MARKETING DIAMONDS TO

MILLENNIALS
De Beers Group

Date
About De Beers

✤ Began in 1837, De Beers was

coined as a leading company
involved in diamond
exploration, mining, retailing,
and trading in 2017.

✤ Began in South Africa, and

eventually gain a monopoly on
diamond mining operations in
Africa as well as a large market
share in the diamond trade
market in London, England.
About Diamonds

✤ Best known of these was their

hardness—diamonds scored at
the very top of the scale of
mineral hardness. Along with a
very high refractive index, they
redirect light very well, leading
to their famous sparkle and
shimmer.

✤ Evaluated based on four

characteristics, known as the
“4Cs” of diamonds: their carat,
clarity, cut, and colour
Dark History

✤ In the 1980s, diamonds mined from many countries in Africa

were sold illegally in order to finance wars, leading to
devastating violence and human rights abuses

✤ By the late 1990s, there was increasing coverage of the

horrific violence being funded through sales of conflict
diamonds, and with it, intensifying scrutiny of the diamond
industry.

✤ End consumers weren’t sure whether their diamond

purchase had, for instance, helped finance a warlord’s
activities
Kimberley Process

✤ Imposed a set of verification procedures, and it was

facilitated by cooperation between almost 80
governments as well as non-governmental
organizations

✤ Prior to its implementation, it was estimated that

roughly 25 per cent of diamonds were traded illegally,
whereas in 2014, only 5 to 10 per cent of diamonds
were estimated to be conflict diamonds
Engagement rings

✤ The popularity of giving diamond engagement rings began to grow in

1938, when De Beers initiated a marketing campaign aimed at
persuading consumers that diamond engagement rings were an
indispensable part of deciding to get married, and that diamonds were
the ultimate symbol of love—with the size of the diamond
symbolising and showcasing how much love a future groom had for
his fiancée

✤ By 1941, sales of diamonds had increased by 55 per cent.

✤ The 1947, De Beers’ marketing campaign “A Diamond Is Forever.”

made such a huge impact, that by 1950, diamond rings were a part of
roughly 80 per cent of all engagements in the United States.
Millennial’s Perspective on Diamonds

✤ Between 2009 and 2014, retail sales of diamonds had grown

roughly 7 per cent per year, but estimates of 2015 and
beyond showed growth of just 2 per cent which introduced
questions like whether millennials valued experiences over
physical goods such as diamonds.

✤ One definitive factor that contributed to changing

preferences was millennials’ relatively lower purchasing
power and higher debt levels, partly due to higher education
costs and challenging job markets resulting from the
financial crises of the 2000s
Rise of Alternatives

✤ Owing to concerns related to value, social

responsibility, and individuality, many millennials
considered alternatives to diamonds, including
synthetic diamonds, moissanite, other precious gems,
and second-hand diamonds.

✤ Some of these options had fewer defects than organic

diamonds because they were 99.99 per cent pure
carbon, making them clearer and brighter than real
diamonds
“Real is Rare” Campaign

✤ In the face of changing consumer preferences and ever

more substitutes for diamonds, the DPA launched an
advertising campaign in 2016 with the slogan “Real is
Rare. Real is a Diamond.”

✤ Specifically, the campaign was careful to show how

diamonds could be used to symbolise commitment
even outside of a traditional marriage.