Diamond jewelry is the ultimate adornment for a woman or even a
man. It is something which takes us beyond the realm of time.
Diamond jewelry is a timeless classic adornment, which can never
go out of style and will always be looked up amongst all kinds
of jewelry.
In buying diamond jewelry it is important to keep some factors
in mind. The diamond history, diamond shape (Diamonds come in
more shapes than any other gem. Diamond jewelry with spectacular
center pieces are available in round, emerald cut, heart,
marquise, oval, pear, princess, radiant, and trillion. Diamonds
as accents are usually found in small round shapes and
baguettes. Popular earrings are usually round or princess cut,
though some may come in fancier shapes),
Diamond settings (such as bar, bezel, channel, chevron,
invisible, pave, and prongs), diamond carats (The unit used to
measure the size and weight of loose diamonds), diamond clarity
(Clarity is the clearness of a diamond. The most valued diamonds
are the clearest. When shopping for a diamond, look for diamonds
with grades from FL to SI2. Stones from VS1 to S2 are the best
value because they are lower in price without too many
inclusions.)
Diamond color (Diamonds that are colorless or near colorless are
the most prized.) And diamond cut (The diamond cut determines
the brilliance of the diamonds. If a diamond is poorly cut, the
light is lost through the sides and bottom of the diamond and
there will be no radiance)
Diamonds are more commonly found in certain shapes; baguette,
emerald, heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess, radiant, round
and trillion. The most popular diamond shape has been the round
brilliant because people believed it to be an “ideal cut” that
displayed the most brilliance and sparkle in a diamond. The
design also allows it to hide flaws and imperfections. However,
new technology has made other shapes just as brilliant, such as
the princess cut and trilliant cut. Today, there is no such
thing as an “ideal cut” when it comes to diamond jewelry.
In diamond jewelry, the diamonds are set in different kinds of
settings. Some of these kinds of settings commonly used in
diamond jewelry are-
- Bar: Metal bars hold the loose diamonds in a channel-like
setting.
- Bezel: The metal is formed to fit around the diamond, cupping
it into place.
- Channel: A row of small diamond stones are set in a groove in
the diamond rings.
- Chevron: V-shaped prongs that usually hold a marquise or
princess-cut diamond for solitaire style rings.
- Invisible: Diamond set in a groove without visible prongs.
- Pave: Tiny stones are embedded to look like the piece is paved
with loose diamonds.
- Prong: Several prongs hold the diamonds to let light pass
through without interference.
Though diamond jewelry is made of diamonds, which is one of
strongest materials on earth, a hard blow can cause the diamond
to chip. If proper care is taken then the diamond jewelry can
last a lifetime. To clean diamond jewelry, use water and a
little bit of ammonia with a gentle brush while being careful of
the metal. Also keep it away from lotion, perspiration and other
household cleaners. These items can dull the surface of the
stones. Store your diamond jewelry separated with paper or bags,
so they do not scratch or dull each other. It’s also wise to
keep the diamond jewelry in its original velvet box.
One of the challenges facing marketers is determining the most effective level of advertising exposure for a brand, while maintaining a given budget. Conceptually, the media planner could choose continuous advertising (even exposures spread over a period of time) or follow a strategy of pulsing (”on” for some months and “off” for others). The decision is important because the wrong one will considerably affect customer response. When advertisements are run at a low frequency (very few times), they run a risk of going unnoticed. The first time customers view an advertisement, a majority of the time, the message doesn’t even process in their minds. On the other hand, when an advertisement is run at a high frequency, advertising wearout may occur. Therefore, the task at hand is finding just the right frequency for a positive response.
Overly repetitive messages typically have a negative effect on customer attitudes as they relate to a brand. Advertising wearout occurs when, at some level of repetition, the customer’s affective response is either no longer positive or shows a significant decline. Advertising wearout is the result of excessive frequency causing viewers to perceive there’s nothing new to be gained from processing the advertisement, thereby withdrawing attention. That’s assuming all possible customers view every exposure, which is unrealistic. Not every customer will see every rotation. That’s why it becomes difficult to find the optimal level of exposure. Media planners must remember that not every rotation is seen by all customers.
Wearout can also be a hazard, causing negative customer attitudes. Aggressively communicating with your customers doesn’t always lead to poor or deteriorating relationships. But unless media’s carefully planned and executed, it may ruin the opportunity to build long-term customer equity. So, the question is “How do marketers solve the puzzle of how frequently to expose their advertisements?” First, we have to address the issue of wearout. To avoid wearout, marketers frequently develop and rotate a pool of advertisements that employ different executions but convey the same basic message and claims. These executions typically share a number of common features, such as brand name, logo, tag line and general layout, while other features such as headline, copy and graphic elements are varied. The logic is that by introducing ample variations in advertising executions, the onset of wearout will be delayed. At the same time, the continued use of certain features of the advertisement across executions establishes consistency and presumably builds brand recognition or equity.
To understand why wearout occurs, scientists studied the brain to understand cognitive thinking and responses to these situations. They found the brain tends to ignore an object or theme that’s repeated too many times. Essentially, most communication works by triggering memories. Old images or concepts are associated with something in the advertisement, recognizing elements as familiar. In the process, something new may be introduced and the brain links it with the old. When something new or unknown to a customer is presented to the brain for processing it evaluates: a) whether it is new and b) whether it corresponds to prior experience, knowledge and beliefs. The familiar portion of the advertisement is treated more casually. The brain recognizes it and spends less time evaluating its validity. It’s interpreted as given. To that end, marketers should change portions of advertisements to keep customers interested.
Of course, when considering advertising wearout, we must consider that each situation, product, market, and many other characteristics are always variable factors that can’t be conformed to an “advertising mold.” Each situation must be dealt with differently. Radio, television and print media wearout at different levels; print media tends to wearout more quickly than more entertaining forms of media such as television. For example, which would you rather do, watch a commercial over and over, or read an article over and over? Obviously the stimulation that occurs with entertaining commercials will bring customers back more easily than a newspaper or magazine article.
The best way for marketers to fend off wearout is to rotate variations in theme with different executions of the same message strategy.
Regarding low frequencies, the question remains, “What isn’t enough?” That’s also dependent on the situation, but budget allowing, multiple exposures are more effective than one or a few. Media schedules are based on budgets and demographics. When selling products to the elderly, a low frequency will generally suffice. As for teens, the higher the frequency the better. Business-to-business typically requires higher frequency, as well. Simply put, the shorter the attention span of the customer, the more exposures necessary to break through.
There’s no finite answer to the question of advertising wearout. The most important variables in deciding the optimal frequency are an understanding of the customer, rotating different advertisements, and keeping the customer’s attention. There are rewards in reminding the consumer about the attributes of a brand. Reinforcement and refreshment of existing attribute, without wearing out the message, is a primary goal of advertising.
Mark Levit is managing partner of Partners & Levit Advertising New York and a professor of marketing at New York University. For more information visit http://www.partnerslevit.com or call
212-696-1200.
