• by Erin Everhart , Staff Writer, February 13, 2026

Second to AI, emotionally storytelling is the trend of the year. Marketers everywhere are frantic to dig deep into their brand ethos to strike a chord with their consumers. It’s the only way to stand out in this saturated, fragmented and all-too-disheartened media landscape.

Jewelry is one of those categories that should be emotional but often isn’t. Jewelry marks the biggest moments in most of our lives. Engagements. Anniversaries. Milestones. Passed-down pieces that carry stories, not just sparkle. And yet, for a long time, the way jewelry has been marketed has felt very transactional. Very promotional. Very “act now before the sale ends.”

To be fair, it’s worked, but for how much longer? We’re plateauing on price promotions, and customers are overwhelmed with value options. They just don’t trust it anymore.

To pivot from price to passion, though, you can’t just wake up one day and decide you’re something different. You can’t turn off promotions overnight. You can’t abandon the customers who got you here.

Helzberg is on that journey now. A 109-year-old brand with 150 stores, they have a deep heritage, real consumer trust and a very promotional past. Over the past year, they’ve undergone a full rebrand. For starters, they dropped diamonds from their name. There’s a new logo, a new visual identity, and a clear brand voice that leans into craftmanship and legacy while still feeling accessible.

It’s not flashy: It’s intentional, emotional, and timeless. They built something designed to last in a culture that’s constantly chasing the next big thing. How’d they do it?

We sat down with Vice President of Brand Marketing Jeanette Carter to find out. Listen to the full episode here and don’t miss Jeanette present at our Brand Insider Summit: Retail in Scottsdale next month.