Kathmandu Holdings has announced that it is now trading as KMD Brands Limited, to reflect its refreshed corporate strategy and identity.
Since its growth beyond just the Kathmandu brand, with the acquisitions of Rip Curl and Oboz, KMD Brands has been on a mission to operate under a name that demonstrates the scope of the business.
According to the business, the new name reflects its 35-year history, recent transformations and future strategies.
"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," Group CEO Michael Daly said.
KMD Brands' corporate strategy is focused on four key pillars: building global brands, elevating digital, leveraging operational excellence, and showcasing leadership in environmental social governance (ESG).
"We are building global brands, including growing Rip Curl in North America, and making it the pre-eminent surf brand in Australasia," Daly added.
"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," he said.
Unifying the brands under the new name also signals significant back-end changes for the business.
To support the growth of the brands as well as elevate the digital experience, KMD Brands is investing in whole-of-group platforms that support a unified customer experience and commerce operations.
This is supported by the launch of new and improved loyalty programs to enhance personalisation and communications.
The unified approach will also allow the business to take advantage of cross-brand opportunities in the supply chain.
The business will also extend Kathmandu's B Corp accreditation to Rip Curl and Oboz and will set science-based targets aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement to strengthen its ESG leadership position.
Meanwhile, the new name also brings with it a new purpose and vision statement for the Group.
According to a statement, "KMD's vision is to be the leading family of global outdoor brands – designed for purpose, driven by innovation, best for people and planet."
The parent company aims to realise synergies across brands to create more than the sum of the parts of its individual brands.
"Our purpose is to inspire people to explore and love the outdoors," Daly explained.
"All our brands are focused on supporting, enhancing and encouraging activities for the outdoor consumer," he said.
The visual language of the business has also changed alongside the name change.
Alongside the new KMD Brands logo, the company has new creative assets which will feature across its investor website and investor presentation materials, including textured designs representing the sky, land and sea.
The Group's ASX and NZX tickers remain unchanged as KMD.
KMD Brands is set to report its first half results on March 23 2022.