Independents

The PR Adviser: Why Aren’t More Retailers Opening My Emails?

IndependentsSep 18, 2018

The PR Adviser: Why Aren’t More Retailers Opening My Emails?

National Jeweler’s resident PR Adviser, Lilian Raji, responds to a jewelry designer who is feeling ignored.

2018_Lilian-Raji.jpg
Lilian Raji is a strategic marketing and public relations adviser. Send questions for The PR Adviser to nationaljeweler@lmrpr.com or contact her at lilian@lmrpr.com.

Well, hello again readers!

I hope you’ve all been able to keep cool this summer. I’ve spent most of it working with clients in Montreal and have fortunately missed the worst of this steaming weather.

Enjoy the last of the sunshine now, as holiday season is around the corner and a broken air conditioner will be a more welcome problem than UPS’ and FedEx’s eventual holiday delivery delays.  

Below, I answer my latest question as National Jeweler’s resident PR Adviser, which comes from a jewelry designer experiencing email marketing frustration.

Dear Lilian,

Q. We’ve been sending emails to our retailers showcasing our press coverage, but only about 25 percent are ever opened, and even fewer are clicked through. What are we doing wrong?

Signed,
Why Am I Being Ignored?

A. First, let me say that 25 percent is by no means a paltry open rate. It is about what marketing emails garner on average, across all industries.

Now, dear readers, please have a seat for this next part of my answer. I’m about to say something shocking and I don’t want you to bump your head should you swoon.

Are you ready?

Dear Ms. Ignored, your retail customers don’t matter.

Wait everyone! Please don’t cancel your National Jeweler subscription! Hear me out.

Who is buying your jewelry?

Don’t tell me the store buyer! Let’s try again!

Who is wearing your jewelry? Who are you thinking about when you design your jewelry?

Let’s name the answer to these questions “Elizabeth Taylor,” with the name of this famous jewelry-loving lady standing in for the end consumer. Because, why not?

You’re making your jewelry for Elizabeth Taylor because she’s the one stockpiling your latest masterpieces. And while you’re doing your best to impress the retail store buyer, the retail store buyer is going gaga for Elizabeth Taylor. All Ms. or Mr. Buyer cares about is what Elizabeth Taylor wants.  

It’s good that you want Ms. or Mr. Buyer to see your press coverage, but it makes no difference to her or him. If time is money, how much money is she or he earning by looking at your emails?

Your only value to Ms. or Mr. Buyer is what Elizabeth Taylor wants. As long as she continues wanting your pieces, your relationship with the store continues. If she and her friends, however, stop wanting you, so does Ms. or Mr. Buyer.

When I first started in PR, back when

fax machines were more important than emails, I too thought it was important to show retailers press coverage. I remember dutifully compiling press clips for my jewelry and watch clients and doing monthly mailings to their retailers, thinking they’d get excited about all the press my clients’ products were receiving.  

Yeah, no.

They appreciated knowing we were out there creating excitement about their inventory. But unless Elizabeth Taylor barreled into their store, clutching a Vogue magazine page showcasing my clients’ jewelry while throwing her JP Morgan Reserve card at the nearest salesperson, they didn’t give a flying fig.

Ahem.  

Don’t stop getting press coverage for your collection. How else is Elizabeth Taylor going to know about your jewelry?

As I continue working with business owners one-on-one, especially business owners whose end customer is not the person the business owner is interacting with directly, it’s clear to me, Ms. Ignored, that you don’t realize who has the most power.

The person taking your jewelry home is the most powerful. This is whom you need to impress.

Absolutely take care of your retailer relationships; make sure Ms. or Mr. Buyer and her or his team burst into song and dance when they hear your name.  

But remember: Just as you are beholden to Ms. or Mr. Buyer to order your jewelry, Ms. or Mr. Buyer is beholden to Elizabeth Taylor to purchase it.

My close friend is a senior sales rep for a well-known jewelry company. While everyone reading this understands just how rare it is for Saks to offer anything other than memo for its orders, my friend told me that this particular company’s deals with Saks were mostly cash and very little memo.  

Why? Because this well-known company has millions of Elizabeth Taylors, and if Saks wanted to continue swiping those Platinum cards, it needed to play ball.

And, to make sure the jewelry company kept acquiring more Elizabeth Taylors, it would happily treat editors at the major magazines to their very own baubles during the holiday season. And when I say “baubles,” I mean the finest quality VVS diamond-somethings the real Elizabeth Taylor would salivate to possess.

So, to answer your question more directly, what you’re doing wrong, Ms. Ignored, is focusing your energy on Ms. or Mr. Store Buyer instead of the most powerful person in the store—the customer.

Use your press and marketing strategy to acquire more Elizabeth Taylors, then I guarantee you Ms. or Mr. Buyer will program her or his Outlook to emit a special tone exclusively for when your emails come through.

You’re probably now wondering how to acquire more Elizabeth Taylors.

Well, my friend, that’s what I’m here for. Email me your pressing PR and marketing questions to answer in my next column, or better yet, invite me to your office!

Until next time, dear friends, stay cool!
Lilian Rajiis a strategic communications and PR adviser who helps companies understand their marketing problems, then designs and executes strategies to solve them.

The Latest

Lightbox x Roséate Light Wand pendants
Lab-GrownDec 01, 2023
Lightbox Teams Up With Brand Founded by Former Tiffany Exec

The lab-grown diamond brand also collaborated with the website The Future Rocks on a collection launching today.

Lila Moss Calvin Klein campaign
FinancialsDec 01, 2023
Movado Lowers Guidance Again After Q3 Sales Dip

The company said it is facing a “challenging retail environment” but is prepared for the holiday season.

Muzo emerald and argyle pink diamond necklace
CollectionsDec 01, 2023
Piece of the Week: Muzo’s Emerald and Argyle Pink Diamond Necklace

It’s the hero piece of the newest "Green Jewel" collection, a collaborative offering from the two mines.

Platinum  Guild International Diamond Rings
Brought to you by
If It’s Custom, Make It Platinum

With holiday proposals right around the corner, encourage your customers to go for platinum when making the big purchase.

Pink Supreme Diamond
AuctionsNov 30, 2023
This Pink Diamond Reigned Supreme in Hong Kong

The 15.48-carat fancy intense “Pink Supreme” topped Christie’s fall jewelry auction in Asia, while a Patek Philippe led the watch sale.

Weekly QuizNov 30, 2023
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge with this short test.
Take the Quiz
Claire’s CFO COO Chris Cramer
MajorsNov 30, 2023
Claire’s Hires Former Bath & Body Works Exec as CFO, COO

Chris Cramer, who also spent time at Gen Z intimates brand Parade, will take on the dual role.

133 carat yellow diamond
AuctionsNov 30, 2023
Sotheby’s To Auction 133-Carat Yellow Diamond

The stone headlining the upcoming sale could fetch up to $5 million.

IGI-BTYB-103023.jpg
Brought to you by
Did You Know? The Vital Role of IGI: The International Gemological Institute

In a world where the sparkle of a gemstone is only as brilliant as the trust behind it, IGI's purpose is truly invaluable.

Diamond development hub in Angola
SourcingNov 29, 2023
Largest New Diamond Mine of the Decade Coming Online in Angola

The Luele mine is expected to eventually make the country the world’s third-largest diamond producer.

Holiday shoppers holding bags
SurveysNov 29, 2023
Holiday Shoppers Broke a Record This Weekend, Says NRF

From Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, 200.4 million consumers shopped online and in stores.

Cast StyleBar Nordstrom
MajorsNov 29, 2023
Cast Debuts at Nordstrom, Closes on More VC Funding

The growing company also plans to open more of its own boutiques.

20180509_Buffett-header.jpg
EditorsNov 29, 2023
Warren Buffett on Success, Mistakes and Betting on America

The best quotes from the Oracle of Omaha and his right-hand man Charlie Munger from the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.

Finks Jewelers new store
IndependentsNov 28, 2023
Fink’s Jewelers Opens 10th Store

It’s the company’s second location in Tennessee.

Mary Tyler Moore and a pair of Elsa Peretti Bone Cuffs
AuctionsNov 28, 2023
Mary Tyler Moore’s Jewelry Is Up For Auction

You can have this jewelry, why don’t you take it?

Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024
Events & AwardsNov 28, 2023
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show Is Celebrating 60 Years

Next year’s milestone show will be full of educational programming and collaborations.

De Beers Metamorphosis high jewelry earrings
EditorsNov 27, 2023
10 Tips for Selling Diamonds This Holiday Season

Sales experts and a diamantaire share their best advice on how to send customers home with diamond jewelry.

Platinum Born new collection
CollectionsNov 27, 2023
See the New ‘Platinum Born’ Jewelry

The brand has released five new collections.

Frank Adams Jewelers
IndependentsNov 27, 2023
Frank Adams Jewelers Named ‘Family Business of the Year’

The Albany Business Review recently honored the 100-year-old company.

GIA Dr. John W. Valley
GradingNov 27, 2023
Dr. John W. Valley Retires from GIA Board of Governors

To honor his legacy, GIA has set up a scholarship in his name.

Stock image of police car with its lights on
CrimeNov 22, 2023
JSA Warns of Surge in Attacks on Jewelers on the Road

There have been eight attacks in the last month, spanning from a jewelry store parking lot in Rhode Island to highways in California.

Buddha Mama citrine bangle
TrendsNov 22, 2023
Amanda’s Style File: November Glow

These 15 pieces of jewelry celebrate November babies and the hues of citrine and topaz that reflect the colors of the season.

Columbia Gem House fundraiser
SourcingNov 22, 2023
Columbia Gem House Raises $12K for Wildlife

The money will help a nonprofit rehabilitate sea turtles.

Facet Barcelona factory opening
MajorsNov 22, 2023
Facet Barcelona Opens New Factory in Spain

The jewelry manufacturer said it can now better serve the North American market.

David Yurman holiday campaign
TechnologyNov 21, 2023
See David Yurman’s New High-Tech Holiday Campaign

The jewelry brand takes viewers through a virtual winter wonderland set in New York City.

2023 Rock the Jewels Awards winners
Events & AwardsNov 21, 2023
Here Are the Winners of BIJC’s Inaugural ‘Rock the Jewels’ Awards

The organization recognized outstanding industry players at its celebratory event.

Rough diamonds from De Beers Gahcho Kue mine
SourcingNov 21, 2023
De Beers’ Rough Diamond Sales Sink to $80M

India’s voluntary moratorium on rough diamond imports coupled with a stunted recovery in China continue to impact the miner.

Smart Age Solutions founder and CEO Emmanuel Raheb
ColumnistsNov 21, 2023
The Smart Lab: Score Big During Football Season With Hulu Advertising

Emmanuel Raheb outlines three reasons why Hulu advertising and football can be a game changer for your jewelry store’s marketing.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy