Starting from a family-run workshop in Copenhagen in 1982, Pandora is now among the world’s best known brands and largest jewellery manufacturers. Providing women with different ways to style and wear their jewellery, the brand is considered an exemplar of jewellery personalisation and affordable luxury. Nils Helander, senior vice president, manufacturing, and managing director of Pandora Production Thailand shared with Hong Kong Jewellery their aspirations to become the most successful jewellery business in the world.
HKJM: Hong Kong Jewellery
NH: Nils Helander
HKJM: Appealing to the millennials is key to the luxury industry. What are Pandora’s strategies?
NH: All our consumers are important to us. We are committed to understanding and learning more about them and engaging with them in order to offer them the products they want and need.
Millennials are driven by a strong sense of relationships and friendship networks. The desire for self-expression and individuality rates high for millennials. They are very tech-savvy too. We have to be agile enough to meet them on their terms. By listening to their stories and understanding the role jewellery plays in their lives – as well as by paying attention to the pieces they are asking for and being agile enough to respond to this – allows us to offer jewellery that they actually want to buy.
HKJM: What do you think is the next step of customisation and personalisation in jewellery to further engage consumers worldwide?
NH: Pandora offers all women many different ways to style and wear jewellery, from our classic charm bracelets to the meaningful Essence collection and new season pieces that allow the wearer to add or subtract elements of the design to suit their style and mood. Our earring jackets, which can be worn either as studs or with the detachable jacket, and Floating Lockets that contain miniature Petite Elements which can be changed are great examples of new ways to customise and personalise jewellery.
We believe we will see more women who look for new ways to wear jewellery and gravitate towards jewellery that allows them to express who they are through the kind of jewellery they buy and the way they wear it.
HKJM: Currently what are Pandora’s focus markets?
NH: Our focus is to continue developing all markets we are present in. We have no mature markets and see great potential in all our markets. Of course, we have emerging markets like China, India and Latin America where we see significant potential in the future.
HKJM: Most of Pandora’s products are quite affordable. Would the company consider offering products of other price point categories?
NH: We have no such plan. Our core business is to design, craft and market beautiful high-quality jewellery to women at affordable prices.
HKJM: What are the core values of Pandora and how are they used in connecting with your consumers?
NH: Pandora’s three core values are pride, passion and performance.
Pandora is the pride of a team of strong individuals with a wholehearted, can-do attitude driven by a desire to celebrate women by offering them the opportunity of personal expression through our universe of high-quality and contemporary jewellery at affordable prices. We are passionate about what we do. With our energy and drive we consistently challenge norms and reach new heights in providing high- quality jewellery that every woman can wear proudly.
HKJM: As the management of a successful jewellery brand, what advice would you give jewellery manufacturers and designers to survive in today’s environment?
NH: Obviously, it is very important to deliver a high standard of quality in the products, while also understanding the ever-changing needs and wants of the consumers. As a company we are very focused on both of these abilities and many more. However, since we are looking to become the most successful jewellery in the world, we probably shouldn’t supply our competitors with a lot of good advice on how to excel.
HKJM: Pandora’s success is undeniably linked to the high-quality production of Thai craftsmen. How does Pandora give back to the local community?
NH: In Thailand, we employ more than 12,000 craftsmen to whom we supply above-average working conditions and salary.
We operate Pandora Jewellery Academy which trains thousands of local people to be skilful craftsmen. We support Thai universities that offer education related to jewellery. For instance, we donated three million baht to Kasetsart and Srinakharinwirot university on 19 June 2017. We also share our knowledge and expertise in many local seminars, offer internships for Thai students, and open our door to universities to visit our factory.
In addition, we have built a new factory with Gold Level – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificate. The new green building meets the highest demands regarding corporate social responsibility and sustainability, setting a new standard for Thai jewellery industry. (Photo courtesy: Pandora)
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