Cossette Media has won the media assignment for sporting goods retailer Decathlon Canada following what it describes as a “thorough” RFP process. The companies began working together on March 1.
Cossette will handle all aspects of the retailer’s media strategy, from developing “impactful” media campaigns, to carrying out performance analysis intended to improve its media investment.
Karine Courtemanche, executive vice-president at Cossette parent Plus Company Canada and president of the media group, said that the company’s new predictive intelligence tool Plus AIOS will be a “central pillar” of the relationship.
In a release announcing the launch of Plus AIOS last year, Plus Company said the tool had already helped clients optimize $2 billion in marketing spend, while reducing cost per conversion by 29% and boosting campaign efficiency by as much as 23%.
“Cossette Media is equipped to bring immense added-value to Decathlon Canada’s media strategy by putting data at the heart of every decision,” said Courtemanche in a release. “We’re proud of our local expertise and eager to play a key role in growing the brand and opening new store locations across Canada.”
The combination of strategy expertise and ability to provide “cutting-edge” solutions was a key factor in the decision to hire Cossette, said Philippe Gariépy, brand marketing manager at Decathlon. “Together, we’re determined to reach new heights and ensure Decathlon’s continued success in the Canadian market.”
The French retailer entered Canada in 2018, and is in the midst of an expansion strategy that has seen it grow to 19 stores in five provinces, with a 20th store slated to open in Chicoutimi this spring.
The announcement coincides with the introduction of a major brand overhaul for Decathlon that is built around its newly articulated purpose: “To move people through the wonders of sport.”
It includes a heavy emphasis on technology that is intended to create a new customer experience shaped by a “digital first mindset.”
It includes a global revamp of its ecommerce capabilities, and updates to its digital supply chain through “best-in-class tools and AI algorithms” that will improve accuracy in forecasting, assortment planning and stock parameters.
Decathlon has already introduced tools designed to create what it describes as an “immersive experience” for customers, including the introduction of its 3D shopping app on Apple Vision Pro in the U.S.
The brand overhaul also features a new brand logo called “the orbit” that signifies what the company describes as “expressing movement, the ambition to reach new heights, and [the] circularity” at the centre of its sustainable business model.
That commitment to sustainability includes a pledge to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2026, ultimately achieving net zero by 2050. It is also modernizing its more than 1,700 stores worldwide.
The retailer has also launched a new global campaign created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO that launched this week in its 70 markets worldwide. It is led by a 60-second spot called “Ready to play?” that begins with an establishing shot of a young baby, and a voiceover stating: “Question. What were we born to do?”
It then transitions to a series of visuals of people enjoying recreational activities while the voiceover explains all humans possess an innate love of play. “Play is what we’re made for,” it says, before concluding with the new logo and the question, “ready to play?”
