Alongside the brisk business being discussed amidst the glitter on the exhibition floor, the Spectrum Series at the IIJS, sponsored by Virtual Diamond Boutique and Co-sponsored by Signet Jewellers was also attracting the attention of visitors to IIJS 2018. While there were a host of interesting themes and topics lined up as part of the programme, centred around ‘Emerging Opportunities in 2018’, the one that aroused a lot of interest was the session on ‘Branding and Marketing in an era of transition from Traditional to Digital’.

A panel that brought together professionals from the fields of digital marketing, jewellery retailers with online experience and social media experts and influencers threw up a number of interesting insights into what it means to take a jewellery brand digital in today’s age.

Moderator Anil Prabhakar, a jewellery and watch industry consultant, set the tone with a detailed overview of the changes that have occurred post the arrival of the smart phone in 2007, and other simultaneous developments in the fields of hardware and software that made this possible.

Prasad Ajgaonkar, CEO IREALITIES, a digital marketing agency that helped some of the biggest non-jewellery companies in India grow their digital presence emphasised that E-commerce was only one small aspect of the process of taking a business into the digital era. Stating that the scenario has changed in the last decade or so, he said today retail is no longer only about selling through a store, but about an all-round connect with the consumer. With the rise of aggregator marketplaces, “small, local jewellers are losing their geographical advantage, as a consumer can now buy a product from another city and get it delivered to her home.”

Paul Ruban, General Manager Fossil Group India, and a key force in the brand’s digital communications pointed out that digital tools today influence even offline purchases, with 80% of consumers doing online research, and have often made up their minds before entering a store to buy. The brand must reach out to every potential customer with “multiple digital touchpoints to communicate with her” including at the point of sale too.

Mike Melli, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer Miss Malini.com said that the digital medium had changed the nature of communication by a brand – it now had to be a two-way conversation. There are many different factors that influence buyer behaviour, he said, and brands would have to not only create a favourable opinion in the mind of the consumer, but also impact all those who might influence her decision.

Rajiv Popley, Director Popley Group stressed that the digital world was one of instant communication. A FaceBook or Instagram post can receive likes within minutes of being uploaded and could reach people far more quickly and effectively than traditional advertising could. He added that the digital communication also had to be transparent, and that digital enhancement of say the colour or clarity of a diamond, could lead to disappointment when the consumer saw the actual product.

He however reassured the audience that creating and maintaining a digital presence was not as challenging as it appears, and urged those who had not yet done so to at least create a website and a small social media presence.

Jagruti Bansal, Marketing Director – Raj Jewels New Jersey, said that the digital world had opened new frontiers. An online store can have thousands of visitors in a day, significantly more than any physical store. Branding is no longer about finding the customer, it’s about being there so the customer can find you, she said. This is especially true for millennials, and though the character of this generation does vary across geographies, they are definitely more attuned to a digital experience. Tell the story of your brand through multiple channels – YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, etc. and let the consumer connect with you, she told the audience.

Sharing her experiences in the world of digital communication, special guest Malini Agarwal Founder & Creative Director, Miss Malini.com said that the digital world was not impersonal and robotic as it may appear. It is not only about Clicks and Likes, but about reaching out to a human audience through these tools. You must engage the consumer in much the same way as you would do if she were face-to-face; you can reach out to entire communities of people with a single such conversation, not individuals alone, she advised.

Other sessions held on Day Two included “Doing Business in Dubai”; “Successful Generation Next”; “Indian Heritage Jewellery Designs: Opportunities in the World Market” and “Trade Issues: Hallmarking & Banking & Funding (SME / IPOs)”.

The Spectrum Seminar series will offer insights into a number of other interesting themes over the next two days. Details are available at www.iijs.org

Pic caption: The panel on digital marketing (from l): Prasad Ajgaonkar, CEO IREALITIES; Paul Ruban, General Manager Fossil Group India; Mike Melli, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer Miss Malini.com; Rajiv Popley, Director Popley Group; Jagruti Bansal, Marketing Director – Raj Jewels New Jersey; Malini Agarwal Founder & Creative Director, Miss Malini.com and Anil Prabhakar, Watch & Jewellery consultant