In conversation with Jennifer Pandya, Social Samosa decodes how CaratLane’s marketing aims at celebrating micro occasions and is finding newer audiences with new product launches.
Not very long ago, ads in the jewellery industry largely targeted brides and their families. Due to this, a lot of the consumer base was omitted from the brand communication and their sales.
Today, the jewellery market in India is arching towards the idea of coming out of the lockers and moving into the consumer’s wardrobe by introducing finer and daily wear jewellery. This change has given rise to the legacy brands like TBZ, Tanishq, Amrapali and A.S. Motiwala among others launching affordable and fine jewellery product lines and brands.
Jennifer Pandya
CaratLane is one such brand that has been adapting to these changing consumer patterns. Talking about how the brand is changing their narrative, Jennifer Pandya, VP - Marketing CaratLane told Social Samosa, “Jewellery was a sector where brands sold designs. CaratLane realized that customers want more than that, and now the brand's purpose is all about helping them express emotions, and that is what we are striving towards."
This has led to a marketing strategy that talks about trends and targets young consumers.
CaratLane’s omnichannel marketing strategy
Evolving with changing times…
The brand’s communication now focuses on celebrating ‘micro occasions’ and pushing the audience to move beyond ‘special occasions’ to spend on jewellery.
Their ongoing campaign titled #MyFirstSalary shares a take on how first salaries are equally celebratory and can be used to buy jewellery and gift your loved ones.
The brand’s Valentine's Day campaign went beyond the traditional emphasis on ‘romantic’ relationships and instead celebrated the idea of gift-giving in various relationships like father-daughter and mother-son dynamics. The campaign also normalised a wife gifting jewellery to her husband, expanding the idea of gift-giving.
Pandya said, "CaratLane has evolved from being just a jewellery brand, to a brand that aims to help people express emotions and redefine occasions and relationships when it comes to the jewellery space in India."
Connecting with the new audience
According to a recent survey conducted on changing jewellery preferences among Indian consumers, more than 90% of buyers prefer to buy trendier, fashionable and uniquely designed gold jewellery over traditional and conventional pieces.
This observation is visible and reflected in CaratLane’s catalogue as well.
Limited-edition collabs
Apart from contemporary design choices, the brand has a history of coming out with limited-edition products. The idea behind these limited-edition collaborations is to leverage the other brand’s strengths and attract a set of audiences that wouldn’t traditionally be inclined to spend on jewellery.
Their latest collection was a partnership with Warner Bros. where they launched a Harry Potter theme line of products.
Pandya mentioned, “With the Harry Potter X CaratLane collection, we aimed at segueing into the teenage and early 20s segment.”
Previously the brand has launched a number of collaborations with popular cartoon characters like Doremon, Minions, and Dora the Explorer that opened the brand to pre-teens and widened their TG.
To further expand their target audience, CaratLane is also trying to offer products in the lower range.
Jennifer Pandya explained how the brand uses design innovations like hollowed-out bangles to lower their product prices, attracting more customers to the brand.
Another marketing strategy the brand has adopted is being available on a pin-code level.
Pandya pointed out that though the brand has a heavy footprint on digital channels and usually their audience discovers them through digital means, the brand’s 200+ stores have been a connecting medium for the consumers.
Social Media Connect
CaratLane as a brand, despite being omnichannel, focuses heavily on digital penetration, and the brand’s social media game goes beyond one channel. The brand’s Instagram page witnesses the most engagement.
Apart from that, the brand has a presence on YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest as well. A report shows that 80% of Pinterest users discover new brands on the platform. Being a design-centric brand, CaratLane uses Pinterest to engage with audiences looking for new ideas.
The brand uses their LinkedIn page to further the organisation’s ethics and concentrates on the employee’s journey.
#MyCaratLaneStory
The brand’s Instagram page has a concept called "MyCaratLaneStory" that is used as a tool to engage and connect with their customers on a deeper level.
The brand encourages customers to share their unique stories and experiences with their jewellery purchases, which are then featured on their page. Through this, the brand also taps into UGC.
CaratLane collaborates with brands that complement their offerings but cater to a different customer base. Recently for their First Salary campaign, the brand joined hands with various brands like MakeMyTrip, Meesho and more in order to showcase how these brands celebrate first salaries, just like CaratLane does.
CaratLane chooses a specific category of influencers to showcase their products. These influencers showcase CaratLane's jewellery in their posts, stories, and videos, creating visually appealing and engaging content.
Pandya elaborated, "These influencers give a freshness to the overall brand. Through these influencers, the consumers look at us as a styling brand rather than just a jewellery brand."
To retain consumers and build brand loyalty the brand’s campaigns highlight the 15-day exchange policy and considering consumer needs, the brand has a ‘Try at home’ service in place.
Catering to the new age consumers, CaratLane has been actively introducing new purchase points and gifting occasions. The brand is also attempting to integrate itself into the daily life of the consumers. With content playing an integral role, CaratLane's marketing strategy is working towards creating a shift in approach towards jewellery.
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