The DTC announced the Value Added Services to Sightholders in London this afternoon.  According to the company, the initiative is being launched to support one of De Beers’ strategic goals for 2005 to 2009 - to continue being the Supplier of Choice. 

 

Please find below the full media release from the company:

 

DTC Announces Range Of New Value Added Services To Support Growth

 

The Diamond Trading Company, the sales and marketing arm of the De Beers Group, today announced the launch of its Value Added Services (VAS) programme to its Sightholders.

 

These Value Added Services are designed to directly support DTC clients as they evolve their businesses to compete in the 21st century diamond and luxury goods industries and, in doing so, offer exciting opportunities for future profitability.  

 

Value Added Services consist of Core Services and Growth Services.  Core Services are a set of supply planning tools, provided to all Sightholders, aimed at maximizing the value of each client’s core business.  These services are also absolutely integral to the operation of Supplier of Choice, the DTC’s sales and marketing strategy, which aims to drive consumer demand for diamond jewellery.  They include continuity of supply for 2.5 years, the Intention to Offer (ITO), consistency of boxes to a defined profile, the client extranet service and a dedicated account management service.  Alongside these supply planning tools (for which a fee is payable by all clients) the DTC also offers exposure to business sustainability measures such as generic demand generation and consumer confidence programmes, (for which clients will not pay).

 

Growth Services are a set of tools for growth and business development that are available to interested Sightholders on request.  These include growth opportunity seminars, market insight workshops, generic advertising material and business excellence seminars.

 

Gareth Penny, Managing Director of the Diamond Trading Company, said:

 

“These services will go beyond anything provided by any other diamond supplier and are designed to help our clients to drive a new and exciting growth phase for their businesses.” 

 

DTC’s Value Added Services are designed to deliver five crucial benefits to help Sightholders to grow their business.  Principally, these are 

• providing a more stable planning environment in which Sightholders can manage their businesses,
• inviting Sightholders to harness the value of compelling global marketing campaigns,
• presenting ways to benefit from the prestige of being a DTC Sightholder,
• providing access to key DTC market insight and expertise and
• offering access to the skills and experience of the DTC, with the support of a personal Key Account Manager.

DTC believes this adds up to a considerable package of benefits. Value Added Services is one of the mechanisms which can assist DTC clients in the most fundamental of business objectives: future profitability in an ever-changing and more competitive market.

 

Varda Shine, Diamond Trading Company Director of Sales, commented:

 

“With the introduction of Supplier of Choice, DTC and its clients began to address barriers to growth and ways of driving demand for diamond jewellery.  Future demand and growth in the industry needs to be generated not only by increased volume, but particularly by value addition, in our view.  We believe that everyone in this industry needs to be in the business of maximising the value of every diamond sold and competing vigorously for a greater share of the luxury products market.  DTC Value Added Services can deliver some crucial benefits to help Sightholders to grow their businesses.”