DTC ups ad spending by 17%

De Beers� Diamond Trading Company, in conjunction with the JWT advertising agency, has plans to increase media spending by 17% in 2006 over previously proposed plans. �In 2005, diamond sales increased for the tenth consecutive year,� said Richard Lennox, director in charge of the diamond group at JWT. �We recognized that we can grow the market at an even faster rate by increasing the dollars we spend on media exposure.� The holiday advertising campaign will include incremental print efforts for such �staple� diamond pieces as diamond stud earrings, diamond solitaire pendants and diamond line bracelets. There will be a new television spot for the holidays, featuring Journey and three-stone diamond products.

The additional money spent will affect three areas of JWT�s advertising: The launch of the Diamond Trading Company�s �Journey Diamond Jewelry;� continued support of the �proven market drivers� three-stone diamond jewelry and the diamond right-hand ring; and a comprehensive holiday advertising program during the fourth quarter. Moved up from September to August, the launch of Journey Diamond Jewelry will be getting 65% more funding than originally planned. In addition, the Journey launch will now be supported with a 60-second TV spot, as well as two-page spreads in print publications.

The three-stone diamond jewelry category is a $10 billion market, according to JWT. But 87% of U.S. women have yet to receive a piece of three-stone diamond jewelry, so JWT is adding five incremental weeks of the television commercial �Hands� during the summer months, as well as increased print insertions of �Timeline.� The sale of diamond right-hand rings has increased 15% each year since the program�s launch in 2003, JWT says. To boost the growth of this category, members of the trade will be offered an opportunity to participate in an insert in the September fall fashion issue of Lucky Magazine at a discounted rate. JWT is also developing a partnership with Style.com for high-end jewelry retailers to be featured in an integrated program.