‘We very meticulously brought this to life’: Michael Hill’s CMO teases major brand refresh
Fine jewellery brand Michael Hill has hinted at a brand refresh, and its first-ever brand ambassador, set to officially launch next week. Speaking to Mumbrella, Jo Feeney, chief marketing officer at Michael Hill, said the brand has never experienced anything like it is about to embark on.
The new era is nearly two years in the making, in partnership with CHEP Network, and aims to encapsulate the brand’s refined and reimagined vision for its position in market.
As part of their broader business strategy, which Feeney said is around their “aspirational brand journey”, Michael Hill is looking to elevate and enter into a different space – one that is less occupied by a lot of fine jewellers.
“So we knew that there was an opportunity and then we did a lot of work looking at who our future growth customer was going to be,” she told Mumbrella. “And obviously, to really appeal to that customer, we knew that we needed to elevate ourselves.”
Incorporating all aspects of a new brand proposition – including its first ‘high jewellery’ offering, elevated in-store experiences, a relaunched website and a complete overhaul of its visual branding – Feeney said the refresh is looking long-term – hence why it took nearly two years.
“That work takes time, it takes research, and so I think two years is a pretty good time frame for something like this,” she explained.
“We really wanted the brand to be grounded in authenticity, and connect to our heritage and history. We felt we did the right amount of work, and very meticulously brought this to life.”
Balancing the tradition of the brand and encapsulating everything Sir Michael and Lady Christine Hill have built, with the need to modernise, was a steep learning curve for Feeney and the wider team, but she said they leant into “contemporary nostalgia” which combined the two.
“It’s a fresh take, but we are a fine jeweller and we often go between trends and pieces that need longevity. It’s going to be a constant play for us to make sure we keep that beautifully balanced, but that opens up a lot of opportunities for us.”
A new brandmark has also been revealed that is grounded in Michael Hill’s origin story. The brandmark’s ‘M’ and ‘H’ were combined to create a window form, paying homage to the iconic window displays that Lady Christine Hill designed in the brand’s formative years.
The new brandmark
“Some of these elements are already out in the market as part of the tease campaign, which is so exciting, but bringing all these pieces of the puzzle to life next week will be a thrill.”
Alongside the brand refresh, Michael Hill is set to announce its first-ever brand ambassador.
While Feeney was obviously tight-lipped on who it is, she told Mumbrella “she has very similar values and obviously will support our brand elevation in a really big way”.
She continued: “In our search, we had to look at someone who had appeal across all our three markets – Australia, New Zealand and Canada – and someone who had multiple facets to themself in terms of what they do, what they believe in and how they align themselves.
“There were a few key factors in our decision, and we think they are perfect… I can’t wait for everyone to know.”
Michael Hill is also set to open up its flagship store in Chadstone, which Feeney said will be “an entirely new experience”.
Over the next 6-12 months, as the refreshed identity is rolled out, Feeney said the brand will also continue with product evolution and focus on its well-loved loyalty program.
The rebrand will officially launch on April 15.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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