Call for Entries-the Spectrum Awards

Define Greatness. Enter Now.
The American Gem Trade Association is commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the AGTA Spectrum Awards™. Entries due September 26, 2008.

Design in Color.
The AGTA Spectrum Awards™ recognizes outstanding jewelry design and lapidary arts.

Set the Standard.
Winners set the standards of excellence in the industry and create the trends of tomorrow.

Become an AGTA Member.
Receive a free entry in the 2009 AGTA Spectrum Awards™. Simply complete an AGTA application for Membership and your first entry into the Spectrum Awards will be free! That is a $175 value. (Applicants must meet the requirements for Membership and payment must be received in full.)

The AGTA Spectrum Awards™, considered the most respected and prestigious creative award for the design industry, has been honoring artistic excellence for over two decades.

One of AGTA's biggest contributions in the promotion of color has come from its AGTA Spectrum Awards™ and Cutting Edge Awards competitions, launched in 1984 and 1991, respectively. Spectrum recognizes the innovative use of natural gemstones and cultured pearls in finished fine jewelry design. Cutting Edge honors creativity in lapidary arts, including faceted gems and pearls, carvings, and objects of art. AGTA promotes both collections in the media on the trade and consumer levels.

Gifted Communications Blog-great resource for the new and seasoned jewelry artist/designer

I subscribe to the Gift List Media Newsletter and have found it to be a golden nugget in my e-mail inbox! It also reminded me that many "holiday gift list" deadlines are looming and if you haven't already got that pitch in you may have a sad looking 4th quarter.

Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned jewelry artist/designer, you may be scratching your head on how to introduce your product to magazines, newspaper editors, "on camera" (film or tv show), reviews, etc...

Publicity can make a huge difference in your sales and there is no "magic bullet" IMHO. It is a matter of "customizing" each product's pitch for each media outlet which can be very intimidating.

The Gift List Media now falls under the umbrella Gifted Communications and has a fairly new Wordpress blog so you can get articles from many PR experts in the field. I am excited to have another resource at my fingerprints! Grab a cup of your favorite brew whatever that may be and read some of the great posts that will help you navigate the PR and marketing of your jewelry professionally and successfully!

Jewelers Resource Bureau-Fine Jewelry Business Resource

I recently came across this resource called, Jewelers Resource Bureau, that "provides the fine jewelry industry with marketing, publishing and trade show expertise that promotes designer-owned businesses".

I was very impressed with the credentials and experience of the founders plus the testimonials from various "design'preneurs"! The site appears to target "fine jewelry" starting at $200 and up but the "free pages" may be of use to any artistic jewelry entrepreneur!

If your target audience is fine jewelry and you offer wholesale prices, I think you will appreciate how cost effective it is to "rent" their list of jewelers who carry fine jewelry for those direct mail campaigns.

The membership is ~$300 dollars/year which is a drop in the bucket and a tax and write off!

Jewelry Publicity with an Online Press Release-Free and Paid

I found this artistic jewelry entrepreneur resource that lists a variety of free and paid services for online press releases. Plus, there are some links to articles that you will want to read or bookmark for when you have time.
I have personally used Pr Leap and PR.com with great success. What online services have you used for your jewelry business? Leave a comment!

When I first started my jewelry business I had relatively few press/media contacts and was overwhelmed by the thought of writing my own press release and submitting it to reporters, editors and product review blogs. This is NOT something that you can put off if you want to experience success with your business! I encourage you to take the time to education and grow in the area of marketing/PR/publicity. I found Joan Stewart's Publicity Hound site to be very helpful when I first started my learning curve! Do you have a resource you would like to share? Leave a comment!

10 Tips to Get Your Jewelry Covered in a Holiday Gift Guide

10 Tips to Get Your Product Covered in Holiday Gift Guides

By Margie Zable Fisher
Zable Fisher Public Relations

If yours is a product business, most likely the fourth quarter of the year is absolutely crucial to your bottom line.

And one of the most effective sales and publicity strategies for your product is to be included in Holiday Gift Guides that appear in the media (magazines, TV, newspapers, radio, Internet) in November and December.

These Holiday Guides offer recommendations for gifts people should consider buying. Why is this so important? Because these holidays are the time when readers or viewers are READY TO BUY and eager to see what a media outlet recommends.

Best of all, the media usually includes a Web site and/or telephone number where people can buy the recommended gifts (in many publicity articles this information isn’t included).

But you need to get moving on this now. June is the perfect time to submit your product pitches for inclusion in magazine Gift Guides. Many magazines have a 6-month lead time, and have a June deadline for submissions.

As you might imagine, getting into a Holiday Gift Guide is not all that easy. There’s a great deal of competition from hundreds, sometimes thousands, of other companies that are also pitching their products. So, here are 10 tips to help you get your products covered in Holiday Gift Guides:


1. Send your pitches at the right time. Timing is critical. Know the deadline for each Holiday Gift Guide. Here are the typical deadlines for sending in submissions:

a. Most magazines (other than News Magazines): Six months prior to issue date

b. News magazines: Two to three months prior to issue date

c. Newspapers: One to two months prior to issue date

d. TV/Web/Blog/Radio: One to two months prior to broadcast or publication date

2. Determine the category of gifts that each media outlet covers. For example, one in-flight magazine may only include technology gifts in their Holiday Gift Guide this year, while another in-flight magazine may only cover upscale items.

3. Pay attention to your packaging and shipping. I‘ve been told many times by media people that products often arrive broken, or with unappealing packaging, and the media people often won’t even consider those products for coverage in the Holiday Gift Guide.

4. Offer inexpensive products. Many media outlets cover gifts under $50, $25 or even lower cost stocking stuffers.

5. Send in your most colorful products. Most media outlets are visual, and color looks better in the pages of a magazine or on TV than drab colors do. If you flip through magazines with Holiday Gift Guides, you’ll notice that most of the items are bright colors. So, make sure that either your product or your packaging has eye-catching color to capture their attention.

6. Donate a portion of your product s sales or profits to charity. Some media outlets ONLY cover products that donate to charity. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also increases your chances of getting publicity. Be sure to mention this in all of your pitches.

7. Offer something that is brand new to the marketplace. Remember, Gift Guide Editors are just like other media people -- they want something new. If you create a new product, you’ll get the media’s attention.

8. Don’t forget products for pets. Pet Holiday Gift Guides are becoming very popular. I’ve seen them in health and women’s magazines. Remember, there are millions of pet lovers out there who consider pets their family and want to buy holiday presents for them. If you have a unique gift for a pet, you may very well get coverage.

9. Mention any celebrity tie-ins. Some entertainment media outlets will only cover your products if celebrities use them. Other media outlets like to know that celebrities use the product, because readers and viewers are fascinated with celebrities, and want to use the same products. So, if your brother-in-law’s cousin knows someone famous who’s willing to tout your product, go for it.

10. If you can get a major retailer to sell your products, include that information in your pitch. Gift Guide Editors feel more comfortable recommending products sold by major retailers.

So start celebrating the holidays this summer, by pitching your products for media coverage in June. By fourth quarter you’ll be reaping the sales from your summer efforts!

From Randi:
As you might imagine, getting into a Holiday Gift Guide is not all that easy. There's a great deal of competition from hundreds, sometimes thousands, of other companies that are also pitching their products. Margie has compiled actual pitches that you can use and a quick process for getting Holiday Gift Guide placements. Find out more here: http://www.profcs.com/app/?Clk=2460557.

Getting in Front of Retail Buyers without Going to Market

As a mompreneur, my two children are my "whys" and "top priorities". It is a constant struggle to balance being a CEO, producing "enough", selling and finding new retail and wholesale customers on top of being a wife and mother and all that entails!

My business plan includes a mix of retail and wholesale clients. At this time, wholesale business is my bread and butter and I'm always on the look out for ways to attract and retain new clients!

Generally, retail clients purchase jewelry and fused art glass directly from me at shows that I do in the North Texas area. Most online retail purchases are a result of meeting me at show or admiring jewelry worn by someone (referrals rock!). Last year, I did almost 30 shows and am in the process of really looking at my "target market" and ROI.

While Dallas does have a great wholesale market venue, at this point it is out of my "league" not only price but "production" ( I have no studio assistant) wise. However, I have found some non-traditional ways to get in front of wholesale retail buyers that may be of interest to you.

Here are 2 websites that are portals for retail buyers to check out business's and purchase directly from you the independent business owner:
*Wholesale Crafts
*Wise Rep

Here is a trade magazine directed at retailers and their buyers:
*Inspired Retailer

Plus, do not underestimate the power of networking. When shopping at your favorite boutiques, make sure you dress nice and wear some of your great pieces. I personally know two designers who are now carried by Nieman Marcus as a result of a retail buyer checking out their "jewels" whilst they were browsing ! Talk about high profile and dollar accounts!

Do you have a success story with a retail buyer or wholesale account that you would like to share? Leave a comment!

Recharge and Renew

I'm off to East Texas with my family to recharge and renew for a glorious week of camping and fishing. I'm taking my sketchbook and ready to be inspired for some new designs.

I'll be back on the 16th with some great information about gearing up for the holidays (yes, I know it's summer but you should be planning 6-9 months ahead of time!).

Communicating with Your Customers

One of the e-zines that I subscribe to is called , Communication Transformation. Felicia has inspired me to communicate with my customers in different and exciting ways that have impacted the low turnover of my e-mail list for my customers. As I continue to grow my customer base, it is always a challenge to provide content that will engage everyone and this is just one of the ways that I stay inspired to be creative when I contact my customers. Felicia recently started a Word Press blog in addition to her Communication Transformation website.

I hope this article inspires you to be communicate "creatively" with your customer base no matter if you are just starting or having a whopping subscriber list already!

Read on for a little communication inspiration! -Enjoy, Randi-Sue

Go Beyond the Basic Holidays and Communicate with Your Clients in Unexpected and Unique Ways

June is Effective Communications Month as listed in a reference guide called Chase's Calendar of Events. According to McGraw-Hill, current publisher of Chase's, this single reference source for calendar dates has been complied annually since 1957. The types of entries listed in Chase's include:

• Astronomical Phenomena like information about eclipses, equinoxes, solstices, moon phases.

• Religious Observances for Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Baha'i faiths as well as other religious events celebrated around the world.

• National and International Observances and Civic Holidays

• Special Days, Weeks and Months

• Presidential Proclamations such as Mother's Day, which has been proclaimed since 1914 by public resolution.

• Events and Festivals such as sporting events; book, film, food and other festivals; seasonal celebrations; folkloric events (Groundhog Day, for example); music outings and more make up these types of entries.

• Anniversaries of historic (creation of states, battles, inventions, publications of note, popular culture events, etc.) and biographical (birth or death anniversaries of notable personages) milestones.

• Birthdays Today of living celebrities and politicians.

Here is a list of a few upcoming dates for 2008 that may be of interest to you as an entrepreneur:

June: You already know June is Effective Communications Month, but did you know it is also Entrepreneurs "Do It Yourself" Marketing Month? You could post a series of blog posts about the most effective marketing techniques you have used in your business as a way to drive more traffic to your site.

July: Family Reunion Month. You could offer a special deal for family members who take advantage of your products and services - like a two for one or buy one get the second for a family member at 50% off.

August: National Inventors Month - You could hold a contest about who can design or invent something creative and new for your industry. Or if you have "invented" something, use August as the time to tell people about it in conjunction with the holiday of the month.

September: Library Card Sign-Up Month: You could give away a free e-book of your own to everyone to all people who can show you their new or current library card and a receipt that they checked out a library book.

October: You've probably heard October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but it's also Self-Promotion Month where you could create a whole campaign about tooting your own horn in which you invite your happiest past and current clients to write testimonials about you and you share each, along with a brief tidbit of information that was helpful to that person and may also be useful to your readers, subscribers, or prospects.

Sure November has its Thanksgiving in the US and December has more than its fair share of holidays, but go for the unexpected. Have a look at Chase's today to see what messages you can plan ahead for.

You can find the 2008 edition of Chase's for all the holidays and events at your local library and see their website for more information.

Reprinted with permission: Copyright 2008 Felicia J. Slattery, Communication Transformation

Networking and Handling Entry Fees

I just recently did a local event for a nonprofit group, Texas Discovery Gardens,and while I did not have stellar sales I did make some great contacts. This event was by invitation so there was not an entry fee just a verbal understanding that any sales I did make would involve a 15% donation to the Texas Discovery Gardens; considering I was the only vendor there who was "selling" anything it was a rare opportunity!

Whenever I do retails & wholesale shows/events, I have a sign up list so people who would like to stay in contact can get my e-mail newsletter. Plus, I try to engage as many people as I can because you never know where that next opportunity is lurking---from finding out about new shows, offered to be carried by a boutiques, etc...These events are your opportunity to get in front of you niche/target market; even if someone stops by and it is not to their taste, they may make a comment, "My aunt would just love this." Give them a card and tell them to pass it on to their Aunt (as an incentive offer a discount, etc...).

I'm never disappointed with sales at any event because it is NOT just about the dollar amount that I sell but about networking and getting in front of my target audience. Make the most of your time at any event even the slow ones!

Plus,don't forget that you can write down your entry fees as a marketing expense!