Jewellery brands polish their marketing strategies for festive, wedding season

New Delhi: India, a land steeped in tradition and culture, witnesses a surge in jewellery sales during festive seasons. With celebrations like Diwali, Dussehra, and weddings taking centre stage, jewellery becomes an integral part of the festivities. This heightened demand directly impacts the advertising strategies and expenditure of jewellery brands.

As India gears up for its dazzling festive season, the jewellery industry readies itself to shine brighter than ever. Understanding the significant role these festivities play in their annual sales, BestMediaInfo delves into the advertising and marketing strategies that jewellery brands are crafting for the quarter ending December 31, 2024. 

Insights on jewellery adex during festive season

As per Sujala Martis, Director- Consumer Marketing, Platinum Guild International (India), the festive period in India carries significant economic, social, and emotional weight for consumers, which means preparations begin well in advance. Auspicious timing, combined with salary bonuses, festive-specific offerings and discounts, plays a critical role in driving purchase decisions. Consumer purse strings are loosened and every category vies for a share of that wallet. 

Jewellery is a key category in this season, benefiting from both a category push and consumer pull. An added fillip comes from the overlap of the festive and marriage seasons.

PGI aims to expand consumer demand and strengthen the foundation for platinum jewellery, particularly encouraged by the Indian government’s decision to lower customs duties on platinum to 6.4%.

Martis added, “Q4 accounts for almost 35-40% of spends for key players. As we look toward the festive season, it’s clear there’s a growing appetite for jewellery that not only meets aesthetic desires but also offers deeper meaning and personal connection.”

Talking about their outdoor marketing strategy, Martis said they work with key retail partners and retail activations operate at a regional level and local market level. 

She added, “Festive is a time of great clutter and with limited inventory, outdoor sees high clutter—our approach this season with the MS Dhoni Signature Edition from Men of Platinum will hence aim at being more immersive with anamorphic displays and digital screens at strategic locations relevant for the male audience.”

Shantiswarup Panda, Head of Marketing, Indriya ( Part of Aditya Birla group) highlighted the brand’s recent store openings and noted that their campaign approach till now has been focused locally on these cities through a multimedia approach. 

Panda said, “While we do use the traditional mediums like print and outdoor, we also have robust plans for digital platforms, including social media.”

Umesh Bopche, CEO – Experience Commerce and CYLNDR India, believes that jewellery spending is expected to increase this festive season, supported by a 14% growth in gold demand in India during Q4 2023, as reported by the World Gold Council. 

A CRISIL report valued the jewellery market at Rs 5.85 lakh crore in 2023, with projected growth of 10-12% in 2024, fuelled by higher disposable incomes and favourable economic conditions. With key occasions such as Diwali, Dhanteras, and the wedding season, up to 25-30% of annual jewellery sales are expected to occur during this period.

A KPMG India study indicates that Dhanteras consistently sees the highest spike, with gold and diamond purchases increasing by 30-40% during this period. 

Bopche also added that weddings are also set to be a major growth driver in 2024, with jewellery accounting for 15-20% of total wedding budgets. The post-pandemic resurgence in grand celebrations is fueling demand, prompting brands to focus heavily on bridal collections, especially in the October-November window, following successful campaigns by brands like Tanishq and Kalyan Jewellers.

For Kalamandir Jewellers, the primary focus will be wedding jewellery collections, aligning with the wedding season and festive spirit, according to Milan Shah, Director of Kalamandir Jewellers. 

Shah added, “With the combined impact of the wedding jewellery focus, Shruti Haasan's campaign, and festive promotions, an estimated 50% growth in sales during the festive season is achievable, especially with early engagement and aggressive marketing.”

Shah also unveiled that after ‘Saj Dhaj Ke 1.0,’ the brand is gearing up for a second edition with Haasan, aimed at appealing to millennial and Gen Z brides.

He believes that this festive season, diamond, gold and polki jewellery will be all the rage and that brands need to capitalise on the trend of minimalist bridal looks. 

Kalamandir’s outdoor marketing strategy is a mix of hoardings at airport outlets, traffic areas and wedding venues alongside pop-up stores and exhibitions. He added, “We will host on-ground Bridal Mela activations at select locations, creating a festive atmosphere with live bridal showcases, jewellery trials, and special consultation zones. Brides-to-be can experience our bridal collections firsthand and book personalised appointments. These events will also feature photography and videography, capturing the bridal journey to create social media content highlighting real customer experiences.”

The festive motivation that jewellery brands need to address 

Varied motivations play up during the festive season when it comes to acquiring jewellery. 

At Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, a legacy brand known for its intricately designed jewellery, there's equal investment in TV, print, radio and outdoor presence. Further to this, "We are planning to display our creatives and promote through influencer marketing to reach a wider audience and enhance our brand presence in social media," said Amarendran Vummidi, Managing Partner.

"The reduction of custom duties on gold and silver from 15 per cent to 6 per cent and for platinum from 15.5 per cent to 6.4 per cent is having an impact on the prices and that is making things favourable for the domestic consumers. We have stocked enough designs for them as well as the festivities have already begun," said Vummidi.

Martis points out that from a primary driver like adornment to an expression of individuality to a showcase of status and social distinction, there are various motivators for consumers. 

Martis believes that platinum’s degree of exclusivity, status connotations and its triggers and imagery parameters distinguish PGI from playing with the demands of the festive and wedding seasons. 

Shah added that brands need to create a sense of urgency with exclusive limited-time collections and festive promotions to drive immediate action. 

Key trends that add shimmer to jewellery advertising during festivals 

Martis believes that from meaningful collaborations to reimagined traditional designs, the jewellery landscape strives to meet the growing demand for pieces that reflect both individuality and cultural significance. 

She cited the example of Men of Platinum’s association with cricket, as well as Platinum Evara’s collaborations with women who live and work by their own codes of femininity. 

Martis emphasised the importance of storytelling while promoting a jewellery piece and added, “This adds depth to their purchase, transforming jewellery into a symbol of personal milestones, values, or aspirations.”

She believes that capsule collections are a powerful tool to drive consumer interest during peak gifting seasons as they offer consumers a unique, time-sensitive way to celebrate the season. 

A significant trend Martis highlights is the men's category seeing a surge in demand, as consumers increasingly look for ways to add an elevated touch of style to their wardrobes. This trend reflects a broader movement of the growing importance of style-conscious choices among male consumers.

Bopche believes that brands need to imply purpose-driven marketing to align with social causes, as 77% of consumers favour brands that demonstrate a positive societal impact.

Interactive Engagement: Utilise gamification, quizzes, and personalised digital content to actively engage and connect with audiences.

Talking about festive-based narratives, Kalamandir’s Shah added that brands need to capture the festive element with specific collections, offer pre-booking and highlight the heritage aspects of their jewellery line in their communications. 

Mediums that brands aim to address

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools for virtual try-ons are also becoming increasingly popular, enhancing the digital shopping experience. Television advertising will remain effective, particularly during festive prime-time shows, which typically see 20–25% higher engagement rates, keeping it a key medium alongside digital, according to Bopche. 

Dhiraj Khanna, Associate Vice-President, Mudramax, believes that space consumption across medium spikes for the branded jewellery category in Q4, where major festivals are planned. 

Khanna also believes that brands would continue associations with Bollywood celebrities and social media influencers with an enhanced focus on virtual reality in their communications. 

This festive season, PGI’s focus will be on leveraging both traditional and digital mediums to meet consumers at every touchpoint across the discovery-to-purchase journey. The intent is to deploy a mix of assets and mediums towards varied objectives that are critical to us from a full-funnel point of view.

Martis added, “Today’s consumer follows a non-linear purchase journey and media fragmentation is real. That’s why our campaigns will leverage a targeted approach to drive discovery and engagement on platforms where our younger, digital audience is most active.”

She revealed that their media outreach revolves around the focus on awareness building, engagement, credentials, tapping into the right moments of consumption and driving traffic. 

She divulged how festive and marriage seasons coexist in Q4, becoming an ‘action-packed quarter,’ hence driving the need for modern narratives of femininity, individuality and love with Platinum Evara (platinum jewellery for women) and Platinum Love Bands (couple bands) respectively. 

On the other hand, Kalamandir Jewellers’ focus will be on influencer marketing and providing in-store experiences. Shah reasoned, saying, “ While digital platforms attract attention, the in-store experience is critical to conversion, especially for high-ticket items like wedding jewellery. A memorable store experience will distinguish Kalamandir from competitors.”

He added that the brand would host bridal exhibitions and pop-up events across key cities, showcasing the latest bridal and festive collections. 

Shaha also added that this festive season, brands would capitalise on sustainability becoming a critical consumer demand and promote ethically sourced materials, sustainable craftsmanship, and eco-friendly packaging. Brands may emphasise transparency in their supply chain and showcase eco-conscious collections.

Meanwhile, Khanna believes that jewellery brands can stand out in terms of clutter with their festive-based creative promotions. 

He also believes that first preference in terms of inventory service is given to jewellery brands during festive periods, as they also pay a 10 to 20% hike on their signed deals. 

Other ways the incumbent brands stand out from the noise is by associating with awards that hold huge recognition and with World TV Premieres. 

Panda added to the mix and said, “We believe there would be a focus on new-age mediums for a visual category like jewellery.”

Recognising that consumers travel during the festive season, Panda believes it is an additional opportunity to attract customers from outside the brand’s immediate retail areas. 

He added, “Having said that, the plans would largely be limited to where our stores are located while targeting the prospective customers travelling through these cities.”

With above-the-line media, localised alliances, and in-store events, Panda believes that the focus of Indriya is to inundate the audience into getting the ‘Indriya’ experience. 

While many customers may come in for specific items like earrings or bangles, he added that a significant number also opt for complete sets and heavier pieces, which go well with the overall festival look or special occasions like weddings.