You’ve never heard of Signet Jewelers. But then again, you have. Signet is the parent company of KAY Jewelers, Zales, Jared, Blue Nile and a host of other in-line, off-mall and online brands. Signet is the world’s largest diamond jewelry retailer, and yet, just 16% of consumers know who Signet is. Now here’s the rub: when it comes to responsible sourcing of diamonds and protecting human rights in the global diamond industry, Signet has either founded or co-founded, written or introduced, every protocol enacted today that ensures people are treated with respect, communities are flourishing and our planet is being preserved. In other words: There’s a helluva story here.
The rise of Signet’s stock (SIG) from the day I began as VP of Brand & Content. Depicted here is the effect of our Purpose and Signet’s ability to shift to an eCommerce, digital-first selling model. I created the narrative, and my group was tasked with augmenting it at every touchpoint. All messaging centered on Inspiring Love and the apt metaphor that “pressure makes diamonds.”
a new identity for a higher purpose
How can we modernize our corporate Brand? How do we introduce “Inspiring Love” to our Team Members? The Media? How can each Team Member feel as though they are contributing to our Purpose? The right questions were asked, and for months our small team created the new look, feel and tone of Signet Jewelers. I also named and created a logo/brand identity for Signet’s new Foundation which focuses on serving under represented populations and women.
Our CEO, Gina Drosos, pushed our narrative of Inspiring Love and our Team Members’ passion in interviews. (Here’s a sample of her discussing our Employee Engagement at on CNBC’s Mad Money with the supporting b-roll we shot, and celebrating our Best 4th Quarter in Signet’s history.
30,000 Team Members. 1 North Star.
Internally, we introduced a new moniker — a compass always pointing North. The “N” in “INSPIRING” became a symbol of the march toward our Purpose. A chronograph-type design was used to indicate a sense of direction. This accent on the letter N was deployed throughout our internal messaging.
T-shirts were handed out with a message that featured one of over a dozen ways our Team Members could Inspire Love. There was even a Magic 8 Ball (Signet Blue) that would prognostic how someone could Inspire Love that day.
THE RESULTS
Certified as a Great Place to Work company two consecutive years as well as being named #12 on Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Retail. And on Glassdoor, Signet’s overall employee rating rose .8 stars, surpassing Tiffany, Brilliant Earth — even Walmart. Our CEO’s approval rating also reached an all-time high.