A marriage made in business was celebrated on Wednesday morning during a presentation co-hosted by Jeff Jaffe, president of Harold Jaffe Jewelers, Toledo, Ohio, and Ellen Fruchtman, president of Fruchtman Marketing, also in Toledo.

The pair teamed up several years ago when Jaffe asked Fruchtman to be his store’s marketing company. Jaffe and Fruchtman instructed jewelers on the finer points of establishing marketing programs.

After a brand image is established and agreed upon, budgets are set. According to Fruchtman (and data from the American Marketing Association), jewelers are spending 5%-8% of total sales annually on marketing. “Remember that you can’t be all things to all people,” said Fruchtman, who advised choosing one primary audience.

Jaffe talked about a special challenge his store faced: attracting younger clients to his store while retaining existing “grande dame” older customers. So Fruchtman helped Jaffe identify his store’s strength—being a brand in Toledo. First, Fruchtman altered a musical jingle that had aired for years and was familiar to many in the marketplace.

Next, she created a series of televisions ads (a new medium for Jaffe) that delivered short messages only—no jewelry was shown—against a black background while the new tune played. These spots strengthened Harold Jaffe Jewelers’ position as a brand in the community, appealing to new, youthful clients while not offending longtime customers. “People want to come back to brands because they feel like old friends,” said Fruchtman.

Jaffe is very pleased with the results of his new campaign. Sometimes the ad messages appeal to emotion, and sometimes they’re humorous. But one lesson is certain: “You’ll see double-digit increases in sales, but results don’t happen overnight,” he said. Meanwhile, Fruchtman advised jewelers to “get emotional” and offered these suggestions:

* Suggest superiority when it can’t be proven.
* Reward people for listening.
* Maintain interest when features and benefits are well known.
* Develop an appealing brand identity.
* Help sell products.

Fruchtman also advised jewelers to go for the “prestige” ad medium, which is television. Other tips included not switching back and forth between different types of media, staying in one place a while so people get to know you, and sticking with a consistent, effective look in advertising. And while many jewelers typically increase advertising before key holiday seasons, Jaffe urged jewelers to space out ads evenly throughout the year for more impact.

“While brand building takes a clearly defined image, emotional appeal, and repetition, it’s also the first step toward long-term success,” Fruchtman said.

JCK