After seven years off-air, CaratLane's new CMO turns the TV ads back on

We’re only in March of 2025, and CaratLane, an omnichannel jewellery brand in India owned by Titan Company (Tata Group), has already shown solid activity in the ad space. The brand has launched three campaigns so far, with a fourth campaign scheduled to be rolled out in April.

First came the brand’s dedicated festive campaigns for Pongal in January, quickly followed by the Give It A CaratLane Ring campaign for Valentine’s Day in February. And in March, the brand added to its Wear Your Wins campaign (which was launched last year) with a fresh new ad for Women’s Day.

Helming the brand’s marketing is Shaifali Gautam, who recently joined the company as the chief marketing officer in November 2024, bringing with her nearly two decades of marketing experience from roles at Byju's (as VP of marketing), Reliance Retail (head of marketing), and Aditya Birla Group (head of brand and consumer insights), among others.

What stands out about the brand’s marketing under new leadership is its return to television advertising after a seven-year hiatus. The occasion was for its February Valentine’s Day campaign. Gautam, who orchestrated the switch return, says that the campaign was so successful that the brand is mulling more investments towards the channel. 

“We typically have a 40-day period for Valentine's, and we rolled out a campaign with a huge media plan this year. We went on television for the first time in seven years, and it has turned out to be extremely successful for us. This has also laid the stone for us to go on television in the near future again,” she says.

The timing of Gautam's arrival—just after Diwali—positioned her to influence a crucial shopping period spanning from the holiday season through to Women's Day in March.

Beyond the return to television, Gautam has also prioritised shifting CaratLane's marketing approach from tactical campaigns to deeper, insight-driven narratives. 

"Last July, we introduced our 'Wear Your Wins' campaign, which recognised women's personal achievements. This Women's Day, we extended that concept with 'Forgotten Wins,' highlighting the unacknowledged contributions of real women," she explains.

This campaign featured real-life stories of women as the underlying narrative, demonstrating a more refined pivot to storytelling.

Media strategy and the evolving consumer

As per Gautam, this evolution in marketing strategy mirrors the maturing of CaratLane's target audience. "Initially, our target audience was women aged 25–40, but over time, as our loyal customers have aged with us, we now cater to a wider range, from 22 to 45 years old, with some customers even up to 70," Gautam notes. However, the primary focus remains on the 25–45 demographic.

While digital marketing remains the cornerstone of the brand's strategy, with substantial investments in programmatic advertising and retargeting across YouTube and Meta, CaratLane is not afraid to experiment.

Newer channels such as Spotify, Glance, Inshorts, and Pinterest have all found their way into the media mix. Not to mention, with its latest success on TV, the brand is also contemplating more investments in the channel.

The brand has also embraced creative offline activations, including ring-shaped flyers in store catchment areas and mall installations that enhance visibility and engagement for its campaigns.

In addition to this, influencers form an essential part of CaratLane's marketing toolkit. Rather than pursuing exclusive, long-term brand ambassadors, the brand opts for a more flexible approach, collaborating with both micro and macro influencers alongside celebrity placements on magazine covers and styling collaborations. 

"For new store launches, regional influencers help us establish an immediate connection with the local audience," Gautam explains. This pragmatic stance extends to celebrity endorsements as well; the brand has evaluated such partnerships but believes that for them to be effective, they require longevity—a philosophy informed by learnings from parent company Titan.

Cricket and carats: The IPL connection

"Watch out for us—you'll see CaratLane during IPL."

Shaifali Gautam, CaratLane

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to commence—a marketing juggernaut that commands attention across the country—CaratLane is poised to leverage its connection to the Tata Group, which has long been associated with the tournament. 

For the unacquainted, In May 2016, Tata Group’s Titan acquired a 62% stake in CaratLane. And Tata has been the title sponsor of IPL since 2022. CaratLane is therefore assessing its options for participating in the IPL's advertising.

"While linear TV viewership is declining, IPL remains the single most important cricket league globally," Gautam acknowledges, hinting at active plans to integrate the brand during the tournament.

"We are actively exploring opportunities to be present during the tournament and are in discussions to determine the best way to integrate our brand. Watch out for us—you'll see CaratLane during IPL," she reveals.

Bridging the digital-physical divide

“People still prefer to go online, browse and shortlist the products and then make the purchase in stores."

Shaifali Gautam, CaratLane

In a category where consumers traditionally prefer an in-store experience, CaratLane has adeptly balanced online influence with offline sales. A remarkable 75% of the brand's consumers browse online before visiting a store, yet 90% of sales still occur offline.

This ratio shifts during gifting-heavy periods like Valentine's Day, when online transactions can rise to approximately 16%. The brand currently operates over 275 stores in approximately 110 cities in the country.

“People still prefer to go online, browse and shortlist the products and then make the purchase in stores. We see a lot of this behaviour where women have shortlisted products, and they walk into the store wanting to see exactly the piece that they have shortlisted, and only then make the transaction,” Gautam reveals.

Gautam identifies three distinct consumer cohorts that inform the brand’s online strategy: self-purchasers who research online but buy in-store, gifting buyers who prefer end-to-end online transactions, and male shoppers who generally avoid in-store experiences. To accommodate these varied preferences, CaratLane has developed hybrid approaches, including online-exclusive SKUs.

Responding to shifting consumer preferences

"Across all tiers, we hear the same sentiment: 'I don't want to wear jewellery like my mother or grandmother did'"

Shaifali Gautam, CaratLane

Perhaps most fascinating are the changing consumer trends that Gautam has observed in the jewellery category. There's a resurgence in demand for plain 22KT gold jewellery, reversing an earlier shift toward studded diamonds.

Simultaneously, interest in gemstones such as citrine is growing, prompting the introduction of multiple gemstone collections this year from the brand. Enamel-based jewellery is gaining popularity, as well.

"Across all tiers, we hear the same sentiment: 'I don't want to wear jewellery like my mother or grandmother did,'" Gautam reveals, pointing to a cross-generational shift in consumer preferences.

This desire for uniqueness transcends geographical boundaries, with tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 markets all showing similar trends towards fresh, stylish designs that differentiate wearers from traditional jewellery choices.

This democratisation of contemporary taste has been accompanied by an increase in consumer spending, as per Gautam. “Customers who purchased Rs 20,000 jewellery a year ago are now investing in pieces in the Rs 60,000–Rs 80,000 range—a trend observed across market tiers.”

CaratLane's pricing strategy reflects this evolving market, with collections ranging from entry-level 9KT jewellery starting at Rs 3,999 to premium pieces exceeding Rs 2–3 lakh.

The focus remains on creating jewellery for everyday wear rather than heavy, occasion-based pieces destined for bank lockers—a philosophy that aligns perfectly with modern consumers' desire for jewellery that expresses personal style, as per Gautam.