Diamonds Direct

In a 10 week summer internship with Zimmerman Advertising, I was tasked with creating a 360 campaign for Diamonds Direct, alongside 4 other team members. Our brief objective was to increase foot traffic and build brand awareness.

When looking at the interests of 25-34 year olds (Diamonds Direct’s target audience), we found that they wanted experiences specifically tailored to them. They are the “Made For Me” generation. Some of the most popular brands for this generation, like Dermalogica, Spotify, Duolingo, and more adjust to what the user wants. For this generation, personalization isn’t just preferred, it’s expected.

We compiled a list of their top 10 competitors and did a deep dive into each of their websites. All of them had a customization tab. You don’t need to be a diamond expert to buy a ring, but most shopping experiences assume you are. With competitors offering an average of 84 options across 11 different filters, the process becomes overwhelming, not helpful. Our surveys confirmed it.

After talking further with consumers, we strategized that there needed to be a simplified online process. This would make the engagement ring experiences fun and happy for the consumer.

Insight: Just because it’s custom, doesn’t mean it’s personal.
Hook: Diamonds Direct will put the personal back in personalization.

Every site customizes, but we wanted to position Diamonds Direct to be the first to really Personalize.

The Signature Collection at Diamonds Direct allows consumers to complete an online survey on their website. The questions mostly revolve around the “vibe” of the couple, asking any information that would personalize the couple in order to tailor the right experience for them. In addition, there are questions that focus on the basics of ring styles and allows one to upload inspo photos/ pinterest boards. The user is then directed to an appointment page where they schedule that meeting. All of this information enables a Diamonds Direct Associate to curate a “Signature Collection” of rings for their initial appointment.

We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. We just wanted to make a deeply personal purchase feel approachable and fun. For us, that meant putting personalization first.