It's a Valentine's Day Love Story for Jewelry Retailers & Radio

KATZ ANALYSIS OF MEDIA MONITORS DATA FINDS JEWELERS SAY "I DO" TO RADIO

The National Retail Federation predicts that Valentine's Day sales will hit $25.9 billion this year, with consumers spending an average of $193 on purchases. Jewelry is a top 5 gift for Valentine's Day celebrants, so is no wonder that jewelry stores are hitting the airwaves, looking to influence where lovestruck consumers spend their dollars. 

Katz analyzed radio and television data in Media Monitors for jewelry retailers across the U.S. and found evidence of an undeniable love affair with AM/FM radio. Looking at ad instance data from January 1st through February 1st of this year, more than two-thirds of jewelry stores currently advertising (70%) are relying on radio's mass reach & influence to engage with consumers in the weeks leading into Valentine's Day. 59% are advertising on radio alone, while 10% are active on both radio and television. With two weeks left to go until Valentine's Day, 2023's numbers are on track to repeat what occurred in 2022, showing that jewelry retailers are just as in love with radio as ever.

Chart is interactive; click gray circle to enlarge.

RADIO ADMIRERS DOMINATE THE AIRWAVES

Katz's analysis found 488 different jewelry stores advertising on-air in Media Monitors measured markets in the first 5 weeks of 2023. Out of the top 25 jewelry stores by spot count, nearly all (20) are utilizing radio. 9 of them are using radio alone, while only 5 are exclusive to television (broadcast and cable). Jewelry stores understand the power of radio's unique assets as the #1 reach medium, engaging consumers across demographics, and reaching prospects out-of-home, on-the-go, and during prime shopping hours. 

Chart is interactive; click gray circle to enlarge.

While the analysis finds that the majority of jewelry retailers believe in the power of AM/FM radio to reach prospective Valentine's Day shoppers, there are still opportunities to grow. Brands like The Jewelry Exchange, Zales, KAY, PANDORA, and Jared stand to benefit from establishing and increasing share of voice among their competitors. And especially for those who have an established audio signature like KAY Jewelers' "Every kiss begins with KAY," radio can act as a natural extension to their TV campaigns.