Create Campaigns That Make Jewelry Irresistible To Consumers

Industry / Marketing / Retail / Your Store

If you’re not in the habit of regularly creating campaign photography to promote your jewelry collections, you’re missing out on a chance to connect with your customers.

Producing photo shoots—beyond grabbing your iPhone and hitting up Cousin Jenny to model—may seem daunting for a small jewelry store staff. One of the biggest hurdles is the budget you must consider: $1,500 on the low end to upward of $20,000. But thinking bigger about your marketing messages and visuals is a smart business move for any retail jeweler who hopes to succeed in the digital age.

“The upcoming generation wants to know the story—campaign shoots are a way for customers to really connect with who the brand is, who’s making it, and where the jewelry is crafted,” says Stephanie Major, marketing director of Parlé Gems in Pocatello, Idaho, which has produced lifestyle photo and video shoots ahead of every Luxury show for the past three years. “By having lifestyle photography, we’re able to tell that story.”

And let’s remember that you’re selling a luxury product—so it should be showcased in the manner it deserves, says Grace Barretti, senior marketing manager at Greenwich St. Jewelers in New York City. “Campaigns make it possible to effectively communicate the gravitas, the beauty, feeling, and time that went into creating each piece and the rarity of the materials.”

How to begin? Read on for a road map to campaign-shoot success, with more insights from our industry’s top creative, marketing, and photography pros.