Kepler Loses Media Account of Ross-Simons to Doner Agency
Detroits Doner Media, the marketing wing of agency Doner, bags the media agency of record title for jewelry retailer Ross-Simons following a six-week pitch battle. Doner Media is now tasked with media buying and planning, dislodging Kepler from the role.
The new media partnership is all about localized marketing and delving deep into consumer behavior, with the aim of exposing the 70-year-old retailer to unexplored horizons. Jim Speltz, head of Luxury Brand Holdings, which owns Ross-Simons, believes, "Doner Media gets the balance of humanity and technology that harnesses scale and grows business in a way that benefits the brand."
Jennifer Schulties, the executive VP and head of media strategy and operations at Doner Media, hints their strategy revolves around understanding the evolving behavior of Ross-Simons' audience. One key component of their approach is contending the misconception that jewelry is a gift solely for others. Instead, they're planning to highlight jewelry as a gift for oneself, a means of expressing personal style self-expression.
Ross-Simons, established in 1952, sells affordable, high-quality jewelry mainly online, though it maintains brick-and-mortar stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In recent campaigns, they've emphasized minimalistic jewelry through influencer collaborations, for instance, the RS Pure #Authentic100 initiative. Ross-Simons allocated $10 million to their media spend for 2024, according to COMvergence.
Doner Media comes rebooted mid-2023 as a separate entity after merging with Stagwell-owned Assembly in 2014. The revamped agency now concentrates on media buying, planning, and technology, with a team of 30 professionals managing $50 million in billings.
Schulties claims that this new iteration of Doner Media brings a mix of creativity and technology, and a touch of personalization to media strategy. They strive to act as trusted advisors and business partners for their clients, offering a one-on-one approach tailored to each businesses' unique needs.
Doner recently welcomed LisaAnn Rocha, a 23-year Publicis veteran, as the executive VP, head of media growth and integration, to boost new business development and amalgamate media more tightly with Doner's creative division. In the future, Doner Media looks to expand in a steady, strategic manner by focusing on emerging brands seeking growth in the highly competitive fine jewelry market.
- Following the merger with Assembly in mid-2023, Doner Media, now a separate entity, is focused on media buying, planning, and technology with a team of 30 professionals.
- Jim Speltz, head of Luxury Brand Holdings, has entrusted Doner Media with media buying and planning for jewelry retailer Ross-Simons, aiming to expose the 70-year-old retailer to new horizons through localized marketing and consumer behavior analysis.
- In the business partnership with Ross-Simons, Doner Media's strategy revolves around understanding the evolving behavior of the retailer's audience and highlighting jewelry as a self-expression tool rather than a gift solely for others.
- With $10 million allocated for media spend in 2024, according to COMvergence, Ross-Simons, established in 1952 and known for selling affordable, high-quality jewelry both online and in brick-and-mortar stores, is seeking rapid growth in the competitive fine jewelry market by partnering with Doner Media.
