Our guest blogger Ya’akov Almor, serves as joint communications director for CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation.
Now, most women who have male partners (Since I am Dutch-born and bred, I studied at the University of Amsterdam and the eight years of enjoying a rich social life in that great city taught me never-ever to presume anything about relationships…) know that they sometimes, unintentionally and absentmindedly, leaf through their partner’s magazines – ELLE, Cosmo, Marie-Claire, Vogue, etc. – except when they are at a dentist of doctor’s office, when they may even read an article or two.
Last week I had the pleasure of the company of my wife on my trip to Idar-Oberstein, Germany, to attend and speak at the Intergem Show (I intend to write my next blog about that very small, but highly interesting trade fair www.intergem-messe.de).
Once through the airport’s check-in and customs, my wife scanned the 10 feet or so of magazine racks at the departure terminal’s bookstore and picked up the October issue of “O”.
“O” stands for Oprah. Oprah Winfrey. Probably the USA’s most famous black woman – though I like Queen Latifa, my favorite female actor, better.
If you did not know it – Oprah is a marketing genius. She has a talk show that even I, a member of the male species, have watched for more than 10 minutes, and publishes a magazine that is absolutely readable – even for men.
Still, I cannot help myself and after reading a bit, I decided to run a count – to see how many jewelry ads the magazine runs. And here’s the bad news. After going through all of the 310 pages, I could not but conclude that advertising has become too expensive for jewelry companies! Apparently, only the Diamond Promotion Service, Graff Diamonds and Tiffany’s were able to afford to buy an ad with Oprah. L’Oreal had no problem pasting four consecutive pages in the front section of the magazine, and other cosmetics firms such as Chanel, Clinique, Lancôme and Olay, to name just a few, also claimed prime position, multiple pages of advertising space. Throughout the magazine many other ads covered shoes, bags, fashion, health foods.
The theme of this particular issue of “O” was “Getting Good at Love, how to find it, risk it, let it go, make it grow, live it every day.” Brilliant!
But where were the “brilliant” ads? Where were the luxury firms that carry the big jewelry brands? (more…)