Joyalukkas’ marketing strategy for India’s costliest wedding season yet

Joyalukkas, one of India's leading jewellery retail chains with a significant global presence across over 12 countries including the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, UK, USA, and Australia, has been navigating a complex market landscape as it transitions from a record-breaking festive season into what is shaping up to be one of the costliest wedding seasons in recent memory. Fresh off strong Dhanteras sales, the brand now confronts persistent challenges around gold price volatility and shifting consumer behaviours, factors that are reshaping how families approach what remains one of their largest discretionary purchases.

In this conversation, Joy Alukkas, Chairman and Managing Director of Joyalukkas Group, discusses the brand's wedding season strategy, the evolution of bridal jewellery consumption, and how the company is balancing technology-driven personalisation with the deeply emotional nature of these purchases

The gold price question

Rising gold prices have been a defining concern for the jewellery industry throughout 2024, creating uncertainty around consumer demand heading into the wedding season. However, Alukkas observes that the impact has been more nuanced than a simple decline in sales volume. "It's not about buying less, it's about buying smarter. While everyone is more mindful of their budget, the desire for that dream wedding look is stronger than ever," he notes.

The data reveals an interesting trend: premium categories haven't collapsed under price pressure. Instead, consumer decision-making has become more strategic. "We saw a super interesting trend - brides and families are still investing in premium categories like stunning diamond sets and intricate temple jewellery, but with a sharp eye for designs that offer versatility and major style impact, even if they're lighter-weight. It's all about maximising beauty and value," Alukkas explains.

This shift suggests that the wedding jewellery market isn't simply price-sensitive, it's value-conscious. Families remain willing to invest in significant pieces, but they're demanding more thoughtful design and long-term wearability. For a brand like Joyalukkas, this requires repositioning product offerings not just around aesthetics but around utility and versatility across multiple occasions.

The challenge extends beyond pricing strategy. As Alukkas points out, the wedding purchase represents "the biggest of all" for most families, and economic uncertainty makes that decision even more fraught. The brand's response has been to emphasize transparency through HUID certification and clear pricing, attempting to build confidence in a market where trust becomes even more critical when the stakes are high.

Changing generational expectations

Beyond price sensitivity, Joyalukkas is grappling with a more fundamental shift in how younger consumers approach jewellery purchases. "Today's young consumers are all about 'my rules, my jewellery'. They want authenticity, not just ancestry. They love pieces that tell a story - their story," Alukkas observes.

This represents a departure from traditional wedding jewellery marketing, which has historically emphasised heritage, family legacy, and cultural continuity. While those elements remain important, they're no longer sufficient on their own. "Narratives around personalised design, modern heirlooms and conscious sourcing hit home hard. We get the best engagement when we showcase real brides, real journeys and designs that feel like a fresh take on tradition," he adds.

The implication for marketing is significant. Generic appeals to tradition don't resonate with a generation that views jewellery as an expression of personal identity rather than purely familial obligation. The brand has responded by developing regionally curated bridal collections, from the Pride and Eleganza lines to culturally specific offerings like Sita Kalyanam, Krishna Leela, and Veda, designed to offer both cultural resonance and individual expression.

This generational shift also affects the purchase journey itself. Younger consumers expect seamless digital experiences for research and inspiration, even if the final transaction happens in-store. They're comfortable with technology-driven personalisation and expect brands to understand their preferences without requiring them to start from scratch at every touchpoint. This has driven Joyalukkas to invest heavily in CRM infrastructure, deploying the Zoho CX platform to track customer journeys from initial online inquiry through in-store consultations and final purchase.

"A wedding journey is a marathon of emotions and decisions - and we're the personalised pit crew!" Alukkas explains. "The Zoho CX platform lets us map the entire ride. From that first online enquiry to in-store consultations, curated wish-lists and design previews, we ensure every touchpoint is seamless, informed and feels uniquely tailored to the family."

From festive peak to wedding season

The transition from festive season to wedding season represents a critical period for jewellery retailers, and Joyalukkas entered this phase with momentum. "That Dhanteras energy was electric and we're riding that wave straight into the wedding season! Think of it like this: the festive cheer doesn't end - it just gets bigger, brighter and way more sparkly," Alukkas says.

But momentum alone doesn't translate into wedding season success without strategic adaptation. The brand's approach shifts significantly as it moves from festive purchasing, often characterised by quick, celebratory transactions, to bridal jewellery, which involves extended family decision-making and much higher emotional stakes. "Since weddings are the heartbeat of our industry, our strategy transforms into becoming 'The Wedding Jewellery Destination'," Alukkas explains.

This year's wedding season narrative centers on what the brand calls "A Promise of Forever." It's a positioning that attempts to move beyond product features to emotional resonance. "It's not just about the jewellery - it's about the emotion, the legacy and the art that marks life's biggest moments," Alukkas shares. The execution spans what he describes as a "360-degree experience - think in-store magic, heart-tugging bridal films, cool collabs with regional influencers and wedding showcases across India and the GCC."

The media strategy reflects the multi-generational nature of wedding jewellery purchases. "Our playbook is a smart mix! Digital is our powerhouse for discovery and inspiration, while TV and print build that classic trust," Alukkas explains. The target audience deliberately spans age groups: "This season, we're in full conversation with brides-to-be, their stylish parents and the global desi family coming home for the big day."

The brand has also leaned into AI-driven personalisation, building on its earlier Onam campaign that garnered attention for technical execution. However, Alukkas is careful to position technology as an enabler rather than a replacement for emotional storytelling. "AI is our super-smart creative assistant! It helps us understand bridal trends and tailor our communication at scale, but the heart of the message? That's all human," he clarifies. "For weddings, we use AI to ensure our storytelling about tradition and heritage lands with personal relevance, making each family feel like we're speaking directly to their dreams."

Building trust and brand presence

The jewellery industry's ongoing shift from unorganized to organised retail presents both opportunity and challenge for brands like Joyalukkas. While organised players offer advantages in transparency and standardization, they face a fundamental trust deficit when competing against local jewellers who have served families for generations.

"Trust is earned, not advertised. We know a wedding purchase is the biggest of all," Alukkas acknowledges. "Our marketing focuses on transparency - HUID certification, clear pricing and real stories from real families. We don't just sell jewellery - we showcase our role in community celebrations, proving we understand the cultural weight of the moment and can be trusted with it."

This challenge has informed Joyalukkas' aggressive expansion strategy. The brand plans to reach 200 stores, with location decisions heavily influenced by wedding market analysis. "Our expansion is deeply data-driven, and wedding hotspots are a major part of that map," Alukkas confirms. "Cities with rich bridal cultures like Jaipur, Coimbatore and Lucknow are absolutely on our radar. The goal is simple: to be physically present where the most important celebrations happen, making Joyalukkas the natural choice."

Physical presence remains crucial despite digital's growing role in the purchase journey. The nature of bridal jewellery, its high value, cultural significance, and the family dynamics involved, means that in-person consultation and relationship-building still drive final purchase decisions.

The brand has also deployed its ambassador strategy with deliberate differentiation. With Kajol and Samantha Ruth Prabhu as faces of the brand, Joyalukkas attempts to speak to distinct demographic segments. "Kajol and Samantha are like two sides of the same beautiful coin!" Alukkas says. "Kajol embodies timeless grace and emotional depth, anchoring our national campaign with a warmth that feels like family.

Samantha brings that contemporary confidence and vibrant energy, connecting deeply with South Indian and millennial audiences. Together, they help us speak the language of every kind of bride."

This dual-ambassador approach, combined with partnerships including Havas Media as its media agency of record since 2023, reflects an attempt to maintain broad appeal while speaking authentically to regional and generational segments that have different relationships with jewellery, tradition, and brand loyalty.

Beyond the immediate wedding season, Alukkas is candid about the industry's broader challenge: the tension between short-term performance marketing and long-term brand building. "For us, it's never a choice between brand and sales - it's a harmony. While festive pushes create a buzz, our core narrative is always about building a legacy of trust. We're in the business of emotions and heirlooms, not just seasonal transactions," he emphasizes.

The shift the industry needs, he argues, is toward sustained engagement rather than episodic activation. "The shift needs to be towards always adding value to the customer's life story, making the brand a cherished part of their journey, year-round."

Looking ahead, Alukkas envisions a future defined by "emotive personalisation at scale." The ambition is to evolve "from a jewellery brand into a lifelong companion for all your milestones," blending "timeless tradition with a tech-forward, globally-inspired vibe" through "immersive digital experiences and content that feels like it was made just for you."

Whether Joyalukkas can successfully navigate the competing pressures of price volatility, generational shifts, trust-building in organised retail, and the performance-versus-brand tension remains to be seen. What's clear is that the wedding jewellery market is in flux, and brands that can balance emotional resonance with operational excellence, while meeting consumers where they are both physically and digitally, stand the best chance of becoming more than just transactional players in families' most significant moments.