The 4 P’s of Alex and Ani

The bracelet industry is an unstable beast.  Charm bracelets that our moms made us collect, tile bracelets from Claire’s, friendship bracelets in the summer, and Pandora bracelets: all proving that trends are always changing when it comes to wrist jewelry.  Currently controlling the market is Alex and Ani.  

Marketing Across the Pond

Authenticity.  The word that brings to mind a sort of continuity, age, honesty, and the smell of a European cafe that’s been in business for hundreds of years.  Authenticity is about purity and simplicity of design.  It’s about getting lost in another time period.  This romantic idea is the bread and butter of Irish marketing.

I am in Ireland for the next 4 months studying at the National University of Ireland in Galway.  For the past few weeks, I have been looking around, trying to discover the key differentiator between American and Irish marketing.  And the answer was more obvious than I would have thought.

As primarily a service and tourist economy, Ireland sells on the basis of antiquity.  There are stone walls, cobblestone streets, outdoor eateries, and brightly painted buildings all dating back to years that us Americans can’t even fathom.  As you walk the streets, each shop subtly says, “This is the real deal. No knock-off claddagh rings here.”