New stepping stones for a new future: Forevermark sets a virtual benchmark

The pandemic, which has torn through the world, has had a severe impact on all industries, but there has also been a flip side to it. Technology has made leaps and bounds as man tried to adjust to the new normal. Forevermark, world’s first natural diamond brand, has adapted to this revolution like no other. Under the theme ‘Spark a more meaningful tomorrow’, it set up a virtual platform for leaders and stakeholders of the industry to learn from and adapt to. This year, the ninth Forevermark Forum’s one-of-its-kind virtual platform witnessed close to 8,400 visitors from all parts of the world.

“Our today is setting a foundation for a very deep and meaningful tomorrow. Covid has done nothing but accelerate our technological strategies which we had planned for the future,” said Sachin Jain, managing director of De Beers India, in his introductory statement of the virtual walkthrough. The Forevermark forum is a perfect ideation of the technologically connected future that lies ahead for us. While artificial intelligence and predictive learning were a talk for tomorrow, with facets like interactive window displays that gauge the customer moods and suggest jewellery suiting their demand without human interaction, virtual jewellery try-on etc, De Beers/Forevermark is innovating for today. It does not stop there. With segments like the Gamification zone, 2020 trends and red carpet, and Artemis, the Forum ensured that participants don’t experience any digital fatigue or overdose.

With an all-in approach on digital innovation, the diamond giant has launched its virtual Forevermark store. Nancy Liu the CEO of Forevermark, strongly believes that diamonds are intrinsically woven into the rituals, festivals, traditions and daily lives of Indians. She said, “Looking at the woven rituals and the market-trend data, we strongly consider India as a key, strategic market. And now, especially with people being at home, we are expecting to see a surge in e-commerce sale.”

Further, to attract consumers on sentimental value, Forevermark will be soon launching two new jewellery lines – the Tribute and Icon collection — in September. Tribute enables women to design their own collection, while Icon intends to hold the main campaign for the Forevermark brand between October and December. The agenda is clear: India is to become the trendsetter. Jain said, “The world has now started accepting the creativity of India even more, so we urge our partners to celebrate what they hold expertise in.”

Covid has altered consumer perspective. People have started valuing near and dear ones more than ever. Stephen Lussier, the chairman of Forevermark, believes that this sentiment can act as a booster for sales. “Looking at the consumer behaviour in the countries that have reopened like China and US., there is a strong chance at recovery, because people are buying diamonds for their loved ones, to show their lasting care with an enduring gift,” he said.

Through the virtual event which stretched across three-days, the diamond magnate has laid the foundation for a technology-oriented future. It has set a benchmark for the industry and given a peek into what the future holds in terms of design, the medium of delivery and customer expectations. Digital sustainability and innovation are going to be the all-in-all of customer experience and expectation.

Courtesy: Retail Jeweller India News Service.