A Dazzling Radio Performance for Diamonds Limited
It was radio that sparkled for Bob Zwibel, owner of Diamonds Limited, when he chose Suncoast Marketing to create a unique on-air campaign for his ailing El Cajon jewelry store.
Suncoast Marketing’s Steve Lees worked with television personality Larry Himmel to create an effective 60-second spot that convinced listeners to drive to El Cajon to sell their unwanted gold, diamonds and jewelry at “up to four times more than Diamond Limited’s competitors pay.” The store even provided a gas card for the commute to El Cajon.
It was a completely different spin and emphasis for the 30+ year old family owned and operated store. And it worked. According to Lees, “Prior to the start of its radio campaign – its first media campaign in three decades - Diamonds Limited was suffering through its worst stretch ever. Business in 2009 and through the first quarter in 2010 was off by 40-percent over the previous two years. Mr. Zwibel was concerned his business wouldn’t survive.”
But the spots that ran from March to December, 2010, wiped away those fears, states Lees. “Mr. Zwibel gives full credit to the radio campaign for the enormous turnaround in his business. Once the ads on stations KFMB, WALRUS, MAGIC, KSON and XPRS began airing, they had an enormous effect.”
The business saw an increase of nearly 50-percent in its store traffic in 2010. At times there were so many people trying to enter that management instituted lines outside the store, allowing someone new to enter only after others exited. Not only did Diamonds Limited recover its 40-percent loss of business from the previous year, it saw an additional increase of 17.5-percent.
Says Lees, “Radio advertising made such a measurable difference in sales and profits that the owners closed the shop between Christmas and New Year’s and took the entire staff on a fully paid vacation.”
Apparently radio was as good as gold in fulfilling its promise to reach new customers.
