JNA 40th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL 40 | JNA May/June 2023 Stephen Lussier spent some 40 years of his life creating desire for diamonds. This started when he first handled the De Beers account as a management trainee at an ad agency. His 37-year career with De Beers, where he retired as Executive Vice President for Brands & Consumer Markets in April 2022, then saw him shape the soul of diamonds in various roles and markets. Lussier handled the group’s marketing and brand strategy. He charted the course of De Beers’ consumer advertising, which first built on the famed "A Diamond is Forever" slogan before shifting to various brand extensions and lately focusing on the positive impact of diamonds. As chairman of the Natural Diamond Council, he continues to influence diamond category marketing, with emphasis on sustainability and responsible sourcing. Lussier’s contributions to the diamond trade however extend way beyond his De Beers remit. Chief among these are his efforts to open the China market for diamonds in the early 1990s. “When I first travelled to China, there were no diamond jewellery stores and no real consumer awareness of or desire for diamonds. One had to be able to imagine a different future, and De Beers started investing in consumer advertising to build that future. Now, China is second only to the US in demand for diamonds,” Lussier told JNA. Opening and building the domestic market in India for diamond jewellery was another highlight. “The Indian jewellery market was large and gold-dominated but diamonds were not really present, except in a historical context,” he shared. “I am very proud of building a new market for diamond jewellery among the emerging affluent class in India.” To Lussier, his lifelong mission is to keep the “diamond dream” alive and well across the world among new generations of consumers – diamonds as the ultimate symbol of love, commitment, value, success and elegance. "In my 40 years in diamonds, I am proudest of the sheer joy that I have seen diamonds bring to the lives of the young couples starting out on their life journey together. Their diamond symbolises for them all their hopes and dreams for the future,” he said. Stephen Lussier花了人生中大约40年创造对钻石的渴 望，这项使命始于他担任广告公司的管理培训生时， 首次涉及戴比尔斯的业务。2022年4月，他卸下品牌 及消费市场执行副总裁职务，正式退休。在戴比尔斯37年的 职业生涯中，他在不同的角色和市场中塑造了钻石的灵魂。 Lussier负责集团的营销和品牌战略，他规划了戴比尔斯 的消费者广告路线，在著名的“钻石恒久远”广告语的基础 上，推广和扩展钻石订婚戒指的类别，并最终着眼于钻石产 生的积极影响。身为天然钻石协会主席，他继续塑造钻石的 类别营销，强调可持续性和负责任的采购。 然而，Lussier对钻石行业的贡献，远远超出了他在戴比 尔斯公司的职权范围。 首要成就是在20世纪90年代初为打开中国钻石市场所 付出的努力。Lussier向《JNA亚洲珠宝》表述：“我第一次来 到中国时，既没有钻石珠宝店，消费者对钻石也没有真正的 认识和渴望。我想，必须有人构想一个不同的未来，而戴比 尔斯开始投资消费者广告，以创建这个未来。目前，中国对 钻石的需求仅次于美国。” 另一大亮点是开辟和建立印度国内钻石珠宝市场。“印 度的珠宝市场很广阔，以黄金为主。然而，除了历史记载外， 钻石在当时并未崭露头角，”他分享道。“能够在印度新兴富 裕阶层中建立新的钻石珠宝市场，我感到非常自豪。” 对Lussier来说，他的毕生使命是让“钻石梦”在世界各地 的新一代消费者中保持活力，使钻石成为爱情、承诺、价值、 成功和优雅的终极象征。 Lussier表示：“在从事钻石行业的40年中，如果说有一件 事能引以为傲，那就是看到钻石为开始共同生活历程的年 轻夫妇带来纯粹的喜悦。对他们来说，钻石象征着对未来的 所有希望和梦想。” Stephen Lussier opened new markets for diamonds around the world while expanding the category and stoking consumer demand through branding and marketing strategies relevant to the times. Stephen Lussier在世界各地开辟了钻石的新市场，同时通过与时俱进的品 牌和营销策略，扩展钻石类别，刺激消费者需求。 Stephen Lussier Former Executive Vice President for Brands & Consumer Markets, De Beers Group Chairman, Natural Diamond Council 戴比尔斯集团前品牌及消费市场执行副总裁、天然钻石协会主席 Spreading the “diamond dream” 传扬“钻石梦”
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