ROHDE
The comeback of a 150-year-old international shoe manufacturer.
RESULTS
Relationship
From the very beginning, our partnership with the ROHDE team was marked by mutual trust, transparency, and a shared desire to foster creative freedom. Revitalizing the brand's vision required a relentless team willing to pursue bold ideas. With the 'BE OPEN' campaign, we laid the foundation for a new understanding of the brand. The 'STAY REAL' campaign not only captured the essence of ROHDE but also highlighted the synergy between our teams.
The strategic and creative journey we embarked on with ROHDE reflects the unique nature of our collaboration. It demonstrates how a partnership built on mutual respect and cooperation can yield remarkable results.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
“Collaboration is like a marriage, and we chose very carefully with whom we’d ideally like to spend the next decades. We are very glad that we found BENCHMARKED in 2021.”
Stojan Rudan
Head of Marketing
CAMPAIGN: STAY REAL
ROHDE recognized that storytelling had to play a central role in their marketing and brand communication. It would become their unique selling point, setting them apart from competitors who were either underutilizing or neglecting storytelling altogether.
Thus, the STAY REAL campaign for the Spring/Summer '22 collection was born, rooted in ROHDE’s core values. Through powerful storytelling featuring five authentic spokespersons, ROHDE celebrates individuals who resist societal expectations and follow their own path, dreams, and intuition. These individuals don’t let the noise of others' opinions drown out their inner voice. Just like our spokespersons, ROHDE remains true to itself, creating real shoes for real people.
The response to the STAY REAL campaign was overwhelming. No one had expected such a revival from ROHDE—making the coverage all the more enthusiastic. The leading trade magazine in the shoe industry, SCHUHKURIER, dedicated a 6-page cover story to ROHDE, while the second most important trade magazine, SHOEZ, wrote a 2-page article about the successful comeback. W&V reported on a "rejuvenation" and the transformation from a "conservative" slipper manufacturer to a "personality-driven" brand. Well-known consumer publications featured ROHDE shoes, and the campaign received widespread praise on Instagram.
Finally, in June 2022, ROHDE's "STAY REAL" campaign was awarded the title of "Winner" at the German Brand Awards in the category "Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation."
The competition honors the most successful brands and innovative brand presentations in the German-speaking region.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
“We knew that if we created something with passion, true stories, and honest messages—something real that gives people goosebumps—we would stand out. With the STAY REAL campaign, we brought our values and messages into the hearts and minds of a younger audience through a group of unique individuals with equally unique and authentic stories.”
Renato Lo Presti
CEO Rohde Shoes
CAMPAIGN: ONE LIFE
Young people spend an average of 3 hours per day on social media.
That's 21 hours per week, 90 hours per month, and 1.5 months per year.
With our "ONE LIFE" campaign, we aimed to do more than just create a new branding campaign for ROHDE. Our goal was to make a significant impact on the current societal trend that particularly affects young people—a trend that has long surpassed the simple act of connecting with friends.
In times of emotional overwhelm, such as during pandemics, lockdowns, political unrest, social injustice, and climate crises, a natural defense mechanism called "emotional numbness" sets in. We shut down emotions, escape the real world, and lose ourselves in virtual spaces to cope with stress and constant pressure.
The ROHDE campaign is a reminder of the importance of being mindful of our time and encourages us not to be overwhelmed by the events around us but to fully embrace and cherish every precious moment.
PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
To create a coherent visual journey across the online shop, we deliberately captured detailed close-up shots of every model during the lookbook production. These were paired with product cutouts, for which we developed four individual variations per style. Together with a complete full-look image, this setup forms a distinctive and consistent visual framework.
By applying this structure throughout the ROHDE collection, we establish a strong visual connection from social media content to the respective product pages. This continuity reinforces brand recognition while elevating the overall digital shopping experience — making it clear, consistent, and visually compelling.
Social Advertising
Using our proprietary BENCHMARKED BI, we support ROHDE in identifying which products within each 100+ SKU collection truly drive performance. Instead of relying on intuition, we systematically test and analyze the assortment at the beginning of every season to detect early signals of demand and sales potential.
Based on these insights, we align closely with the ROHDE team to secure sufficient stock for high-performing products before scaling. Media budgets are then allocated selectively to the SKUs with the strongest contribution potential, while key financial metrics remain under constant review.
The learnings from each testing phase feed directly into future seasonal planning. This allows us to continuously refine communication, content priorities, and paid media allocation — creating a structured, repeatable process that strengthens performance season after season.
Collection & Seasonal Performance Analysis
By implementing our BENCHMARKED BI, we established a product-level steering system that allows us to identify winning styles early within ROHDE’s 100+ SKUs per collection. Instead of relying on surface-level performance signals, we systematically test products at the beginning of each season to detect real demand and sales potential.
Based on these insights, we align media allocation with stock levels and restock planning in close coordination with the ROHDE team. High-demand products are scaled strategically across social channels while continuously monitored against financial KPIs. The data generated from each campaign feeds directly into future collection planning, optimizing communication, content direction, and paid media decisions season after season.
