Jacques Christophe Branellec, executive vice president and deputy CEO of Jewelmer, is bringing about a new chapter of growth in the company. In this interview, he talked about the evolving pearl sector and the importance of building solid foundations as Jewelmer celebrates 40 years in the business.

As a second-generation leader in a well-established brand, how do you adjust business strategies to resonate with younger buyers?

It's not so much about changes but more so, evolutions. To build a company from nothing requires an incredible amount of energy, strength and vision to get to a certain point. The first 20 to 50 years of a company necessitate all these aspects that a lot of great business founders of today have. To be able to continue that, an evolution of strategy in terms of marketing, communication or process is extremely important. Why or how did we make it to 40 years and what's going to take us to the next? I definitely think technology and other developments in today's market provide a greater platform for transparency and for people to voice out who they are and what they want in a product.

What is the younger generation of buyers looking for in a product or service?

They want authenticity; they go for things that are genuine and have a meaning. Products or services that fall out of this category may have a harder time finding their footing in the industry. People can relate more to those with a genuine vision.

A more discerning consumer will dissect every piece of information and take a closer look at the product before making a decision. A lot of the times, our clients would engage with us online before meeting us in person and if we don't have a good engagement or communication online with them already, we're never going to meet them in person.

What are your top priorities for the brand?

Our top priority is to ensure a sustainable growth for the company and all the stakeholders of Jewelmer including our partners and clients. We want to ensure that we're building solid foundations. We want to continue to be ahead of the trends, to dream and have visions, and to work towards fulfilling those.

What has changed in the present business landscape?

In the past, manufacturers or brands had a more challenging time to relay their story to the end-consumer because they had to deal with many people from different parts of the world but with technology now, it's easier to have a direct communication with the client who will be living with your jewellery every day. The distance between the manufacturer or the brand and the end-consumer is closing in. The gap between the high-jewellery segment and the more affordable pieces is also widening. In terms of competition, I feel that there's space for everyone in the market and that the cultured pearl industry is still in its infancy. The demand and market requirement for cultured South Sea pearls, in particular, will more than double in the future.