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Ralph Lauren announced on Wednesday that it has consolidated all of its global media buying and planning efforts with four agencies from 12. The selection follows a review that involved 11 agencies, although it is unclear which ones.
Publicis’ Zenith, named agency of record for global strategy and buying, has been awarded most of the business. The agency, which did not respond to a press query, will lead the strategy and buying duties across North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa while working alongside three local agency partners on execution: PMG in North America, ForwardPMX in EMEA and Dentsu in Japan and South Korea.
The fashion brand and retailer previously employed 12 agencies—primarily local market vendors with in-house support—across its global media account.
“Connecting with our consumers, especially digitally, is a top priority as we look to win over the next generation, and our new model for media partners will help us to deliver on that efficiently and at scale,” Ralph Lauren chief marketing officer Jonathan Bottomley said in a statement.
In the announcement, Ralph Lauren also noted that it would be increasing its marketing spend by 10 percent this year compared to 2018, “all of which will be focused on digital channels.” That move comes as an increasing number of brands place more money into digital media efforts such as CRM.
According to R3 co-founder and principal Greg Paull, Ralph Lauren spent $35 million on measured media in the U.S. and an additional $30 million internationally last year.
In the announcement, Ralph Lauren said its decision to increase its digital media budget and consolidate the account with just four agencies reflects its commitment to “drive efficiency and leverage scale across the business as it delivers for consumers across the channels that matter most to them.”
