KAY Holiday Press Preview Recap

KAY Holiday Preview Event Recap Thursday October 12th, 2023

Event Date: Thursday, October 12th 4PM-6PM Venue: Zero Bond, 0 Bond Street, NY, NY 10012

Overview

Event Overview: KAY hosted a Holiday press preview & cocktail event with drinks and passed bites for media, stylists, influencers, and tastemakers to learn more about KAY Jeweler's offerings and have a tactile experience with the jewelry. A variety of products was displayed covering categories/themes such as women's style, meaningful gifts, LCDs, responsible sourcing/KAY Promise, Every Kiss Campaign, etc. There was a heavy focus in Holiday Gifting, Occasion Dressing and Holiday Proposals.

Featured collections included, but are not limited to, Neil Lane, Monique Lhuillier, The LEO Collection, ReAura Repurposed Gold, Le Vian and Unstoppable Love.

Guests: Media, Influencers, Signet/KAY Staff attended the event.

Total # of social posts: 67 Social Media Impressions: 6.39M+

Guest Attendance: 75+ editors attended the event from outlets such as Vogue, Brides, People, Elle, Cosmopolitan, TODAY, The Knot and more! Members of the KAY/Signet corporate team were also in attendance.

Attendees

Signet Attendance: ❖ Brandy Gadd, Marketing Director at KAY Jewelers ❖ Kaitlyn Quail, Director of Media Relations at KAY Jewelers ❖ Erin Loss, Marketing Innovation Manager at Signet Jewelers ❖ Stephanie Lawler, Vice President of Signet Merchandising ❖ Maie Amer-Guerrera, Vice President Visual Merchandising and In-Store Experience of Signet Jewelers ❖ Lisa Ingram, Vice President of Signet Merchandising ❖ Mikela Boss, Social Media Analyst at KAY Jewelers ❖ Bryan Maiorana, Creative Manager at Signet Jewelers

Attendees

Media Attendance: ❖ AC Magazine – Karen Giberson ❖ Brides – Araziel Jackson ❖ Brides – Corrine-Pierre Louis ❖ Buzzfeed – Samantha Weider ❖ Cosmopolitan/Hearst – Siena Gagliano ❖ ELLE – Alyssa Bailey ❖ Freelance – Ryan Gale ❖ Freelance – Fawnia Soo Hoo ❖ Freelance – Laurie Heifetz ❖ Freelance – Perri Ormont Blumberg ❖ Freelance – Brittany Romano ❖ Freelance – PJ Gach ❖ National Jeweler – Lauren Mclemore ❖ National Jeweler – Lenore Fedow ❖ National Jeweler – Michelle Graff ❖ New York Post – Sophie Cannon ❖ Page Six – Margaret Abrams ❖ Paper Magazine – Mickey Boardman ❖ Paper Magazine – Jamie Granoff

❖ People – Karli Bendlin ❖ Pioneer Woman – Belle Baskt ❖ Resident Magazine – Hillary Latos ❖ Style Caster – Kaili Miller ❖ The Knot – Sarah Hanlon ❖ The New York Times – Ilana Kaplan ❖ Today – Audrey Eckman ❖ Today – Jannely Espinal ❖ Today – Kristen Granero ❖ Today – Lauren Witonsky ❖ Travel + Leisure – Lizzie Rhodes ❖ Urban Milan – Rachel Kapur ❖ Vogue – Jasmine Contomichalos ❖ Vogue – Laniya Harris-Pringle ❖ Vogue - Mekaylah Yowpp-Hernacki ❖ W Magazine – Joane Amay

Attendees

Influencer Attendance: ❖ Ana Tess - 57K Followers ❖ Carson Light - 37.5K Followers ❖ Cashay Proudfoot - 356K Followers ❖ Christine Abraham – 963.6K Followers ❖ Darcy Miller - 101K Followers ❖ Emira D'Spain – 1.3M Followers ❖ Jeanne Gray – 98.5K Followers ❖ Jelena Weir - 434K Followers ❖ Kimberly Weling – 9.5K Followers ❖ Klea - 41K Followers

❖ Lalia ElNagger – 297.1K Followers ❖ Lexi Robertson – 3.6K Followers ❖ Luca Monet - 335K Followers ❖ Madison Richter – 24.3K Followers ❖ Maya Litvosky - 65K Followers ❖ Melissa Vale - 244K Followers ❖ Sarah Hamrick – 82.6K Followers ❖ Shannon Zhao – 230.6K Followers ❖ Stephanie R. - 66.8K Followers ❖ Tyra Fisher – 10.9K Followers

❖ To kick off the Holiday season, guests were given a first look at exclusive collections and greatest gifts to give from KAY Jewelers! The collections were on display while guests interacted with each other and Signet/KAY executives. ❖ There were display tables located throughout the space. Each table was dedicated to its own collection/theme and featured the newest and latest collections. The displays highlighted Le Vian, Monique Lhuillier Bliss, the LEO collections, Neil Lane, Reaura Repurposed Gold, Engagement and Wedding Jewelry, Lab-Created Diamonds, High Jewelry, Great Gifts to Give, and Yellow Gold pieces.

Ambiance

❖ The KAY services team was set-up in the first half of the room so it was the first section guests saw when they entered the space. Guests were able to get educated on the variety of services that KAY offers. As a gift, guests had the opportunity to observe and receive a personalized pendant.

❖ White and silver added a Winter Wonderland element to the space while a beautiful frosted Christmas tree provided a photo op for guests accented by a KAY Logo to the right of it. ❖ A pianist played holiday music and top hits while singing along. ❖ The new Every Kiss commercial played on loop on a large screen for guests to view. ❖ Passed bites and cocktails were served. ❖ Guests were also able to walk away with a St. Jude plush toy that was perfectly placed under the tree. For each guest, a donation was made in their name to help the children and families of St. Jude.

Images

Images

Editor Social Media Posts 6.39M+ Total Impressions

Social Posts

@itsbrittanyromano 2.6K Followers

@itsbrittanyromano 2.6K Followers

@thetravelprose 2.2K Followers

@thetravelprose 2.2K Followers

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@Sam_wieder 1.4K Followers

@sienagagliano 4.2K Followers

@lauren_mclemore 2.1K Followers

@maragetabrams 1.9K Followers

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@Lenore_fedow 863 Followers

@Lenore_fedow 863 Followers

@Lenore_fedow 863 Followers

@sarahhanlon_ 1.5K Followers

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@ana.tess 58.2K Followers

@ana.tess 58.2K Followers

@ana.tess 58.2K Followers

@ana.tess 58.2K Followers

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@cashayproudfoot 356K Followers

@cashayproudfoot 356K Followers

@cashayproudfoot 356K Followers

@cashayproudfoot 356K Followers

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@xoxoemira 113K Followers

@xoxoemira 113K Followers

@xoxoemira 113K Followers

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@thechristinebuzan 571K Followers

@thechristinebuzan 571K Followers

@thechristinebuzan 571K Followers

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@kleamxo 17K Followers

@kleamxo 17K Followers

@laila_elnagger 111K Followers

@laila_elnagger 111K Followers

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@mayalitovsky 65K Followers

@mayalitovsky 65K Followers

@mayalitovsky 65K Followers

@mayalitovsky 65K Followers

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@hopeannwilliams 9.3K Followers

@hopeannwilliams 9.3K Followers

@hopeannwilliams 9.3K Followers

@hopeannwilliams 9.3K Followers

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@lexirobertson_ 3.6K Followers

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@lexirobertson_ 3.6K Followers

@lexirobertson_ 3.6K Followers

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@melissadvale 244K Followers

@melissadvale 244K Followers

@melissadvale 244K Followers

@melissadvale 244K Followers

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@tyra_fisher 8K Followers

@tyra_fisher 8K Followers

@tyra_fisher 8K Followers

@tyra_fisher 8K Followers

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@carson_light 30.2K Followers

@carson_light 30.2K Followers

@christineabraham 127K Followers

@vinrip 3.4K Followers

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@ryanschocket 4.8K Followers

@ryanschocket 4.8K Followers

@ryanschocket 4.8K Followers

@simplicatedsteph 70.2K Followers

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@sarahahamrick 82.6K Followers

@sarahahamrick 82.6K Followers

@sarahahamrick 82.6K Followers

Editor Favorites

Editor Favorites

Overall ❖ The choice to have the event at Zero Bond was very well received by guests and got many compliments. Many guests were excited for the chance to visit Zero Bond as it is a private members-only club and you must be invited to visit.

❖ Guests adored all the jewelry and collections shown. They thought the collections were beautiful and many mentioned they will keep it in mind for upcoming holiday gift guide stories.

Feedback

❖ The overall sentiment of the event and collections was very positive. The displays allowed editors to view and photograph the collections up close so they could see the beauty and craftsmanship of KAY's pieces. ❖ Many guests enjoyed physically interacting with the pieces and trying them on, particularly with the necklaces, engagement rings, and wedding bands.

❖ Guests found the event very social media friendly as they were eager to take photos of the Christmas tree, jewelry displays, and overall event. Some guests did live vlogs while others interviewed the KAY staff for soundbites of the new collections. There were a total of 67 social media posts, with almost every guest posting the Christmas tree with shots of the KAY logo.

Brides, Araziel Jackson + Corinne Pierre-Louis ❖ The Brides was very happy to attend the event. They thought it was beautifully thrown and their favorite pieces were from the high-jewelry collection. Corinne came all the way from LA to cover bridal market and loves partnering with the KAY brand. She said she'll support us and include Monique and Neil as experts in upcoming trend stories and can include new collection drops in her monthly round-ups.

Media Feedback

ELLE, Alyssa Bailey ❖ Alyssa attended the event in the Spring and was happy to see KAY continue to share its latest products through a press preview. She primarily works on celebrity stories so would like to do a story the next time KAY has a meaningful partnership with a VIP.

Freelance (Bustle, Nylon), Ryan Gale ❖ Ryan was super excited to personalize a pendant for her nephew! She couldn't wait to gift it to him when he's born in November! Ryan was obsessed with the Monique Lhuillier Bliss Black Diamond pieces. She said she is the type of person who would love to receive a black diamond for her engagement ring. She also found the story behind the Reaura collection exciting. Ryan was intrigued on how lab-created diamonds and mined diamonds look so similar – she couldn’t tell the difference!

Freelance (Teen Vogue, Golf Digest), Brittany Romano ❖ Brittany loved the overall vibe of the event. She found it to be the "perfect start to the holiday season." She thought the tree was fabulous and loved the location of the event!

Freelance (NY Post, WSJ, Today), Perri O. Blumberg ❖ Perri raved how KAY always puts on such fun events! She found the lab-created pieces to be fascinating and asked questions surrounding its trend right now. Perri also admired the Neil Lane Artistry collection and thought it was a great addition to the Neil Lane Collection. She expressed that she will keep the brand in mind for any upcoming gift guide, specifically for men's jewelry stories.

Freelance (The Spy + Today), PJ Gach ❖ PJ focuses a lot on watch and jewelry stories so was happy to stop by during a busy bridal market to see the latest gifts to give for the holiday season. We will follow-up with PJ about a watch story to see if we can get one of KAY's watches on one of her listicles.

Media Feedback

National Jeweler, Lenore Fedow, Lauren Mclemore, Michelle Graff ❖ The National Jeweler team introduced us to their new team member, Lauren Mclemore, who will help them cover jewelry news. She is taking Brecken's previous role. The team is always supportive of Signet/KAY and may be interested in covering upcoming launches such as the Monique Lhuilllier BLISS Lab-Created Diamonds collection and Reaura collection.

New York Post, Sophie Cannon ❖ Sophie had a great time at the event and was especially impressed by the set-up, jewelry options, engraving station and the location! Due to everything going on in the world, she had refrained from attending many events but made it a point to come to our event because she loves the events that KAY and Lividini & Co. throw. Sophie said she just switched to a new department where she's covering more business news and brand partnerships for the NY Post.

Paper, Mickey Boardman ❖ Mickey Boardman is a writer and socialite extraordinaire, known for his bold style.

The dress code was sparkle and sequin so he made sure to show up in sequin shirt and a statement necklace. He walked through the collections and was impressed with the crowd. We will keep in touch with Mickey to see if there is a meaningful way to collaborate.

Media Feedback

People, Karli Bendlin ❖ Karli loved viewing the jewelry display, especially the Neil Lane Artistry collection. She tried multiple engagement rings on and even sent a photo to her boyfriend! Karli also loved the Le Vian collection and loved the pops of color in each piece. She also mentioned that the men's chains could be worn by women and that she would personally wear them herself.

Pioneer Woman, Belle Baskt ❖ Belle mentioned she loves coming to KAY events. She said the events are always so much fun and the jewelry is always so "magical". While she has already wrapped up her holiday gift guides for the year, she said she will keep the brand in mind for the Spring stories she is currently working on.

Resident Magazine, Hillary Latos ❖ Hillary loved attending the event and had a great time perusing the jewelry. She said that she'll keep KAY in mind for the next cover shoot she does and will call in jewelry. Resident Magazine is a publication targeted for affluent individuals so they always have a notable person on the cover and like larger-carat items. The high jewelry collection would be a perfect fit!

The New York Times, Ilana Kaplan ❖ The New York Times loved that the event was held at Zero Bond. It was truly elevated for a brand like KAY Jewelers and she hopes to attend more of KAY's events in the future. She liked the high jewelry collection and wants to be kept posted on any movements for the brand.

Media Feedback

TODAY, Audrey Ekman, Jannely Espinal, Kristin Granero + Lauren Witonsky ❖ The TODAY show showed up in full force from the SEO team and SHOP Today team all showing up.

They were sharing that they like to do gift guides that feature items under $150 and $100 as that's a sweet spot for their readers. Additionally, they will be pitching an LCD story to the editor as we come to proposal season and will keep us in mind for expert quotes and product. We will be meeting with the team in November to see how we can continue to work with the team further.

Travel + Leisure, Elizabeth Rhodes ❖ This was Elizabeth's first time attending a KAY event. She loved the Christmas tree and even had the photographer take photos of her! She also enjoyed learning more about the different KAY collection, specifically the Lab-Created pieces. She found the Toi et Moi pieces so beautiful and loved the Neil Lane Artistry collection. She also watched the Every Kiss campaign and admired KAY new approach to connect with consumers.

The Knot, Sarah Hanlon ❖ Sarah Hanlon liked seeing all the beautiful jewelry on display and shared that The Knot would be releasing their new wedding guide with metrics about engagements and rings soon.

They will continue to keep Signet/KAY in mind for expert quotes as they don't do collection and designer spotlights anymore. If we have any celebrity news coming up in regards to partnerships, please let her know as she'd like to cover.

Media Feedback

Vogue, Lanyia Harris-Pringle + Mekaylah Yowpp-Hernacki ❖ Vogue really liked the customization section, particularly for Mekaylah because her name is spelled in such a unique way. She also liked the Reaura collection because it was responsibly sourced and spoke to the circular economy.

W Magazine, Joane Amay ❖ Joane was happy to attend the event and really enjoyed the story behind the Reaura collection.

She also liked the customization station and the different ways to make a meaningful gift. She got an engraved necklace for her daughter. Joane said they are closing the winter issue of W at the end of the month and will continue to keep the brand in mind for opportunities of how KAY could fit, although advertisers are always a priority. The event also reminded Joane that KAY worked with Neil Lane as she had forgotten.

❖ Having an in-person event that was dedicated to KAY was really beneficial as it helped educate editors to further show the breadth of product that KAY had to offer. It helped remind the editors of the key KAY collections such as Le Vian, Monique Lhuillier Bliss, and Neil Lane. ❖ Hosting the event at a desirable venue was huge benefit because it helped lock in attendance.

Many commented that this was the only way they could get into Zero Bond so that was extra motivation to come.

Key Learnings

❖ The personal engraving was a huge hit! Editors loved the idea of getting a pendant personalized for themselves or give as a gift. The price point was also very favorable as a good gift to give. The displays were also impressive to guests so they could see the different ways pieces could be accessorized. ❖ L&Co. recommends working with visuals as far ahead as possible to confirm the design, layout, components, rentals, and lights so that the day of set-up is quick and easily executed. ❖ The live music was a nice touch that was enjoyed by all. It helped elevate the event and really provided a beautiful backdrop to an already amazing preview. ❖ The KAY and L&Co. teams worked together to buy lighting components, frames, and acrylic social media signs that could be reused at future events. This will be great to use for the next event.

Thank You!