forecasting Presents Trendbook 2018+
Vicenza, Italy—TRENDVISION Jewellery + Forecasting, the independent global forecasting think tank of Fiera di Vicenza, announces the publication of TRENDBOOK 2018+, its reference publication for the jewelry industry.
Every year, TRENDVISION publishes an exclusive forecast of mega-trends for the luxury and jewelry industry that will influence the evolution of design and consumer choices 18 months before the market.
“Understanding the culture and tastes of consumers translates into the knowledge of values, languages, colors and directions of products they’ll be buying and how they will do so,” says Paola De Luca, forecaster and creative director of TRENDVISION Jewellery + Forecasting. The mega-trends, consumers, and forecast scenarios for the 2018 seasons are: Sustainable Harmony, Preserving Our Heritage, Searching For Poetry, and Futurama.
Sustainable harmony is the megatrend identifying The Digital Modernist consumer: lover of technology and a healthy lifestyle who fights for a better environment to obtain a sustainable future. Even though he/she shares the “less is more” approach, the sophisticated Digital Modernist embraces haute design characterized by sculpted shapes created with hi-tech fabrics, laser cutting techniques and experimental approaches bringing new visual codes to life. Geometrical patterns, enameled surfaces, and colored inlays mark this megatrend, where jewels will almost be wearable art. For diamonds, slim chains dominate with hanging diamonds in pure 1970s taste.
Romantic, a great fan of history, and an eclectic collector are the characteristics of The Custodian, the profile of the megatrend preserving our heritage consumer. The creations of this megatrend have a Gothic and Renaissance echo, characterized by fairy tale, esoteric elements such as crosses, amulets, talismans, and lucky numbers that the Custodian loves buying wherever he/she is, from local markets and stray online markets. Intense colors and symbols complete the taste of a grown-up, sophisticated, playful consumer.
Searching for poetry is the megatrend representing The New Globalist consumer, a mix between modern hippie and a digital boho, a physical and digital traveler sustaining craftsmen and hand-made products that can be developed with the support of technology like 3-D printers, laser cuttings, digital printing, engravings, and photography. Extravagant styles and patterns with clear references to the ‘70s and ‘80s serve this customer, and ecological exotic and Middle Eastern jewels blended with allegorical and floral motives and rich decorations in creations recalling ancient cultures that fascinate a large consumer segment, from the Millenials to the Generation X. Accessories, hybrid and multifunction, combine organic and synthetic materials, oxidized.
Entrepreneur, scientist, artist and explorer: The Retro-Futurist is the last megatrend, Futurama consumer, where technology, fantasy and introspection merge. This mega trend is characterized by a cyber-glamour taste, made of electric color palettes and materials like nano-ceramics and PVD coating; layers of precious “pixellate” covers reproduce the touch-screen photographic effects and the must-have accessories are obtained using laser and 3-D printers; the mechanical elements are mixed with a sports style, evolving into an “athleisure” or couture-fitness style.
Three HRD Antwerp Employees Fired For Diamond Grading Bribery
Antwerp, Belgium—Three employees were fired from HRD Antwerp and 156 diamonds recalled for free re-grading after the lab determined a client in India had offered those employees incentives to give the diamonds higher grades. The incident was confined to the organization’s Mumbai lab and the client, a “small Indian company,” has been dropped. Read more here and here.
US Jewelry Council Hosts WDC Meeting
New York, NY—World Diamond Council (WDC) members from around the world gathered in New York City last week for the organization’s 12th Annual General Meeting. Hosted by the United States Jewelry Council (USJC) and generously supported by Signet Jewelers, ABN Amro Bank, De Beers Group, Brinks, UL, and JCK, more than 100 representatives from the diamond industry, government, civil society, and media came together to study new proposals for current industry self-regulation procedures, as well as proposals for the Kimberley Process (KP) review process to be engaged in 2017.
Representing every sector of the diamond supply chain, the meeting focused on WDC’s proposed new strategic plan, which will guide the organization’s work through 2020 as it continues to serve as the industry voice in the KP.
“The WDC has been tasked with maintaining stability in the diamond world, building upon the successful eradication of 99% of the world’s conflict diamonds,” stated Andrey Polyakov, president of the WDC and vice president of ALROSA. “This success is being realized through active participation, transparency and continued dialogue.”
The AGM’s keynote address was delivered by Maurice Tempelsman, chairman of the board of Lazare Kaplan International Inc., who praised the progress the diamond industry continues to make and its ability to collaborate across diverse groups. “It is vital to maintain a sense of direction and the WDC is a rarity in that its mandate requires strategic dialogue with governments as well as nongovernmental organizations,” said Tempelsman.
Other speakers included government representatives who complimented the work of the WDC and discussed international efforts to strengthen the KP.
The meeting provided a platform for WDC members to discuss industry issues, share educational information, and hold the organization’s board of directors and business meetings. The WDC now looks ahead to the KP Plenary Session taking place in November in Dubai, UAE.