Kathmandu appoints Columbus as digital media agency

Josh McDonnell
By Josh McDonnell | 27 August 2018
 

Outdoor apparel and travel retailer Kathmandu has appointed Dentsu Aegis Network-owned Columbus as its digital media agency, following a competitive pitch.

The agency, which sits under performance marketing arm Merkle, will manage the retailer's digital media across search, social and display, replacing the incumbent GroupM Connect.

Columbus' focus will be on developing and enhancing Kathmandu's data-driven marketing campaigns.

“We were impressed with the strategic thought leadership and data-driven insights that Columbus brought to the pitch, and their values of collaboration, innovation and partnership are a great fit with our own,” Kathmandu group marketing manager John Sette says.

“We believe they are the best partner to help us evolve our digital marketing as we find new ways to engage with our customers globally.”

In its previous half-year results announcement, Kathmandu CEO Xavier Simonet announced the company would look to develop its social media and online marketing strategy, with a focus on growing its customer loyalty database, known as the Summit Club.

“This is an outstanding win for Columbus. Our team is really excited about the opportunity to work with such an iconic brand to manage their performance media backed by data and insights,” Columbus managing director Mitchell McBeath says.

“We look forward to creating a true partnership with Kathmandu, and helping them push the boundaries to achieve their business goals.”

Merkle, which was acquired by DAN late last year, is steadily building its presence in Australia after officially launching in March, with data-driven marketing agency Columbus and B2B digital media and marketing agency, DWA, both part of the Merkle network locally.

Merkle APAC president Zhengda Shen previously said Australia was a "priority market" for Merkle's global expansion, with the company focused on building upon its recent momentum and acquisitions.

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