In an interesting development, De Beers is apparently also offering a variation of “The Everlon Diamond Knot” – here called “Encordia” – in Asia, under the auspices of Forevermark. See here.
I also received a copy of the agreement that De Beers made the retailers sign, and it shows that the company wants to retain a lot of control over its product, and that it has considerable clout. Among the provisions:
– Retail partner shall obtain Sightholder’s prior written consent before making any statement to the press or issuing any press release or similar publicity in relation to or about the Licensed Products in this Agreement.
– On request from Sightholder, Retailer shall provide Sightholder or [De Beers UK] with access to its Retail Stores during business hours to inspect the Licensed Products and the sales process relating to them;
-Retail Partner shall supply Sightholder and [De Beers UK] with an Advertising Plan within 3 months of the Commencement Date … Within 10 days of receipt of the Advertising Plan, the Retail Partners shall be advised whether it is accepted or rejected.
Now that everyone has had a chance to see Everlon, what do you think?
UPDATE: Regarding my comments on “control,” De Beers spokeswoman Lynette Gould responds: “Obviously we have control over the manner in which De Beers IP is used – the name, logo and design concept etc . We need to do so for the protection of the brand, and on behalf of the participants who have determined that it is worth committing significant amounts of their Q4 marketing budget towards. We are committed to ensuring that the brand idea retains its integrity and appeal to consumers, and is not compromised to the detriment of all parties.”
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