Kailis gets the brand out

THE launch of an Australian collection of south sea pearls at the Ritz Hotel in Madrid this month marks the beginning of a serious international branding campaign for a local family business.

Kailis Australian Pearls has launched its collection of south sea pearls, grown in water off Broome, in Spain, the world’s fourth-largest market for the pearls.

Kailis also has announced a move into the Northern Territory following the acquisition of an existing pearl farming company in the area.

Kailis Australian Pearls managing director Alex Kailis said that, despite downturns in the pearl market, Kailis was still looking at opportunities to grow the pearling business to support initiatives like the launch in Spain.

Mr Kailis said the strong family commitment that underpinned the business was an important part of selling the brand.

Kailis Australian Pearls also has undertaken a comprehensive edu-cation campaign to inform retailers about the south sea pearls.

“We decided to develop our brand internally with the appointment of a strategic marketing manager who has a strong back-ground in consumer brand development in European markets,” Mr Kailis said.

“This has enabled us to develop a very distinctive brand strategy that is an extension of our pearling business rather than just a name tagged onto our products.”

Quality also was a key feature of the Kailis brand and a powerful selling tool within Europe, he said.

“Australian pearls are well known for their quality, particularly in Spain where they have a strong identity, but as other producing areas are increasing it is important that Australian producers continue to promote the quality virtues of Australian pearls,” Mr Kailis said.

Kailis Australian Pearls claims it is the first Australian producer to establish its own brand in a European market.

Point-of-sale material developed for the collection includes information for both retailers and consumers to help them understand the different qualities and prices of the product.

Spain was chosen as a launch location for the collection of pearls because Kailis has a long relationship with the country’s largest importer of Australian pearls.