Kathmandu Parent Company Changes Name to Reflect Brand Strategy

“Our purpose is to inspire people to explore and love the outdoors. All our brands are focused on supporting, enhancing and encouraging activities for the outdoor consumer,” said Michael Daly, CEO of KMD Brands Group.

The parent company of Kathmandu has been executing a brand refresh since its acquisition of Rip Curl and Oboz in October 2019. KMD Brands has been looking to reframe its brand identity to distinguish the Group from the Kathmandu brand. Moreover, this refreshed strategy aims to reshape its identity as the parent company drives towards the next phase of growth.

“The change to KMD Brands is an outward sign of the transformation that has occurred within the group in recent years and its future strategy, while still acknowledging its history,” the statement from the brand read.

KMD Brands’ corporate strategy consists of four pillars, the company shared. These include building global brands, elevating digital, leveraging operational excellence, and showcasing leadership in ESG. This comes as Kathmandu launches into the North American and European markets, and continues to expand the Rip Curl brand in the US.

KMD Brands Group CEO, Michael Daly

“We are building global brands, including growing Rip Curl in North America, and making it the pre-eminent surf brand in Australasia,” said Daly. “We are launching Kathmandu into North America and Europe highlighting its Australasian heritage and harnessing the specialist leadership and values that Oboz is known for in North America to grow into Australasia and then Europe.”

KMD Group is planning to launch and execute a series of new innovations to harness a stronger CX for the brands under its umbrella. “This is supported by the launch of new and improved loyalty programs to allow personalised communications,” the statement read. Furthermore, KMD Brands will also harness excellence programmes that accelerate its cross-border opportunities. This includes the optimisation of its supply chain, harnessing core-system upgrades and product innovation.

Its current B Corp accreditation will also aim to get extended to the Rip Curl and Oboz brands, and the Group will set Science-Based Targets aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement to strengthen its ESG leadership in the industry. “Our new company name, KMD Brands, heralds an exciting time for the group as we evolve into a leading family of global outdoor brands that are renowned for quality, innovation and sustainability,” Daly said.

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