DPA’s Real is Rare Marketing Platform Sparks
The Diamond Producers Association’s (DPA) inaugural paid media campaigns have garnered 1.5 billion media impressions among its target consumer audience – American adults aged 21-34 – during the first 12 months of advertising.
DPA spent $40 million on campaigns in the U.S. between June 2017 and June 2018. Television and digital video (43 percent) and digital and social media (42 percent) were a major focus of investment. Print (10 percent) and strategic out-of-home including cinema (5 percent) rounded out the mix. The media reached 98 percent of its core audience – on average 20 times over the course of the year.
According to an independent, cross-media study by Kantar Millward Brown (KMB), each individual channel played a role in driving positive perceptions of, and affinity for, diamonds. Collectively, sentiments such as favorability, interest in acquisition and love for diamonds increased significantly.
In terms of creative effectiveness, DPA’s latest emotional storytelling assets, “The Other Party” and “Reveal,” generated a significant increase in consideration of diamonds for purchase, as well as favorable opinions of diamonds and love for diamonds. Specific metrics include:
1: Consideration of diamond jewelry purchase (+81 percent vs KMB top 2 box norm), and
2: Campaign likability (+6 points versus KMB norm).
“The creative effectively connected with consumers through emotion-led storytelling that showed diamonds as an authentic symbol of our most precious relationships and meaningful connections,” said Deborah Marquardt, Chief Marketing Officer of DPA.
“We are very pleased with the results, which confirm we are moving the needle on consumer sentiment,” Marquardt said. “We see desire for diamonds improving, with consumers saying that diamonds are the ultimate gift of love, and an important part of rare and special relationships.”
Based on this strong performance, the Board of Directors has demonstrated its commitment to, and enthusiasm for, the platform by raising DPA’s annual global budget to $70 million, of which $50 million is invested in the U.S. in paid media, PR programs, research, education and advocacy initiatives.
DPA will spend roughly $20 million between July – December 2018 on paid media in the U.S. Building on the current momentum, DPA plans to keep the current campaign in-market through the end of Q4 and will debut new campaign assets in late Q3 with female self-purchasers in mind.
Marquardt concluded: “We recognize that we are still in the beginning stage of a long consumer journey. We are learning as we go, and look forward to continued engagement and partnership with the industry and other stakeholders to inform our path forward.”
Two KMB studies were conducted in December 2017-January 2018, with a nationally representative sample among U.S. adults, aged 21-34.
