Customers are photographed in-store, wearing the brand’s jewellery, and the images are put up on billboards. For many participants, appearing on a hoarding in their own city is a rare experience, and that has helped the campaign stand out
Nagpur: Rokde Jewellers has launched the fifth season of its annual ‘Happy Customer Campaign’, an in-house marketing property that turns customers into visible faces of the brand. The idea is straightforward but unusual for a regional jewellery retailer: carry out a photoshoot of real customers at the store, style them in the brand’s jewellery and feature their images on billboards across the city. The campaign has become a distinctive feature of the jeweller’s brand-building strategy in Nagpur and the wider Vidarbha market.
Each edition of the campaign is structured around a specific theme. Previous seasons have highlighted newly-wed couples and families spanning three generations who all shop with Rokde Jewellers. In the current season, 80+ customers have been selected under the theme ‘Together Forever’ which focuses on bonds such as siblings, couples, friends and families.
Each season typically runs for 45 to 60 days. The campaign is amplified across multiple media: large-format billboards remain the core, supported by digital communication, print exposure and promotions on all major radio stations in the city. Over five seasons, the ‘Happy Customer Campaign’ has become a brand asset, reinforcing Rokde Jewellers’ positioning as a jeweller that literally puts its customers at the centre of its universe.
The entire exercise is handled by Rokde Jewellers’ in-house team. “There are no professional models, no professional set-ups or photographers,” said Paras Rokde, Director, Rokde Jewellers. “We do the photoshoot of our customers in-store wearing our jewellery and put those images on billboards, which for a normal middle-class person is a very big thing.” He added that for many participants, appearing on a hoarding in their own city is a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”, and that has helped the campaign stand out.
The first season of the ‘Happy Customer Campaign’ drew strong appreciation from Nagpur and adjoining cities, and the idea has since travelled beyond the local market. According to Rokde, the campaign has been noticed by jewellers and marketing agencies across India, including larger firms that have reached out to understand the idea behind the concept.
From a marketing perspective, Rokde Jewellers classifies this as an awareness campaign rather than a tactical, sales-led activity. The focus is not on immediate revenue but on sustained recall. “This is an awareness campaign. We don’t look for direct revenue, but over six to eight months, we see more people talk about the campaign and about us,” Rokde explained. “Hence, whenever the term jewellery comes up, many people in our market now think of us first.”
The selection process for participants has also changed as the campaign has matured. In the first season, the jeweller worked with a list of around 50 regular customers whose names were recommended by staff. As the visibility of the initiative grew, more people began actively seeking a place on the billboards. Second and third season onwards, the brand started inviting formal applications, opening a 15-20-day window once the campaign is announced on social media and other platforms.
Applicants are shortlisted on the basis of several parameters, including how long they have been shopping with Rokde Jewellers, how frequently they visit and how often they have transacted. The mix includes customers who have been associated with the brand for as little as six months as well as those who have been visiting for six, 10 or even 20 years. The opportunity is open to anyone with whom the jeweller has built a rapport.
With a family legacy of over a century in business, Rokde Jewellers is one of the top jewellery retailers in Nagpur. It has six stores in the city of Nagpur and one in Bhandara.
Written by Aparna Bhowmick
Retail Jeweller India Exclusive
