IJL Exhibitor Masterclass: Working with the trade press Siobhan Holt, Deputy Editor Retail Jeweller

The purpose of trade press To keep the industry informed of the latest news, products and trends in order to help them run their businesses better Trade vs Consumer press – they are fundamentally different The trade press have different requirements and need different information to the consumer press

Retail Jeweller The oldest trade title in the sector – 92 years old Readership is 65% retail jewellers (the majority of whom are independents) The remaining 35% is made up of brands, designers, suppliers to the trade etc. Monthly magazine plus a website which is updated daily and a daily newsletter

Who to contact There are four main trade titles Retail Jeweller (Ruth Faulkner) Professional Jeweller (Stacey Hailes) Jewellery Focus (Michael Northcott) The Jeweller (Belinda Morris) There is also Facets Magazine (CMJ) the contact there is Fran Hopes

What are the trade press interested in? What is newsworthy? Think about your news hook. A new collection isn’t enough of a hook An interesting back story New stockists Appearance at key tradeshows (J&W, IJL etc) Winning awards/competitions Success at tradeshows New directions or business changes

A press release is best Consider putting together a press release which includes all of the information about the news you are wishing to convey Keep it focused and to the point highlighting the most important things at the top Remember all the time - what makes a good story and what is interesting about what you are saying Read other stories on trade press sites so you know what to information is important Include your contact details and links to images or attach high res images

What makes a good press release? Who, what, when, where and why – make sure these things are conveyed in the first two to three paragraphs Include all of the essential information – price points, materials, inspiration, target stockists Remember all the time - what makes a good story and what is interesting about what you are saying Include quotes where possible Include your contact details and links to images or attach high res images

Good quality images are essential Must be high resolution for print (at least 300 dpi) Cut out images are preferable but lifestyle can also be used in some cases Ensure you send a selection of images – showcase your most editorial and also your most commercial pieces

When appearing at a trade show… The trade press like to receive as much information as possible – more is generally better (within reason) Things to include are Your inspiration Your style/asethetic Details about the collection – materials, number of pieces Target stockists Price point and mark-up

When to make contact Most trade publications will start preparing their IJL pre-show coverage at least one month prior to the show, if not before On RJ we will start preparing our preview in July so make sure you have all your information and images ready by early July If you don’t have your information ready, you may risk missing out

At the show Send personal invites to the press to come to your stand and be prepared to talk them through your full collection Be willing to talk about how the show has gone and whether you have seen any interesting stockists/had positive feedback Invite the press to take pictures

Post show A post event press release is a good idea especially if you have had a positive show Keep in touch with the trade press – they can be very useful contacts and we like to receive regular news and updates If you are participating in events in future – keep us informed

Thank You & Questions Ruth.Faulkner@emap.com 0203 033 2971 Or Siobhan.Holt@emap.com 0203 033 2747