Poh Heng Jewellery has tapped into the emotions of different age groups to ensure it stays relevant for each new generation of Singaporeans amidst changing preferences and digitally disrupted channels of engagement.

The 70-year-old Singapore retailer’s latest collection, for example, offers a modern take on Peranakan jewellery from the 1940s and the associated “Wear Your Story” marketing campaign celebrates the history of the company – and the city state itself.

Poh Heng dedicates around 45% of its annual marketing budget to branding so it can continue “building greater affinity with loyalists as well as appealing to a new generation of customers”, according to assistant general manager Pamela Seow.

If it is successful in this endeavour, she told WARC, the brand will avoid being perceived by Singaporeans as their “mother’s jeweller”, and instead very much serve as “their jeweller” for today. (For more details, read the full article: How Singapore’s Poh Heng balances legacy and modernity in pursuit of longevity.)

But figuring out the right media mix to reach each of its target audiences with “was a bit of a struggle”, she admitted. “[We had to work out] how much traditional media should we do? How much digital?”

Different channels have different affinity levels with different age groups she pointed out. “For a consumer, the choices and amount of information are endless. But, for an advertiser, it can’t be endless. So therein lies the conundrum.”

An underlying insight that informed its strategy rested on the emotional connection that people have with jewellery.

“Jewellery is not just a commodity, not just a business,” Seow said. “People wear it because it holds some sentimental value to them, tied to a special moment in their lives – be it a wedding or engagement.”

And given that background, purchases always take place in-store where the personal touch is all-important. “Would you buy jewellery from a vending machine?” Seow asked.

Branding, then, is of particular importance for Poh Heng. The brand has a mission to “constantly seek out new opportunities to engage stakeholders to share our brand story and vision, as well as our heritage and values,” said Seow.

Sourced from WARC