Ōura hires Mediahub as global media agency—behind the decision

Ōura, the company behind the Oura Ring—a smart ring that provides daily health data and insights for users—has appointed Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Mediahub as global media agency of record following a review. The decision was made as the company looks to become a more mainstream consumer product and expand into other global markets. Ad Age A-List & Creativity Awards Final deadline approaching for annual program Enter here The review, which was led internally, began with 32 agencies and was whittled down to six finalists, according to Ōura Chief Marketing Officer Doug Sweeny, who declined to identify the finalists. Sweeny said he was looking for a media agency to help the company find innovative ways to reach new audiences. The company’s media was previously handled internally with the help of small shops. “The bifurcation of media is very challenging these days to break through and cut through in a streaming world where if you’re on Netflix, you’re not watching a lot of commercials these days,” Sweeny said. Examples of this type of approach include Oura Ring's ad placement on The New York Times games Wordle and Connections. “Those are very targeted games that are within our demo, but they’re also very mass globally,” Sweeny said. “What other experiences are out there like that where we can also be disruptive and interrupt people in a contextually right way?” Also read: How Doug Sweeny is forging a new identity for Ōura Since its launch in 2015, Ōura—which last year raised capital at a $2.55 billion valuation—has built a loyal following. The Finnish company has grown in part due to celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Prince Harry, Cindy Crawford, Jimmy Kimmel and Jennifer Aniston endorsing the product. Last week, Rosario Dawson was announced as Ōura’s latest brand ambassador. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Sweeny said he wants Mediahub—whose other clients include Lyft, Pinterest and Nerdwallet—to help provide more targeted advertising efforts to acquire new customers. This comes as the brand continues to transition from being known as a “biohacker” company to one that makes products for the mass market. The brand currently does not have a creative agency of record. Ōura has also launched collaborations with Gucci, Equinox and Natural Cycles. The U.S. is the company’s largest market, according to Sweeny, adding that it was looking for a media partner to help the brand expand globally, starting with the EMEA region. More than 50% of Ōura’s media spend is in digital channels. While Sweeny declined to provide specifics on ad spend numbers, Ōura spent $20 million on measured media last year according to Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics. Retail has also become an important part of the company’s plans. In April, Ōura partnered with Best Buy to sell Oura rings in stores across the U.S. and Canada. Become an All Access subscriber Get access to exclusive resources including Leading National Advertisers, World’s Largest Advertisers, Agency Report, Agency Review Tracker and TV Pricing Report. Click here “Best Buy is seeing a lot of folks being driven into their store from Ōura who are coming in specifically searching for that product," said Sweeny, adding that distribution in Best Buy provides a place for people to be fitted for the rings. The account will be led out of Mediahub’s Los Angeles office with support from the rest of the agency.

Ōura hires Mediahub as global media agency—behind the decision

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