3 Deep is a luxury branding and communications agency

Founded by John Hardy in 1853, Hardy Brothers is Australia’s oldest continually operated fine jeweller. As a contemporary luxury brand, Hardy Brothers has long upheld the ideas, principals and values that have defined its history while assuming an active role in championing notions of heritage, provenance and luxury within the Australian retail landscape. 3 Deep were appointed to examine the critical business, brand, marketing and communications strategies required to increase sales across the group while reconnecting the brand with a new generation of luxury consumers.

A comprehensive program was established that sought to uncover key insights into the business vision, operational landscape, sales performance, collection topology, marketing and communication performance and existing brand portfolio structure and positioning. Engaging all facets of the business, 3 Deep then set about working with a cross-functional team to establish the strategic and creative foundations that would would underpin the program moving forward.

Having established the core tenets of the program in partnership with our client, we set about integrating the strategy across a broad range of consumer touch points and initiatives including a revitalised store design and in-store arrival and service ceremonies. As a primary experiential vehicle for clients enrolled within the brand world, the new store design reflects an assemblage of experiences, artfully designed to capture the venerated history of the brand while establishing a space that prioritises thoughtful exchange over ephemeral commerce. A rich palette of materials including polished venetian plaster, fine leathers and rich Australian timbers were beautifully executed by Zero Nine Constructions, while lighting design by FPOV Design brought to life our clients product and a suite of bespoke furniture, fixtures and fittings.

As proud holders of the Royal Warrant, Hardy Brothers are the only fine jeweller in the Southern Hemisphere to be recognised with this coveted seal while simultaneously being acknowledged as a select atelier for Argyle Pink Diamonds. A key challenge of our ongoing appointment is to ensure that the brand platform defends this equity while re-orientating the business towards its long term vision.

While Hardy Brothers earned their reputation as a luxury jeweller by demonstrating their commitment to craftsmanship and quality over the past 170 years, the challenge moving forward is to reconcile this reputation against changing customer needs and expectations. To date, brand equity and service excellence have overcome many of these hurdles but relevance, responsiveness and creative leadership are the qualities required for ongoing success.

Constantly permeating all branded touch points and experiences, our design lexicon is linked to a desired brand positioning that clearly tells consumers who the brand is and what the brand stands for. Whilst it was recognised that traditional market segments needed to be nurtured as part of the new program, it was critical that the brand resonate with a new and much younger generation of customers as a priority.

While luxury fashion brands have long reinvented themselves in order to remain relevant to their next generation of customers, many fine jewellers have neglected the challenge to adapt. In turn, this has left much of the industry failing to connect with and build a new and sustainable customer base – the most critical of these being young professional females – who are now far more likely to invest in experiences than fine jewellery or timepieces. Our ongoing focus is to engage this influential group, arm them with knowledge and empower them with unique product and experiences that reconcile with their lifestyle and ideals.

The days of leveraging social for top-of-funnel hype have passed. With each major platform offering one or more layers of commerce functionality, it is now more important than ever for brands to convert social voyeurs and occasional visitors into high frequency, repeat purchasers. An ongoing roster of content production for the brand supports our clients ambition to shift perception of their eCommerce site from a gifting destination to a self-purchasing platform for younger professionals and digital natives.

Digital storytelling for the brand remains product rich, intelligent, evocative and constantly evolving based upon digital insights and user engagement. Digital and print media continues to play a role in positioning the brand on a national stage while creating greater distance between competitors and peers.