To Mine or to Grow? De Beers and the Future of "Forever"

This case study examined De Beers Group's existential crisis as the world's historic diamond monopoly confronted collapsing natural diamond prices, the rise of lab-grown alternatives, and a generational shift in what "forever" means to consumers.

While a previous classmate had analyzed the case from a traditional competitive lens, I took a strategic expansion approach—diagnosing not just what was happening, but why De Beers' century-old playbook was failing, and how the company could evolve beyond the "mined vs. lab-grown" binary into a meaning-driven luxury brand.

The final deliverable was a 13-slide strategic presentation covering De Beers' historical dominance, current market pressures (30% natural diamond price drop, 25% lab-grown market share, $189M loss in H1 2025), leadership and sustainability gaps, and a bold repositioning framework: "The Future of Forever." This framework proposed four strategic pillars—Disrupt with Purpose, Embrace Graceful Aging, Sustain with Receipts, and Share the Stories—designed to help De Beers reclaim cultural relevance, defend premium pricing through measurable impact, and humanize luxury through narrative authenticity.

My Role:
📚 Independent Research & Insight Extraction: Conducted deep analysis of De Beers' 200-year history, competitive landscape (lab-grown disruptors, luxury competitors), market data (pricing trends, Gen Z purchasing behavior), and sustainability positioning. Synthesized fragmented information into a cohesive strategic narrative.
🧭 Strategic Problem Diagnosis: Identified three core challenges beyond what the original case presented: (1) Leadership: defensive mindset protecting heritage instead of driving innovation, (2) Sustainability: impact work exists but lacks visibility and storytelling, (3) Marketing: brand fatigue—"forever" feels dated to audiences "living for now."
💡 Strategic Framework Development: Created "The Future of Forever" positioning framework with four actionable pillars:
- Disrupt with Purpose: Launch De Beers Artisans Fellowship for next-gen craftspeople; create one-of-a-kind pieces with online customization tied to CSR storytelling
- Embrace Graceful Aging: Reframe beauty through time—target aging women with "Age bright, like a diamond" campaigns focused on lifelong brilliance and self-gifting
- Sustain with Receipts: Turn sustainability data into marketing content; link premium pricing to measurable impact (e.g., "tons of land restored per carat sold")
- Share the Stories: Humanize luxury through UGC from artisans, customers, and communities; integrate fellowship stories and sustainability proof into campaigns
📊 Visual Storytelling & Presentation Design: Designed a 13-slide presentation using De Beers' brand aesthetic (navy, gold, white) with custom layouts for timeline, challenges breakdown, and strategic framework. Created visual hierarchy to guide narrative from historical context → current crisis → future vision.
📣 Strategic Recommendations: Positioned recommendations not as "choose natural or lab-grown" but as "choose meaning"—arguing that De Beers' survival depends on defending why premium pricing matters (ethics, impact, craft, story) rather than defending what is "real."

Tools:
-Canva (Presentation Design)
-Case Study Research & Market Analysis
-Strategic Frameworks (Problem Diagnosis, Positioning Strategy)