UK. Jewellery company HDGroup (formerly Hot Diamonds Group) showed off its rebranding strategy at the TFWA World Exhibition following the hiring of a new creative team.
The company’s exhibition stand served to showcase its new corporate logo and black-themed packaging and advertising images, placing the brand firmly in the fashion category.
The Hot Diamonds brand specialises in sterling silver, 9ct and 18ct gold jewellery with signature white diamonds on each piece. Best-sellers include its charm collection, featuring hundreds of silver charms carrying many different themes, and the Pure fashion collection. The group is also the licensee for Ghost jewellery, recently named UK Jewellery Brand of the Year.
The contemporary new look is boosting the sales figures in the European travel retail channel, according to Regional Manager (Travel Retail) David Butler. “Sales in Europe and the Middle East are up by +65% [this year],” he told The Moodie Report during the Cannes show in November.
Now that the brand has become established in the European market, Hot Diamonds aims to develop its international travel retail business as a gift brand, whether for self-purchase or as a dictated gift.
Special commissions for travel retail
Special commissions are proving popular in the travel retail sector, said Butler, including the company’s recent limited-edition T5 charm, offered as a gwp to celebrate the opening of London Heathrow Terminal 5 earlier this year.
In addition, Dubai Duty Free is about to launch a special Hot Diamonds charm to celebrate the travel retailer’s 25th anniversary on 20 December 2008. This new Dubai Duty Free charm will be available in a numbered edition of 250 pieces.
Butler praised Dubai Duty Free’s sales team, whom he described as “extremely motivated” and highly competitive.
The corporate rebranding, featuring a new HDGroup logo and an all-black concept for both its window-box gift packaging and advertising campaign, is set to roll out in travel retail stores during 2009. It will begin in UK airports from March.
About Hot Diamonds
HDGroup is a leading global jewellery firm co-founded by Managing Director Sanford Simpson in 1986. The Hot Diamonds brand was launched in 2001, crafting sterling silver and gold with brilliant-cut white diamonds. Presented in a luxury jewellery box, each piece is designed to be accessibly priced.
For details, contact HDGroup, PO Box 2113, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0XJ, UK, tel: +44 118 975 3331, fax: +44 118 975 4200 or e-mail david.butler@hdgroup.com Visit www.hdgroup.com
