Iconic fashion retailer
Ralph Lauren has put its digital media agency assignment into review, according to sources. The incumbent is Razorfish, a unit of Publicis Groupe.
Among other responsibilities,
Razorfish has handled the company’s search activities and advised the client on its overall digital strategy.
According to Kantar Media, the company spent just over $4 million on
Internet advertising last year, out of a total advertising budget of a little more than $60 million.
But the company is also spending money on newer forms of digital. For example, to make a
splash during last September’s Fashion Week in New York, the company bought all the space in The New York Times’ iPad for the entire month. It created Web sites that allow
customers to create one-of-a-kind designs and has been on the cutting edge of in-store advertising with interactive window displays.
Earlier this year at the National Retail Foundation’s
annual conference, David Lauren, the company’s executive vice president, advertising and marketing (and Ralph's son) emphasized the importance of digital in the company’s marketing mix.
“We fuse art, fashion and technology,” he told attendees. “It’s about finding the right technology to help you tell the story.”
The company does not break out
total online sales, but recently reported that through the first nine months of its current fiscal year, online sales were up nearly 30%.
When asked for details of the review, a rep at Ralph
Lauren said the company does not comment on “any specifics as it pertains to our relationships with outside agencies.”