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hey say you can’t judge a book by its cover. For jewellers, the opposite is true. Take the Tiffany blue box, for example – a package as coveted as the diamond ring inside. Good presentation doesn’t just enhance the desirability of a brand or product; it sends a message to customers about style, q uality, innovation, and, most importantly, what’s actually on offer. From refined display cases to funky point-of-sale branding stands, winning window displays and customised boxes, quality jewellery demands quality presentation. Display and packaging is not a cost that can be compromised, argues Kimberley George of Sydney-based Platinum Packaging: “The Australian market requires a face-lift in regard to packaging,” George says. “For many years, jewellers have forgotten the importance of presentation and branding, which should not end at the display in the window but should
Platinum Packaging
42 Jeweller / November 2008
follow the customer into their home.” A specialist in custom packaging, product displays, diamond displays, watch winders and collector cases, Platinum Packaging is one of a plethora of display and packaging suppliers that are significantly expanding presentation options for Australian jewellers. For George, the Platinum message is simple: “How a product is packaged can have a big effect on who buys the product and how it is perceived.” Platinum Packaging offers an all-in-one display and packaging solution that creates a unique and individual identity for the retailer. “We match business colours and branding, which helps jewellers with the overall marketing of their business,” says George. Platinum has produced a variety of custom packaging for a ring of exclusive jewellers, including Gordon Herford Master Jewellers, Victoria Buckley Jewellery, and a new range of packaging for Prouds’ high-end jewellery line. Among Platinum’s hot new display products is a range of hand-made acrylic diamond displays, sold in ten different styles, and able to be customised in-line with a shop’s branding. A new range of display products in Italian suede or leatherette can also be customised for full windows, including “Rome” stands: height-adjustable, ideal for featuring special items of jewellery; and U-shape busts. Display and packaging products in Australia are increasingly dominated by homogenised, mass-produced goods from China and Asia, much of it coming in stock colours. This has ingrained a conservative approach to visual merchandising. “There’s a big demand for traditional black packaging in Australia; it’s quite conservative
compared to the brighter and more dramatic displays overseas,” notes Selwyn Brandt from Sydney’s House of Jewellery, which markets a range of packaging and display wares. According to Brandt, House of Jewellery gives customers an opportunity to mix things up: “We’ve recognised a niche in affordable but exclusive packaging, and offer specialised products that bridge the gap between different materials like timber, leather and cardboard.” Boxes covered in soft leather-look material trimmed with natural timber are one option, while House of Jewellery’s new range of gold or silver cornered boxes will add some “pizzazz” to earring, ring or cufflink cases, says Brandt. “We’ve also recognised that standard cardboard outer sleeves can spoil, and look cheap,” he adds. “So we’ve created a new sleeve covered in the same fabric as the hinged box.” Added to the House of Jewellery packaging range is custom printing and custom fabrics to match store displays, which allow stores to brand their packaging and display with their company logo and create a unique identity. But a long lead-time – three months for printing – and a need to commit to large volumes means customisation has been slow to take off among Australian jewellers already struggling with increased competition and rising costs. Brandt believes that those who do try it might find the competitive advantage they’ve been looking for. High profile jewellery ranges, like charm group Pandora Jewelry, are staking a large part of their retail strategy on branded point-of-sale displays and packaging. Pandora’s stringent visual merchandising model is paying dividends, with their ready-made displays and strategic approach sending a strong, striking message