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PPB
When did you begin
offering custom jewelry and
accessories to the promo-
tional products market?
Katzman
We’ve been design-
ing and manufacturing cus-
tom jewelry, accessories and
gifts for the promotional
products market for 10 years.
Prior to that, I worked on
Madison Avenue providing
marketing counsel to national
brands, and in 1999 I started
producing custom jewelry
and accessories for retailers
including Neiman Marcus and
Saks Fifth Avenue. When dis-
tributors began asking us to
design for their brands, I
combined my love of market-
ing and retail flair into a
promo products business.
PPB
What sorts of chal-
lenges or misconceptions, if
any, did you encounter
with introducing the idea of
custom jewelry as a promo-
tional solution?
Katzman
Jewelry and acces-
sories look more expensive
than they cost and scare away
some distributors before they
get started. Yet for less than
$1,000 a brand can make a
powerful statement with cus-
tom bracelets, scarves or ties
that wow the end user and
truly hit the mark. But the flip-
side is, because it’s all cus-
tom, we have no catalog. So
we’re not always top of mind
in the promo products world.
PPB
How do your products
improve or enhance a
client’s program, and what
is some of the more memo-
rable feedback you’ve
received from clients?
Katzman
Nothing makes
people feel better than
believing you care enough to
give them something beauti-
ful and personal. And when
you give a gift that truly res-
onates with your client and
their customers, they will be
loyal to you and your brand.
Recently we worked with a
distributor whose client was
launching a new line of glass
for interior designers. We
incorporated their glass into
adjustable bracelets so the
sales force had the new sam-
ples only an “arm’s length
away.” Needless to say, our
promotional jewelry had a
direct impact on real sales.
As another example,
employees at a large broker-
age firm are given our cus-
tom charms or cufflinks as
they advance through the
company’s ranks. Each new
certification, birthday and
award is visibly worn with
pride. It lends itself to a great
conversation
starter with
clients and
camaraderie
with peers. But
most of all, it
makes the
employees feel
that their com-
pany cares.
When
Nissan brought
their top per-
forming dealers
to Italy, our
custom wine
charms were
waiting at every
stop. At the end of the trip, a
collectible set was shipped
home with each guest. Every
year, a new Diane Katzman
“collectible” is part of the
Nissan sales trip.
PPB
What are some impor-
tant features of jewelry and
finer accessories that
should never be overlooked
when sourcing items for
clients?
Katzman
Everyone has her
own taste and his own size. So
it’s essential that you choose
something that will appeal to
the most people. We recom-
mend adjustable jewelry and
stretch bracelets, and oblong
scarves that can be worn a
variety of different ways. We
also suggest ties that will work
well with a blue blazer or grey
suit. We like to match Pantone
colors, but sometimes that
Kelly green needs to be used
as an accent color.
PPB
What should distribu-
tors keep in mind if they
AUGUST 2016 •
PPB
• 65
Five Minutes With
Diane Katzman
Founder, Diane Katzman Design
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