Doner Takes Ross-Simons’ Media AOR from Kepler

Doner Media, the media arm of Detroit-based agency Doner, has been named media agency of record for jewelry retailer Ross-Simons. Following a competitive six-week pitch, Ross-Simons selected Doner Media to handle its media buying and planning, shifting the account from incumbent agency Kepler. Doner Media will emphasize hyper-local marketing and dive deep into consumer behavior, while exposing the 70-year-old retailer to new audiences. “In the fine jewelry category, it’s essential to blend traditional marketing best practices—including research, audience profiling, and channel diversity—with the new opportunities that algorithmic bidding and personalization unlock,” Jim Speltz, president and CEO of Luxury Brand Holdings, which owns Ross-Simons, told ADWEEK. “Doner Media will help us strike the right balance of humanity and technology that harnesses scale and grows business in a way that benefits the brand.” “We plan to elevate Ross-Simons’ profile by understanding the evolving behaviors of their audience,” Jennifer Schulties, executive vice president and head of media strategy and operations at Doner Media, added. “For example, we’re breaking the myth that jewelry is only a gift for others. Jewelry can be a gift for yourself, a way to express your personal style.” She hinted that this messaging will be a key part of upcoming campaigns for the brand. Founded in 1952, Ross-Simons offers affordable, high-quality jewelry mainly through e-commerce channels, though it operates a small number of retail locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Recent campaigns include the RS Pure #Authentic100 initiative, which highlighted minimalist jewelry through influencer partnerships. The company's media spend for 2024 was $10 million, according to COMvergence. Doner's Media Push Doner Media was relaunched in mid-2023 as a separate entity after being rolled into Stagwell-owned sister agency Assembly in 2014, driven by the growing demand among clients for integrated media and creative services. Its latest iteration has a renewed focus on media buying, planning, and technology. The agency has grown to 30 people and increased revenues 107% over the past year. It now has 26 clients on its roster and is managing $50 million in billings. “We’re closely aligned with Doner, the creative shop that's been around since the 1930s, so creativity is in our bones,” Schulties said. “What we bring to the table—especially in a time when technology has taken over media buying—is the ability to balance tech with a human touch.” Doner is the latest full-service agency to double down on media; in March, BarkleyOKRP spun out MissionOne Media as an independent offering. And in January, Mischief @ No Fixed Address revealed it had been quietly building out a media department. According to Schulties, Doner Media has carved out a niche by offering brands a personalized, hands-on approach to media strategy. “We become trusted advisors and business partners to our clients, even if we’re only managing media. Nothing we do is a ‘set it and forget it.’ We engage in every part of their business and want to understand what keeps them up at night.” As Doner looks to grow its media arm, it recently brought on 23-year Publicis vet LisaAnn Rocha as executive vice president, head of media growth and integration, to focus on new business development and integrating media more closely with Doner’s creative arm. “As we were growing, we realized we needed someone who was focused on sourcing new leads and taking care of new business and growth,” Schulties said. “LisaAnn has been a huge partner in navigating that direction.” Looking ahead, Doner Media plans to continue expanding in a "steady, strategic" way by targeting challenger brands looking to grow. “We always strive to ensure that our clients feel like they're the only ones in the agency. It's about that one-on-one touch, ensuring the team understands their business just as well as they do,” she said.

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Doner Takes Ross-Simons’ Media AOR from Kepler

The win comes as the agency's media arm reports $50M in billings and a 107% revenue increase in the past year

Audrey Kemp

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