Case Studies

Why would a multi-million dollar New York-based real estate developer hire a small public relations agency and marcom company to help it market a huge construction project in Manhattan? The answer is simple: the developer needed an agency with effective access to the international diamond, gem and jewelry industry and trade. The building — the International Gem Tower—is going up on West 47th Street in Manhattan, in the very heart of the New York diamond and jewelry district and the developer's target audience are companies — many of them international gem and jewelry trading firms — interested in being involved in the project.
 
Another reason for the developer, Extell Development, to hire MarketDirect was that for the first time on 47th Street, a company was to build a brand new, modern building and offer office space for sale and not, as is customary, for lease. Since in other diamond centers, such as Israel and India, office ownership is often a given, Extell surmised that companies from these centers would have an open mind about buying space.
 
For MarketDirect, the project proved to be a hand-in-glove experience. We identified the various platforms for the IGT sales staff to perform on and provided the IGT sales team with high visibility during their visits to Israel and to Belgium.
 
In Israel, the IGT sales team was able to display the building's model in the Israel Diamond Exchange, close to the central entrance of the bourse’s trading floor. In addition, the team gave a presentation for an audience of more than 200 at the complex which led to numerous sales meetings.
 
In Belgium, the IGT team participated in the 2009 Presidents' Meeting of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), displaying the model during the evening events, and offering a short presentation of the building during the event's Gala Dinner.
 
IGT selected MarketDirect as its public relations and marcom agency for the simple reason that we have contacts with all levels of the diamond business, including the trade press and wider media, leading diamond labs across the globe, officials from the major diamond and jewelry trade organizations, and leading diamantaires in the world’s main diamond trading centers. In addition, MarketDirect’s team of professional journalists and copywriters provides eye-catching and effective marketing communication materials that enable firms make their mark.