There is nothing else in the world that connects emotions, memories and moments like diamonds

David Kellie, CEO, Natural Diamond Council (DPA), talks about the reason and timeliness behind the new rebranding strategy, why diamonds will be relevant in connecting people in the near and long-term future, potential plans for the Indian market and more

Why was the decision to rebrand Diamond Producers Association implemented now?

The world was changing even before Coronavirus, fairly dramatically. I started my role back in December 2019. We were already two or three months into this strategy and positioning before Coronavirus. But obviously, the impact of Coronavirus has both accentuated and accelerated in terms of what we were doing. So why did we want to do it? A number of reasons. First of all, we wanted to speak to a younger audience in the major markets in the world, particularly in the U.S.

The average age of the diamond jewellery shopper is in the mid-forties, and there’s a generation of potential consumers that has grown up without having the major advertising campaigns presented to them. Secondly, the tone and the values with which the audience engages has also changed and subjects like sustainability are very strong in the in the minds of these consumers. And finally, this is the Digital Age and in all honesty, it has been slow to evolve into the digital revolution. And we really see the opportunity with this consumer, whether it be through websites, or social media platforms, to develop in the digital world.

For many years now the DPA has built on the ideas ‘Real and Rare’. As part of the new strategy the tagline Real is Rare has been dropped. Does this mean both these words are not relevant anymore?