Women'swear and wellness sectors to see growth with Rhone's appointed first Media Agency of Record.
In a significant move, premium men's activewear brand Rhone has named Kepler as its first-ever media agency of record. This partnership, which marks Rhone's first dedicated media agency partnership, is set to redefine the brand's media strategy in the digital era.
Following a three-month competitive review involving eight agencies, Kepler was selected for its comprehensive approach to media planning, buying, and measurement. The focus of Kepler's strategy for Rhone's media partnership centres on leading full-service media efforts, including strategy, media buying, and measurement across Rhone's ecommerce, Amazon presence, in-store retail, and wholesale channels.
The primary objective of this strategy is to scale brand awareness and engagement while preserving brand soul. Rhone aims to deepen brand relevance and expand reach across new and existing audiences, supporting growth in its women's collection, mental fitness positioning, and direct-to-consumer business.
A key enabler in this strategy is AI-driven optimization via Kepler's proprietary AI tool, Kip AIR. Kip AIR is designed to optimize Rhone's positioning amid emerging AI-driven search platforms. By understanding how these AI search engines perceive and recommend Rhone's brand, Kip AIR enables smarter targeting and more effective media placements in a shifting landscape influenced by AI technologies.
Rhone's media spend for 2024 is expected to be $27 million, primarily digital. The majority of this spend will be focused on digital platforms. Rhone is also expanding its marketing investment to support an expanded women's product line and doubling down on its Mind & Muscle wellness events series.
To further boost its brand visibility, Rhone is launching campaigns with NBA veteran Kevin Love and LPGA stars Lilia Vu and Lauren Hartlage. The brand aims to drive awareness and engagement for its women's line and cement its position as a leader in the mental fitness space.
Looking ahead, Rhone plans to continue growing its direct-to-consumer business and amp up its marketing investment in 2025. As Rhone joins Kepler's client roster, which includes DTC and modern retail brands like Champion, FILA, and Hasbro, it is set to leverage Kepler's expertise to scale across digital and retail channels.
Founded in 2014, Rhone is a premium men's activewear brand that has made a name for itself in the activewear market. With this strategic partnership, Rhone is poised to make a significant impact in the digital landscape and continue its growth trajectory.
- Kepler's proprietary AI tool, Kip AIR, will optimize Rhone's positioning in the rapidly evolving AI-driven search platforms, enabling smarter targeting and more effective media placements.
- To deepen brand relevance and expand reach, Rhone will focus on growing its women's collection, mental health positioning, and direct-to-consumer business, as well as increasing its marketing investment in events and campaigns.
- In collaboration with Kepler, Rhone plans to launch campaigns with NBA veteran Kevin Love, LPGA stars Lilia Vu and Lauren Hartlage, and expand its marketing investment to support an expanded women's product line and Mind & Muscle wellness events series.
- With a significant media spend of $27 million planned for 2024, Rhone aims to prioritize digital platforms while continuing to grow its direct-to-consumer business and leverage Kepler's expertise to scale across digital and retail channels.
- Positioning itself as a leader in the activewear market, Rhone has partnered with Kepler to redefine its media strategy, aiming to drive growth and bolster its presence in the digital era, with a focus on health-and-wellness, mental health, and womens-health initiatives while exploring opportunities in finance, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, business, and technology.
