Pandora GM talks Pamela Anderson and the brand’s foray into fashion

Pandora is on a quest to be the world’s most desirable jewellery brand, not just the largest, but what’s fashion got to do with it?

Earlier this month, 200 carats of Pandora lab-grown diamonds graced the decolletage of Pamela Anderson at the Met Gala. And its newest collection, Essence, debuted at the sold-out closing night runway at Australian Fashion Week (AFW), alongside on-site activations including a personalisation station.

This year, Pandora was the first jewellery and presenting partner at AFW, and it announced it will once again be the presenting partner of The Fashion Awards (TFA) in the UK. Globally, Pandora is looking to increase its footprint within cultural events, a pillar in which fashion naturally fits.

Inside Retail spoke with Travis Liddle, Pandora Australia and New Zealand’s general manager to discuss how aligning with global fashion events will help the brand shift consumers’ perception of Pandora as a full jewellery brand, not just a maker of bracelets and charms.

Inside Retail: Why is Pandora investing in high-profile partnerships in the fashion industry?

Travis Liddle: Globally, we are looking to increase Pandora’s footprint within cultural events. Fashion naturally fits into this pillar and provides us with a platform to activate and tell our brand story. The same goes for ambassadors and the local talent that we work with who are aligned with fashion or this lifestyle. 

These partnerships are part of our global strategy to evolve the perception of Pandora as a brand known for charms and bracelets into a full jewellery brand.

IR: What is the strategy behind being AFW’s first presenting and jewellery partner?

TL: Pandora is a brand that focuses on high quality, craftsmanship, innovation and self-expression. 

We have a wide selection of jewellery that is accessible to a broad audience and wearable for many occasions making it a great fit for us to partner with IMG and AFW, allowing us to support local designers and emerging talent.

Integrating our jewellery into fashion shows and events demonstrates how Pandora pieces complement and enhance high-fashion looks as well as everyday items. 

IR: How does the ambassadorship with Pamela Anderson and collaboration at the Met Gala and on this year’s Mother’s Day campaign tie in with this?

TL: Focusing on these big fashion moments with our ambassadors creates an aspiration for our consumers and the brand to be viewed in a new light, Pamela Anderson has shown she is timeless, so it’s the perfect synergy.

From a global level, it’s important that there is consistency with our brand ambassadors so being able to engage with Pamela at the Met Gala and beyond is fantastic and very special for Pandora.

IR: In your words, can you describe Pandora’s ‘Phoenix’ growth strategy?

TL: In short, Phoenix is about building on our already established foundations – People, Digitalisation, Sustainability, Excellence in crafting, and our Scale.

To grow, we must attract more consumers to Pandora, we will do this by shifting the customer perception of our brand from a charm jeweller to a full jewellery brand.

With this shift top of mind, growth will continue to be driven by the four Phoenix growth pillars: brand, design, personalisation, and continuing to grow through expanding our store network.

Pandora’s brand strategy, which centres on transforming the perception of Pandora into a full jewellery brand, was ignited in Q1 2024 through the launch of the new multi-season or always-on, ‘Be Love’ marketing campaign.

IR: Why is Pandora venturing into a full jewellery brand? 

TL: A great way to think about this is not a shift away from charms and bracelets, but the faster growth of other categories and collections.

There are endless styling opportunities at Pandora with the launch of Pandora Lab-Grown Diamonds and the new collection Essence, we continue to evolve from a brand beyond charms and bracelets, into a full jewellery brand.

Interchangeable Pandora Me and meaningful Moments charms allow consumers to showcase their special moments and personal style.

IR: Have you noticed any sales trends specific to the Australian market?

TL: Our Moments collection is a fan favourite for our local consumers, however, we are seeing incredibly exciting results from our most recent collection, Essence which was launched at Australian Fashion Week. 

Our lab-grown diamonds are sparking interest due to their beauty and the fact Pandora lab-grown diamonds are grown, cut and polished using 100 per cent renewable energy, which is increasingly important to Australian and global consumers.

IR: Is there a certain demographic that Pandora is focusing on to achieve its goal of being the most desirable full jewellery brand in the accessible luxury market?

TL: To be the most desirable, you must be a brand or have an offering for everyone and to do this we must broaden our approach.

We are scaling up our investments to accelerate revenue growth, with particular emphasis on our store network and brand desirability.

Consumers are seeking value, affordability, sustainability, and an emotional connection to the brand and we believe we are well-placed in all these critical areas. 

Consumers are prioritising high-quality, versatile fashion over fleeting trends.

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