under armour brand audit for imc 613 - brand equity
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Genifer SnipesIMC 619 - Brand Equity
April 20, 2016
Brand Audit
Executive SummaryIn#the#20#years#since#our#CEO#developed#a#solu8on#to#sweaty#workout#shirts#in#the#basement#of#
his#mother's#house#in#Bal8more,#Maryland#in#1996,#Under#Armour,#Inc.#has#become#one#of#the#
top#producers#of#performanceHenhancing#apparel,#footwear,#and#technologies#that#help#serious#
athletes#reach#their#fitness#goals#while#staying#comfortable#and#looking#good.#In#the#process,#it#
has#become#the#top#brand#for#underdogs,#rising#stars,#and#athletes#who#recognize#success#takes#
dedica8on#and#unheralded#effort.
The#future#of#Under#Armour#is#promising,#but#we#can't#take#advantage#of#new#opportuni8es#if#
our#brand#isn't#showing#its#best#face#to#the#world. Our#recent#brand#audit#enables#us#to#examine#
how# we# intend# our# brand# to# be# seen,# the# rela8onship# between# intent# and# actual# public#
percep8on,#and#highlights#ways#to#improve#how#we#present#Under#Armour#to#the#world.#
Audit Overview During#the#brand#audit,#our#marke8ng#team#examined#tangible#and#intangible#elements#of#the#
Under#Armour#brand#such#as#logo#design,#spokespeople,#online#presence,#and#brand#"aQtude,"#
to# ensure# they# support# a# cohesive# brand# iden8ty.# ARer# assessing# the# elements# of# Under#
Armour’s#iden8ty#under#our#control,#we#examined#how#current#and#poten8al#customers#see#the#
brand.#We# explored# emo8onal# associa8ons,# interac8on# preferences,# and# awareness# levels# in#
our# target#markets.# Finally,# the# team#developed# sugges8ons# for# how#branding# and#marke8ng#
programs#can#be#augmented#to#improve#our#market#posi8on.#
Summary of Recommendations Based#on#audit#findings,# the#Under#Armour#marke8ng# team#proposes# three#new#strategies# to#
increase#brand#awareness#and#loyalty#over#the#next#two#years.#
1. Increase# brand# awareness# among# nonHtradi8onal# athle8c#markets# by# 5%# over# the# next# 2#
years#through#increased#marke8ng#and#product#promo8on#
2. Increase#repeat#product#purchase#rates#by#10%#over#2#years#by#implemen8ng#brand#loyalty#
program#
3. Increase# brand# awareness# within# target# market# by# 10%# over# 2# years# by# increasing#
promo8on#of#Under#ArmourHcauseHrelated#products#&#ac8vi8es#
Internal Positioning Findings The#Under#Armour#brand#iden8ty#rests#on#a#number#of#focused#elements#including#the#UA#Logo,#
"I#Will"#slogan,#and#brand#colors#that#are#unique#from#our#compe8tors#and#ensure#products#are#
visible#on#store#shelves#and#when#people#wear#them.#Our#branding#is#consistently#applied#across#
product# segments# and# marke8ng# materials,# resul8ng# in# a# cohesive# image# that# increases#
memorability# and# aids# brand# recogni8on.# Even# new# or# intangible# products# such# as# our# UA#
Record#fitness#band#or#collec8on#of#mobile#apps#are#correctly#branded.
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Under#Armour#has#a#strong#distribu8on#chain#of#specialty#stores,#department#stores,#and#online#
retailers#as#well#as#our#own#website#and#network#of#bou8que#stores#to#ensure#shoppers#are#able#
to#find#our#products#wherever#they#look.##
In#addi8on,#a#dynamic#marke8ng#program#consis8ng#of#a#robust#athle8c#sponsorship#program,#
tradi8onal#and#digital#adver8sing,#direct#marke8ng,#sales#promo8ons,#and#an#array#of#content#
marke8ng#and#social#media#programs#drives#public#awareness#of#the#brand.
External Positioning Findings Through#primary# and# secondary# research,#we# learned# that#Under#Armour#has# generally# good#
brand#awareness#among#athle8c#shoppers,#most#of#whom#are#aware#of#our#apparel# lines#and#
rela8onships# with#major# team# sports# like# football# and# basketball.#We# learned# that# far# fewer#
consumers# are# aware# of# our# presence# in# smaller# sports# such# as# lacrosse,# surfing,# or# hiking,#
which#has#the#poten8al#to#limit#our#relevance#and#ability#to#grow.#
Research#par8cipants#indicated#posi8ve#or#neutral#sen8ment#as#well#as#enthusiasm#or#curiosity#
toward#the#brand.#They#associated#Under#Armour#with#terms#like:#“innova8ve,”#“performance,”#
“empowering,”#and#“outsider,”# indica8ng#our#messaging#is#on#target#and#successful#at#crea8ng#
the#desired#percep8on#of#the#brand.#At#the#same#8me,#the#neutral#sen8ment#indicated#by#some#
consumers#suggests#Under#Armour#needs#to#increase#awareness#among#athletes#using#different#
tac8cs#than#current#marke8ng#focuses#on.
Although#many#consumers# indicated# they#purchase#Under#Armour#products,#we# saw#an# issue#
with#brandHhopping.#Virtually#all#consumers#who#purchased#our#products#also#purchased#from#
compe8tors,# undermining# our# ability# to# increase# market# share# and# posi8on# ourselves# as# a#
lifestyle,#indica8ng#a#need#for#new#programs#to#boost#brand#affilia8on#and#loyalty.
Conclusion In#conclusion,#the#marke8ng#team#concludes#the#Under#Armour#brand#is# in#excellent#shape#to#
take#advantage#of#future#opportuni8es#for#growth.#Our#internal#posi8on#is#uniform#and#driven#
by#our#vision#of:#EMPOWER#ATHLETES#EVERYWHERE.
Consumers#who#are#aware#of#our#brand#feel#favorably#toward#it;#however,#brand#awareness#and#
loyalty# could# be# improved# through# a#more# diverse#messaging# approach# that# posi8ons#Under#
Armour# as# the# brand# for# all# serious# athletes,# not# just# those# in# tradi8onal# team# sports.# In#
addi8on# to# reaching# new# markets,# we# can# strengthen# our# bond# with# exis8ng# customers# by#
giving#them#new#ways#to#achieve#performance#goals#through#increased#brand#interac8on.
The#recommenda8ons#laid#out#in#this#report#will#enable#Under#Armour#to#successfully#ahack#its#
compe8tors'#market#share#from#an#unusual#angle#by#focusing#on#crossover#appeal#and#ahrac8ng#
customers#from#sports#that#usually#have#to#fight#for#the#athle8c#limelight.
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Table&of&Contents&
About&Under&Armour,&Inc.&& 5&
Brand&Inventory& 7&
Inventory&Overview& 8&
Brand&Catalog& 9&
Communica.on&Channels& 15&
Compe..ve&Environment&(Internal)& 18&
Brand&Exploratory& 25&
Exploratory&Overview& 26&
Product&Landscape& 27&
Awareness,&ALtudes,&&&Percep.on& 28&
Brand&Elements& 31&
Compe..ve&Environment&(External)& 34&
Under&Armour&Audience&Profiles& 36&
Recommenda:ons& 39&
Expand&marke.ng&efforts&aimed&at&nonTtradi.onal&athle.c&markets& 40&
Implement&brand&loyalty&program& 41&
Boost&prominence&of&UA&causeTrelated&lines&&&programs& 42&
References& 44
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About Under Armour, Inc. hVp://www.underarmour.com&&
Founded&in&1996&by&former&University&of&Maryland&football&player&Kevin&Plank&who&had&grown&annoyed&at&the&soggy&coVon&tTshirts&he&was&forced&to&wear&for&prac.ce&and&set&out&to&create&a&moistureTwicking&alterna.ve,&Under&Armour&is&one&of&the&top&performance&apparel&companies&in&the&U.S.&Today,&UA&is&U.S.Tbased&performance&apparel,&footwear,&and&accessory&manufacturer&that&develops,&distributes,&and&markets&products&to&consumers&of&all&ages&and&genders.&The&bulk&of& the& company’s& ac.vi.es& are& focused& on& the& domes.c&market;& however,& the& company& has&begun&an&aggressive&interna.onal&expansion&campaign&since&2012,&which&has&begun&to&pay&off&in& interna.onal&sponsorship&deals&with&ToVenham&Hotspur&FC,&a&Bri.sh&football& team&(Davies,&2012).&The&company’s&core&product&line&is&moistureTwicking&apparel&designed&for&athletes&at&the&professional&and&amateur&level;&however,&they&also&produce&products&for&consumers&who&prefer&ac.vewear&for&leisure&ac.vi.es.&
In&addi.on&to& its&presence& in&performance&apparel,&UA&recently&expanded&opera.ons& into&the&connected&health§or&with&a&range&of&technology&and&mobile&applica.ons,&which&it&sees&as&a&method&of&increasing&consumer&interac.on&with&the&brand&and&its&products&as&a&whole.&&
Market ShareAccording& to&a& SportsOneSource& survey,& in&2014,&UA&was& ranked& third& in&a& survey&of& spor.ng&goods&brands’&share&of&American&lifestyle&consumer&purchases,&which&is&impressive&considering&it’s&barely&20&years&old&and&compe.ng&against&Nike,&which&owns&60%&of&the&overall&performance&apparel&market&and&70%&of&the&footwear&subsec.on&(n.d.;&Yinyin,&2016).&&
That&said,&within&certain&sec.ons&of& the& performance& apparel&industry& such& as& basketball&footwear,&Nike&holds&nearly&100%&market& share& thanks& to& its&dominance& of& NBA& and& NCAA&team& and& individual& athlete&sponsorship& deals& (Trefis,& 2015).&Penetra.ng& these& markets& will¬& be& easy.& Globally,& UA& ranks&34th& with& a& 2%& market& share&(Euromonitor,&2015).&
(Wilson,&2015)&
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RevenuesIn&2015,&the&apparel&category&accounted&for&71%&of&sales,&with&footwear&and&accessories&coming&in&at&17%&and&9%,&and&other&products&and&agreements&accoun.ng&for&the&remaining&3%.&2015&also&heralded&the&company’s&23rd&consecu.ve&quarter&of&+20%&net&revenue&growth,&one&of&two&companies& on& the& S&P& 500& to& do& so.& Approximately& 70%& of& those& revenues& derive& from&wholesale&product&sales&to&retailers&of&all&sizes;&however,&the&company&is&rapidly&expanding&its&direct& sales,& which& includes& over& 200& physical& stores& and& 25& global& eTretail& stores,& as&well& as&thirdTparty&licensing&agreements&(Under&Armour,&2015).&
Strengths • Strong&visual&brand&elements&and&adver.sing&campaigns&
• HighTprofile&spokespeople&in&a&number&of&athle.c&types&and&levels&of&compe..on&
• Unique& brand& personality& places& UA& as& underdog& or& outsider& in& comparison& to&compe.tors,& which& resonates& with& consumers,& many& of& whom& are& newly& interested& in&personal&fitness&
• Products&available&in&virtually&all&performance&apparel§ors&
• Ac.ve&in&connected&health§or,&an&area&few&direct&compe.tors&have&a&strong&presence&in&
• Developing&innova.ve&products&such&as&3TD&printed&athle.c&shoes&and&fitness&technology&ecosystems&which&an.cipate&expected&consumer&product&demands&
• Product&offerings&exist&at&a&wide&range&of&price&points&
• Posi.oning&self& in&nonTtradi.onal&athle.c&markets&such&as&dance&and&hun.ng&in&order&to&gain&market&share&where&primary&compe.tors&are¬&ac.ve&
Weaknesses • Performance&apparel& is&an&industry&with&a&low&barrier&to&entry,&meaning&UA&faces&a&near&constant&stream&of&new&poten.al&compe.tors&and&must&con.nually&differen.ate&its&brand&from&new&entrants&
• UA&remains&a&significantly&smaller&company&than&its&top&compe.tors,&giving&it& less&ability&to&recruit&top&spokespeople&or&sign&major&sponsorship&deals&since&it&has&a&smaller&budget&to&support&these&programs&
• Top&compe.tors&have&had&decades&to&integrate&themselves&into&American&culture,&making&their&topTofTmind&brand&awareness&rates&nearly&unmatchable&by&a&small&brand.&
• Less&physical&presence&in&stores&to&expose&consumers&to&UA&branding&elements&
• UA&lacks&strong&slogan&(similar&to&Nike’s&“Do&it”)&to&base&its&brand&iden.ty&around&
• UA& lacks& significant& interna.onal& presence,& limi.ng& its& ability& to& expand& and& poten.ally&handicapping&it&as&other&companies&secure&customer&loyalty&in&emerging&markets
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Brand Inventory
Inventory OverviewBrand Inventory A&comprehensive&brand& inventory& is& the&first&step& in& the&brand&audi.ng&process&and&gives& the&company& space& to& assess& the& brand’s& current& overall& health& and& sources& of& equity& from& an&internal& perspec.ve.& During& this& step,& the& company& looks& at& the& brand’s& posi.oning& in& the&market,& how& products& are& organized& within& the& brand,& and& the& types& and& effec.veness& of&specific& brand& elements& in& use.& A& cri.cal& look& at& the& brand’s& marke.ng& support& programs&including&sponsorships,&campaigns,&and&communica.on&channels&completes&the& inventory&and&produces&a&full&picture&of&how&the&brand&is&represented&(Keller,&2013).
Mission & Vision
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Brand Catalog Under&Armour&is&the&sole&brand&iden2ty&of&Under&Armour,&Inc.&and,&as&such&does¬&compete&for,&or&share&assets&within&the&company.&&
Brand NameUnder Armour The&name&Under&Armour& represents& the&en2re&brand&ecosystem.&The&name& links&back& to& the&company’s& vision& of& strengthening& athletes& and& suppor2ng& their& ambi2ons.& It& is& succinct& and&aggressive,& which& mirrors& the& brand’s& overall& messaging.& The& name& is& used& on& many& of& the&company’s&marke2ng&materials;&however,&the&brand&abbrevia2on&is&oAen&used&as&a&oneBtoBone&subs2tute.&
UA The&UA&abbrevia2on&is&used&interchangeably&with&the&full&brand&name&on&marke2ng&materials,&and&packaging&as&well&as&a&product&name&prefix.&The&abbrevia2on&also&mirrors&the&brand&logo,&ensuring&seamless&brand&iden2fica2on.&
LogoUA Logo
The& UA& logo& is& an& ar2s2c& rendering& of& the& company’s&abbreviated& name,& clearly& rela2ng& products& or& messaging&bearing& this& logo& back& to& the& brand.& Due& to& the& compact,&streamlined&nature&of&the&logo,&it&is&easily&applied&to&products&of&any&size&or&material&–&a&crucial&considera2on&considering&the&range& of& products& Under& Armour& produces.& The& boldness& of&the&logo&makes&it&dis2nct&when&viewed&from&a&distance&or&on&small& items& such& as& socks& or& mobile& applica2on& logos.&Although&the&official&version&of&the&UA&logo&is&white&on&red,&in&applica2on,& the& UA& logo& appears& just& as& frequently& in& black,&camouflage,& or& other& colors& since& it& is& oAen& the& primary&decora2ve&element&on&a&product.&
Although(the(standard(UA(logo(appears(most(frequently,(there(are(two(variants(used(on(select(leisurewear(products(belonging(to(specific(ac<vity(groups(–(namely(hun<ng(and(fishing.
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UA Hook The& UA& Hook& variant& is& a& decora.ve& element& that& appears& on&leisurewear&products& in& the& company’s&fishing&product& lines.& The&hook& appears& only& on& leisurewear,& not& performance& apparel&products,&which& display& the& core&UA& logo.& The& placement& of& the&hook& variant& indicates& the& brand& uses& it& as& a& selfTiden.fica.on&method&for&members&of&this&ac.vity&to&wear&in&their&off&.me&that&con.nues& to&.e& them&to&Under&Armour&even&when& they&are¬&engaging& in& their& sport.& It& should& be& noted& that& labeling& and&packaging&use&the&original&UA&logo.&&
UA Branch The& UA& Branch& variant& is& a& decora.ve& element& that& appears& on&leisurewear&products&in&the&company’s&hun.ng&product&lines.&The&hook& appears& only& on& leisurewear,& not& performance& apparel&products,&which& display& the& core&UA& logo.& The& placement& of& the&branch& variant& indicates& the& brand& uses& it& as& a& selfTiden.fica.on&method&for&members&of&this&ac.vity&to&wear&in&their&off&.me&that&con.nues& to&.e& them&to&Under&Armour&even&when& they&are¬&engaging& in& their& sport.& It& should& be& noted& that& all& labeling& and&packaging&use&the&original&UA&logo.
SloganI& Will& is& the& core& slogan& of& Under& Armour,& and&was&launched&in&2013.&Since&then,&it&has&become&the& founda.on& of& the& brand’s& adver.sing&campaigns,& affirms& the& brand’s& promise& to&provide& innova.ve&and&empowering&products& to&
its&athletes,&and&rallies&brand&followers&to&“unleash&their& inner&resolve”&(Under&Armour,&2013).&The& slogan& typically&appears& in&official&use& in&adver.sing&campaigns&and&on& the&brand’s& social&media&channels.&&
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Colors Under&Armour’s&color&paleVe&consists&of&three&primary&colors&–&red,&white,&and&black&T&and&one&suppor.ng&color&–&silver.&Red& is&used&as&the&background&of& the&UA& logo&on&primary&marke.ng&materials&such&as&the&website&and&inTstore&displays&as&well&as&an&accent&color&on&adver.sing&and&web©.&The&silver&is&used&for&the&UA&logo&on&some&package&labels.&
Color(hex(codes:• Black:�&
• White&#FFFFFF&
• Red:&#E03A3E
• Silver:&#C0C0C0
Labeling/PackagingUA& packaging& encompasses& a& range& of& designs& appropriate& to& the& specific& product;& however,&standard&themes&include&the&UA&logo,&bright&colors,&and&some&form&of&textTbased&brand&promise&on&the&outside&of&the&packaging.&For&special&edi.on&products,&par.cularly&athle.c&shoes,&UA&has&designed&unique&packaging&to&enrich&the&overall&product&experience.
Brand NamesAll&Under&Armour&products&are&marketed&under&the&UA&brand&name;&however,&names&of&specific&product& lines& vary.& In& some& cases,& the& UA& or& the& word& “under”& is& integrated& into& the& actual&product& line& name& while& in& others,& the& product& line& is& separate& from& the& brand& name.&Trademarked&names&include:• Armour&&• Heatgear&&• Coldgear&&• Allseasongear&&
• Armourbite&&• Armourstorm&&• Armour&Fleece&• UA&Record&
• UA&HEALTHBOX&• Under&Armour&Connected&Fitness
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Product Lines Under& Armour& produces& hundreds& of& products& in& the& apparel,& footwear,& accessories,& and&technology§ors.&These&products&have&a&wide&range&of&prices&with&leisurewear&typically&being&the& lowest& priced& and& the& brand’s& hun.ng& and& sports& equipment& being& the& highest.& Of& the&brand’s&four&product&segments,&the&apparel&segment&produces&the&largest&percentage&of&annual&revenue&and&the&Connected&Fitness&segment&the&least.&&
It& should& be& noted& that& the& Connected& Fitness& segment& is& also& only& two& years& old& and& the&company&has&just&recently&begun&to&heavily&promote&that&segment.&
UA PRODUCT LINEUP, % OF ANNUAL REVENUE BY SEGMENTS, AND PRICE POINTS
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Product DistributionUnder& Armour& products& are& distributed& through& a& range& of& retail& channels& including& sports&specialty& stores,& department& stores,& online& retailers,& and& through& the& company’s& direct& retail&channels&which&consist&of&direct&eTretail&and&a&growing&number&of&bou.que&and&outlet&stores.&
Spokespeople Under&Armour&has&a&strong&brand&spokesperson&program&that&recruits&highTperforming&athletes&to& represent& the&UA&brand&on& the& sports& field,& in& adver.sements,& and& in& their& daily& lives.&UA&sponsors&athletes& in&every&sport&they&offer&products& in.&Further,&UA&has&a&flexible&defini.on&of&“athlete”&and&focuses&on&the&aspects&of&fitness&and&pushing&oneself&to&excel&in&their&field,&which&led& to& their& sponsorship&of& supermodel&Gisele&Bündchen.&One&way&UA’s& sponsorship&program&differs& from&compe.tors& is& that& the&brand&frequently&sponsors&athletes&with&promise&but&who&have& yet& to& prove& themselves& professionally,& a& tac.c& that& supports& the& brand’s& “underdog”&messaging. • Stephen&Curry&(NBA)• Dwayne& “The& Rock”&Johnson
• Misty&Copeland• Tom&Brady&(NFL)• Giselle&Bundchen
• Cam&Newton • Duck&Dynasty
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Sponsorship Programs In&addi.on&to&sponsoring&individual&athletes,&UA&also&has&sponsorship&agreements&with&various&high&school&and&collegiate&athle.c&teams&and&conferences,&various&U.S.&Olympic&teams,&the&NFL,&MLB,&and&a&number&of&European&and&La.n&American&soccer&and&rugby&teams.&
Corporate Giving Under&Armour&supports& its&brand&message&through&three&corporate&giving&programs&that&bear&its&logo&and&relate&to&the&brand&theme&of&empowerment&and&personal&growth.&
Communication Channels The PressUnder&Armour&has&been&featured&on& interna.onal,&na.onal,&and& local& television&channels&and&print&outlets&including&Wall&Street&Journal,&The&Outdoor&Channel,&ESPN,&Huffington&Post,&Forbes,&Adver.sing&Age,&and&Sports&Illustrated.&
Web Presence As&a&brand,&Under&Armour&has&placed&a&strong&emphasis&on&posi.oning&itself&as&a&lifestyle&brand,&in&part& through& its&online&ecosystem,&which&supports& its& follower’s&wishes&to& interact&with&the&brand,&other&athletes,&and&share&their&accomplishments&with&the&world.
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Website T h e& U A& w e b s i t e& i s& l o c a t e d& a t&www.underarmour.com.& The& website& is& the&brand’s& primary& direct& retail& channel& and&features&the&brand&logo,&product&images,&contact&informa.on,& and& links& to& informa.on& about& the&brand&as&well&as&to&its&social&media&channels.&
UA Record UA&Record&is&the&brand’s&fitness&tracking&app.&It&is&available&for&both&Android&
and&iOS&devices.&In&addi.on&to&tracking&fitness&sta.s.cs&from&a&number&of&devices&including&the&UA&Band,&Fitbit,&and&Withings&scale,&UA&Record&also&has&
a&social&network&component&that&allows&users&to&publicly&post&their&ac.vity&and&challenge&each&
other&to&reach&new&goals.
UA’s&Facebook&page&is&found&at&hVps://www.facebook.com/
Underarmour/& and& has& over& 3.4& million& likes.& The& brand&posts&mul.ple&.mes&a&week,&primarily&using&photo&and&video&
content&that&followers&can&like&and&comment&on.&Their&social&media& team& is& ac.ve& in& responding& to& comments& and&
queries,& making& it& an& effec.ve& tool& for& represen.ng& the&
brand.
Twitter UA’s&TwiVer&account&is&found&at&hVps://twiVer.com/UnderArmour& and& has& over& 600,000& followers.& The&brand&posts&photo&and&video&content&mul.ple&.mes&a&day,&retweets&content&from&affiliates&and&followers,&and& uses& the& channel& to& promote& its& numerous&hashtag& campaigns,& which& include& #IWil l ,&#RuleYourself,&and&#SlayYourNextGiant.
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YouTube
The& UA& YouTube& channel& is& found& at& hVps://www.youtube.com/user/underarmour& and& has&113,000& followers.& Content& is& posted& at& least&once& a& week& and& the& newest& campaigns& are&featured& on& the& homepage.& The& brand& uses&YouTube& to& post& official& commercials,& behindTtheTscenes& content,& interviews& with& brand&spokespeople,&and&instruc.onal&videos&related&to&its&connected&fitness&products.
Instagram Under& Armour’s& Instagram& account& is& found& at&hVps://www.instagram.com/underarmour/& and&has& over& 2.1& million& followers.& On& this& account,&the& brand& shares& official& and& original& photo& andµTvideo&content&as&well&as&reTshares&followers’&content.& The& majority& of& photo& content& that&appears&on&Instagram&also&appears&on&the&brand’s&TwiVer& account.& The& focus& of& this& channel’s&content& is&on&the&UA& lifestyle&rather& than&specific&products.
Under& Armour’s& Pinterest& account& is& found& at&
hVps://www.pinterest.com/underarmour/& and&
has& 35,400& followers.& On& this& channel,& the&brand&posts&official& product&photos&when&new&
lines& are& released.& Of& all& the& channels,& this&appears& to& be& a& supplementary,& rather& than&
core&social&channels&for&the&brand.
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Competitive Environment (Internal)The&performance&apparel& industry& is&a&crowded&segment&with&several&major&players&that&have&held& significant& por.ons& of& the& total& market& share& for& decades& and& many& smaller& players&compe.ng& for& the& remainder& of& the&market.& Under& Armour& has& successfully& posi.oned& itself&among&the&top&players&in&the&industry&and&con.nues&to&expand&its&share&of&the&mid&and&upperT.er&performance&apparel&market.&&
Nike, Inc. (NKE) - #1 CompetitorBeaverton,&OR&hVp://www.nike.com/&
Founded&in&1962&by&a&pair&of&amateur&runners&under&the&name&Blue&Ribbon&Sports,&the&company&was&originally&a&distributor&of&Japanese&track& shoes.&While& they& started& out& as& a& distributor,& the& founders&quickly& began&developing& their& own& shoes,& and&by&1972,& they&had&begun&manufacturing& and& promo.ng& their& NikeTbranded& products&full&.me.&The&company’s&groundbreaking&innova.on&was&the&waffle&sole&running&shoe&that&improved&trac.on&without&adding&weight.&By&
1980,&Nike&was&the&market&leader&in&the&U.S.&athle.c&footwear&industry.&At&the&same&.me,&they&branched& out& into& apparel& and& other& performanceTrelated& market& sectors& (Rourke,& Troester,&Salamie,&&&Covell,&2014).&Today,&Nike&(NKE)&designs,&develops,&markets,&and&sells&athle.c&footwear,&apparel,&equipment,&accessories,& and& services& to& consumers& of& all& ages& and& genders.& Nike& is& a& highlyTglobalized&company&with&½&of&annual& revenues&coming& from& interna.onal&markets.&Although&Nike’s&core&product& line& remains& athle.c& footwear,& which& accounts& for& 61%& of& revenue,& they& have&developed&robust&apparel&and&accessory&segments,&which&further&support&the&core&Nike&brand.&In& addi.on& to& the& core& Nike& brand,& the& company& operates& a& number& of& whollyTowned&subsidiaries&that&contribute&to&the&company’s&overall&success&(Nike,&2016).&
Market Share NKE& has& been& the& unques.oned& market& leader& in& the& performance& apparel& industry& since&Michael&Jordan&signed&on&to&represent&the&brand&in&1985.&Nike&owns&approximately&22%&of&the&U.S.&performance&apparel&market&and&footwear&s.ll&accounts&for&over&60%&of&annual&sales&with&apparel&coming&at&32%&(Nike,&2016).&Globally,&Nike&is&also&the&market&leader&with&a&healthy&2.4%&share&of&the&worldwide&market&(Euromonitor,&2016).&&
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NBO Company Shares of Sportswear: % Value 2011-2015
(Euromonitor,&2016).&
Revenues Over& the&past&year,&NKE&experienced&growth&across&nearly&all&geographies,&key&categories&and&product&types,&which&amounted&to&an&18%&overall& increase& in&annual&revenues&(Nike,&2016Tb).&As&usual,& footwear&accounted&for& the& largest&por.on&of&sales&at&58.3%&of& total& revenues,&with&apparel& taking& 29.2%,& equipment& 6%,& and& other& opera.ons& and& services& 6.5%& (Marketline,&2015).&In&addi.on&to&selling&wholesale&products&to&thousands&of&retailers&of&all&size&throughout&the&country&which& is& responsible& for&76.5%&of& total& revenues,&Nike&also&operates&a&strong&and&growing&direct& sales& channels& that&accounts& for&23%& (Soni,& 2015).&Nike’s&direct& sales& channels&include&339&physical&stores&in&the&U.S.&and&two&eTretail&channels&(Nike,&2016Tb).&&
Products Nike& is& one& of& the& world’s& largest& performance& apparel& companies& and& produces& products&including:&
Athle:c&and&casual&footwear&
Apparel&Shirts&&&tops&&BoVoms&Underwear&WarmTups&&&jackets&&Outerwear&&Sports&bras&Baselayers&
Accessories&Headwear&Bags&and&backpacks&&Gloves&Socks&Eyewear&&Timepieces&
Equipment&Bags&Sport&balls&&Digital&devices&&Bats&Protec.ve&equipment&&Golf&clubs&Other&sports&equipment
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BrandsNIKE&&Converse&&Chuck&Taylor&&All&Star&
One&Star&&Star&Chevron&&Jack&Purcell&&Hurley&&
Jordan&Nike&+&NikeiD
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths • Unques.onable&dominance&of&all§ors&of&the&performance&apparel&industry&• Strong& na.onal& and& global& distribu.on& and& retail& system& reaches& virtually& all& consumer&markets&
• High& profile& brand& with& integral& role& in& American& culture& through& presence& in& sports,&movies,&and&music&
• Strong&visual&brand&elements&and&adver.sing&campaigns&• HighTprofile&spokespeople&in&a&number&of&athle.c&types&and&levels&of&compe..on&• Strong&R&D&program&enables&Nike&to&con.nually&produce&innova.ve&products&• Nike&is&a&dominant&sponsor&for&U.S.&team&sports,&as&a&brand&sponsor&in&the&NFL,&NBA,&MLB,&NHL,&MLS,&and&the&majority&of&NCAA&athle.c&teams.&In&addi.on,&Nike&is&a&major&sponsor&of&the&U.S.&Olympic& team& and& a& number& of& interna.onal& sports& teams& and& leagues.& These&sponsorships& increase& brand& visibility& and& through& their& associa.on& with& top& athletes,&aspira.onal&aVachment&to&the&brand&from&consumers&
Weaknesses • Lacks& significant& presence& in& the& connected& fitness& market,& leaving& openings& for&consumers&to&develop&affilia.ons&with&nonTNike&brands&
• Performance&apparel&is&an&industry&with&a&low&barrier&to&entry,&meaning&Nike&faces&a&near&constant&stream&of&new&poten.al&compe.tors&and&must&con.nually&differen.ate&its&brand&from&new&entrants&
• Brand& is& closely& linked& to& a& number& of& high& profile& athletes& and& celebri.es,& linking&Nike&brand& image& to& spokespeople’s& behavior,& which& could& nega.vely& impact& the& brand& if&problems&occur&
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Adidas (XETRA ADS.DE) – Competitor #2&Herzogenaurach,&Germany&hVp://www.adidasTgroup.com
Adidas&is&the&oldest&of&the&three&brands,&origina.ng&in&Germany&in&the&early&1900’s&when&the&Dassler&brothers&began&producing&occer&shoes&with&rubber&soles&and&nailedTon&cleats.&These&shoes&met& with& resounding& success& in& the& athle.c& community.& Even&Jesse&Owen,& the&great&AfricanTAmerican& sprinter,&wore&Dassler&shoes&when&he&won&the&1936&Olympics&in&Berlin.&Eventually,&the&Dassler& brothers& split& to& form& compe.ng& companies& –& Adidas&and& Puma& Adidas& developed& many& prac.ces& standard& in& the&
performance&apparel&industry&today,&including&selling&branded&athle.c&apparel&and&accessories&in&addi.on&to&footwear&and&the&concept&of&sponsorships&signed&with&en.re&athle.c&teams.&The&company’s& greatest& innova.ons&were& related& to& soccer& footwear& and& cleat& systems& that&were&lighter&and&allowed&individual&cleats&to&be&replaced&(Rourke,&Troester,&Salamie,&&&Covell,&2014).&
By&1978,&Adidas&had&become&the&number&one&athle.c&shoe&brand&in&the&world;&however,&it&was&soon&surpassed&by&entrants& from&the&United&States,&namely&Nike&and&Reebok,&which&overtook&Adidas&in&the&1980s.&Adidas&has&con.nued&to&struggle&in&the&U.S.&market,&going&through&a&period&of&poor&management&and&a&number&of&ineffec.ve&mergers&and&acquisi.ons;&however,&thanks&to&the&breadth&and&depth&of&the&company’s&product&lines&and&the&recent&acquisi.on&of&Reebok&and&its& brand& poryolio,& the& company& has& managed& to& stay& rela.vely& wellTplaced& within& the&performance&apparel&industry&(Rourke,&Troester,&Salamie,&&&Covell,&2014).&
Today,&Adidas& is& an&apparel,& footwear,& and&accessory&manufacturer& that&develops,&distributes,&and&markets&products&to&consumers&of&all&ages&and&genders&in&the&Americas,&Europe,&and&Asia.&Unlike&Under&Armour&and&Nike,&Adidas&encompasses&a&number&of&other&brands& that&produce&athle.c&equipment,&making&some&of&its&ac.vi.es¬&directly&comparable&to&Under&Armour’s.&&
Market ShareAdidas’s&share&of&the&performance&apparel&market&varies&based&on&segment;&however,&the&past&several& years& have& held& drama.c& changes& for& the& company,& which& was& the& number& two&shareholder& for& performance& apparel& for& a& number& of& years.& At& the& end&of& 2014,&Adidas&was&overtaken& by&Under& Armour,&which& sold& $2.6& billion& in& the&U.S.& compared&with& Adidas’s& $1.6&billion&(Germano,&2015).&Further,&in&the&footwearTspecific§or,&Adidas&was&edged&out&by&U.S.Tbased&Skechers&in&2015&(Gould&&&Lutz,&2015).&&
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(Gould & Lutz, 2015)
Revenues In& 2015,& Adidas& saw& overall& 16%& revenue& growth& driven& largely& by& its& European& and& North&American&opera.ng&segments,&which&account&for&approximately&30%&and&20%&of&total&revenues&respec.vely&(Marketline,&2015Ta).&Due&to&the&nature&of&Adidas&Ag’s&financial&repor.ng&structure,&it&is¬&possible&to&determine&the&extent&to&which&different&product&types&contribute&to&overall&revenue;&however,&according&to&their&most&recent&annual& report,& the&core&Adidas&brand& is& the&primary&U.S.&revenue&driver&(Adidas&AG,&2016).&&
Adidas’s&primary&revenue&channel&is&its&wholesale&business,&which&is&responsible&for&65%&of&total&revenues.&It&also&operates&a&growing&direct&sales&channel&that&includes&concept,&outlet,&and&popTup&stores&as&well&as&eTretail&channels&for&all&owned&brands,&and&accounts&for&26%&of&revenues&as&well&as&a&number&of&smaller&businesses&that&generate&about&10%&of&total&revenue&(Adidas,&2015;&Marketline,&2015Ta).&
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Products Adidas&produces&a&variety&of&apparel&and&athle.c&equipment&products&including:&&
Brandsadidas&TaylorMade&Adams&Golf&adidas&Golf&
Ashworth&Five&Ten&Reebok&&ReebokTCCM&Hockey&&
adidas&NEO&YT3&Porsche& Design& Sport& by&adidas&MiCoach
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths • Products&available&in&many&performance&apparel§ors&• Developing&innova.ve&products&such&as&3TD&printed&athle.c&shoes& • Strong&na.onal&and&global&distribu.on&and&retail&system&reaches&many&consumer&markets&• Strong&visual&brand&elements&and&adver.sing&campaigns&• HighTprofile&spokespeople&in&a&number&of&athle.c&types&and&levels&of&compe..on&• Adidas& is& a&major& sponsor& for& U.S.& sports& and& athletes,& including& PGA,& NBA,& NHL,&MLS,&FIFA,& and& a& number& of& NCAA& athle.c& teams& (Kish,& 2016).& These& sponsorships& increase&brand&visibility&and&through&their&associa.on&with&top&athletes,&aspira.onal&aVachment&to&the&brand&from&consumers&
Weaknesses • The&core&adidas&brand&is&vulnerable&to&compe.tors&who&can&overwhelm&its&smaller&brand&presence,&a&fact&disguised&by&the&total&market&share&held&by&Adidas&Holding&Group’s&overall&brand&poryolio&
• Performance&apparel& is& an& industry&with& a& low&barrier& to& entry,&meaning&Adidas& faces& a&near&constant&stream&of&new&poten.al&compe.tors&and&must&con.nually&differen.ate&its&brand&from&new&entrants&
• Brand&lacks&strong&story&and&mission&to&aVract&consumers&to&products&• Brand&has¬&successfully&posi.oned&itself&as&a&lifestyle&brand&in&the&U.S.,&making&it& less&present&in&consumer’s&everyday&lives.
Athle:c&and&casual&footwear&
Apparel&Shirts&&&tops&&BoVoms&Underwear&WarmTups&&&jackets&&Outerwear&&Sports&bras&Baselayers&
Accessories&Headwear&Bags&and&backpacks&&Gloves&Socks&Eyewear&&Timepieces&
Equipment&Bags&Sport&balls&&Digital&devices&&Protec.ve&equipment&&Hockey&Equipment&&&Apparel
Golf&Equipment&Metalwoods&Irons&PuVers&Golf&balls&Gold&shoes&&Apparel
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Brand Exploratory
Exploratory OverviewExploratory The&preceding&brand& inventory&provided&a& comprehensive&picture&of&how&Under&Armour,& Inc.&intends& its&brand&to&be&presented&to&consumers&and&the&marke.ng&strategies&they&believe&are&most&cri.cal&to&success;&however,&what&the&company&intends&and&what&consumers&understand&are& some.mes& two& different& things.& Assessing& the& rela.onship& between& the& brand& and& the&consumer’s& understanding& of& it& is& the& role& of& the& brand& exploratory.& A& successful& brand&exploratory& is& the& result& of& both&primary& and& secondary&qualita.ve& and&quan.ta.ve& research&and&looks&at&the&various&elements&of&a&brand&from&the&public’s&perspec.ve.&&
Topics&such&as&how&products&interact&within&the&brand,&emo.onal&associa.ons&of&the&brand,&and&the& role& the&brand&plays& in& consumer’s& lives&are&addressed& in&an&exploratory.&This& step&allows&marketers& to& judge&whether& their&marke.ng& and& branding& ac.vi.es& are& reaching& the& correct&audiences,&playing&on& the& correct& themes,& and&using&brand&elements& to& tell& the&best&possible&story&about&the&brand.
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Product LandscapeUnder&Armour’s&roots&are&in&performance&apparel;&however,&their&product&lines&have&expanded&rapidly&and&their&shoes&and&tech&products&are&becoming&popular.&A&map&of&the&brand’s&product&landscape&is&included&below&[Fig.&1].&According&to&www.underarmour.com’s&best&selling&product&list,& for&men,& their&highest& rated&products&are& the&Curry&Two&Basketball& shoe,&a&pair&of& soccer&cleats,&a&HeatGear®&compression&shirt,& and&a&backpack& (Men’s&Best&Sellers,&n.d.).& For&women,&the& highest& rated& products& are& two& pairs& of& running& shoes& and& workout& apparel& tops& and&boVoms&(Women's&Best&Sellers,&n.d.).&This&finding& indicates&consumer& interests&mesh&with&the&company’s&goal&of&maintaining&a&strong&focus&on&apparel&and&footwear&even&as&they&expand&into&other&market&segments&(Spaight,&2016).&&
FIGURE 1. UNDER ARMOUR PRODUCT LANDSCAPE
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Awareness, Attitudes, & PerceptionProduct AwarenessConsumers& are& generally& aware& of& Under& Armour’s& apparel& lines,& since& those& represent& the&largest&and&oldest& segments&of& the&brand’s&market&and&a&growing&number&of& individuals&have&become&familiar&with&Under&Armour’s&footwear&thanks&to&a&number&of&highTprofile&sponsorship&deals&with&basketball&and&soccer&stars,&who&are&onen&associated&with&footwear&labels.&That&said,&it&is&likely&that&few&consumers&are&aware&of&the&full&spectrum&of&Under&Armour’s&apparel&lines.&For&example,&UA&has&a&successful& line&of&hun.ng&apparel& that& is&carried& in&a&number&of&major&specialty&stores&including&Cabela’s&and&Gander&Mountain.&Although&the&brand&is&rela.vely&wellTknown&within& the&hun.ng& community,& its& outdoor& lines& are&otherwise¬&widely& recognized.&&Another&area&of&ques.onable&consumer&knowledge&is&related&to&the&brand’s&Connected&Fitness§or,&which& the& company& has& been& growing& for& the& past& two& years.& The&UA&HealthBox& and&Record& fitness& band& are& new& enough& that& a& lack& of& consumer& awareness& is& understandable;&however,&the&brand&has&a&number&of&fitness&apps&it&has&acquired&that&are¬&clearly& linked&to&the&UA&brand,&which&could&dilute&consumer&awareness&of&the&brand’s&presence&in&new&markets.&
In&general,& consumers&are&highly&aware&of&Under&Armour.& In&a&2014& survey,&67%&of&male&and&female&sportswear&purchasers&were&familiar&with&the&UA&brand.&In&addi.on,&over&20%&indicated&they&had&purchased&UA&products&within&that&year&(SportsOneSource).&
Brand PerceptionIn& a& survey& of&West& Virginia& University& students,& of& 11& respondents,& nine& indicated& not& only&familiarity& with& the& brand& but& posi.ve& sen.ment& toward& it.& The& other& two& respondents&indicated&neutral&sen.ment&due&to&lack&of&brand&awareness.&
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Fig.
2 U
nder
Arm
our W
ord
Ass
ocia
tions
As& illustrated& in& Fig.& 2,& when& asked& to& select&words& describing& the& UA& brand& from& a& list,& the&words&most& associated&with& the&brand&were& “innova.ve,”& “performance,”& “empowering,”& and&“outsider.”&This& is&a&posi.ve& indicator&because&the&UA&mission& is:&“To&Make&All&Athletes&BeVer&Through&Passion,&Design&And&The&Relentless&Pursuit&Of&Innova.on”&(About,&n.d.).&The&brand&has&also& inten.onally&posi.oned& itself& as&a&brand& that&helps&outsiders&or&underdogs&achieve& their&athle.c& goals.& This& clear& correla.on& between& consumer& brand& associa.ons& and& the& brand’s&mission&indicates&the&company&is&successfully&conveying&its&message&to&its&audience.&
In&addi.on,& six&par.cipants,& all& of&whom&held&posi.ve&brand&associa.ons,& indicated& that& they&had&purchased&Under&Armour&products&within&the&past&12&months,&placing&the&brand’s&purchase&choice&on&par&with&Nike,&its&largest&compe.tor&(See&Fig.&3).&&
FIG. 3 PERFORMANCE APPAREL BRANDS PURCHASED IN LAST 12 MONTHS
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Additional Research In&2014,&a&researcher&at&Cardiff&University&conducted&a&study&on&fan&aLtudes&toward&the&Under&Armour&brand&aner&UA&signed&its&first&sponsorship&deal&with&a& European& football& club,& ToVenham& Hotspur,& which& is& a& member& of& the&Barclay’s& Premier& League.& This& study& was& informa.ve& because& for& most&respondents,&UA&was&a&new&brand&and&they&were&forming&brand&associa.ons&from&scratch.&&
Throughout& the& research& process,& words& most& frequently& associated& with&&&&the&UA&brand&were& synonyms&of& “unique”& such&as&dis.nc.ve&or&different.&Other& terms& applied& to& the& brand& by& Hotspur& fans& included:& durable/tough/hard/aggressive& and&hardTcore& (Thomas,& 2015).& In& addi.on,& none&of&the&fans&surveyed&indicated&any&nega.ve&sen.ment&toward&the&brand&or&its&sponsorship&of&their&team.&Based&on&this&study,&it&appears&that&UA&brand&percep.ons& remain& rela.vely& stable& whether& the& audience& is& USTbased& or&interna.onal.&&
AttitudesIn&the&survey&of&West&Virginia&University&students,&of&the&11&respondents,&nine&respondents&who&indicated&familiarity&with&the&brand&also&answered&affirma.vely&to&the&ques.on:&“Do&you&believe&Under&Armour& is&delivering&on& its&brand&promise&to:&Make(all(athletes(beDer(through(passion,(design,(and(the(relentless(pursuit(of(innova<on?”&Two&respondents&indicated&neutral&sen.ment&due&to&lack&of&brand&awareness.&&
Here&is&a&sampling&of&reasons&respondents&gave&for&believing&the&brand&is&effec.vely&fulfilling&its&brand&promise:&
I believe that Under Armour has the unique ability to instill confidence through their products, which in turn can make athletes better. It is clear through their quality and design that there is strong
passion and innovation behind the brand.
Under Armour has been extremely innovative in its clothing technology, introducing gear that drys quickly, is breathable and is
made for hot or cold weather. In addition, the clothing offers extreme comfort and style.
When I think of Under Armour, I think of the latest technology in athletic wear to help everyday athletes perform at their best.
I believe that Under Armour is innovative and ahead of the curve with their technology. Their merchandise is also very trendy.
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Further&suppor.ng&these&observa.ons,& in&a&2014&study&of&sportswear&purchasers,&over&70%&of&respondents&ranked&their& impression&of&the&quality&of&UA’s& footwear&and&sports&equipment&as&extremely& posi.ve,& with& 56%& saying& their& impressions& of& the& brand’s& apparel& quality& were&extremely&posi.ve&(SportsOneSource,&2014).&
Brand ElementsThe& most& memorable& element& of& the& UA& brand& is& its& logo.& The&stacked&UA&acronym&appears&in&different&formats&depending&on&the&type&of&apparel&or&medium&it&is&place&on&but&its&associa.on&with&the&brand& remains& clear.& The& UA& logo& allows& consumers& to& iden.fy&themselves& with& UA& brand& values& of& performance,& power,& and&being& an& outsider& and& broadcast& this& iden.ty& to& those& around&them.&Since&there&are&so&many&other&performance&apparel&brands&they&could&choose&from,&displaying&the&UA&logo&is&a&way&of&publicly&iden.fying& what& consumers& value& and& of& recognizing& likeminded&individuals.&
The& second& brand& element& that& should& be& highly& recognizable& is& the& brand’s& slogan& “I&Will”;&however,& it& is& ques.onable& whether& the& slogan& plays& a& highTenough& profile& in& the& brand’s&merchandise&and&adver.sing& to&aVain& the&memorability&of&Nike’s& “Do& It”& slogan.&UA’s&original&slogan&was& “protect& this& house”& and& that& phrase& con.nues& to& appear& in& press& coverage& and&discussion&of&the&brand,&which&dilutes&brand&recogni.on.&In&addi.on,&the&“I&Will”&slogan&is&onen&subsumed& in& specific& marke.ng& campaigns& such& as& the& recent& “I& Will& What& I& Want,”& “Rule&Yourself,”&and&“It’s&What&You&Do&In&The&Dark”&campaign,&in&which&the&slogan&appears&only&briefly.&Because& the& slogan& does& not& play& a& central& role& in& adver.sing& or& on& products,& it& is& less&memorable&and&provides&less&brand&affilia.on&than&the&logo.&
Marketing Support ProgramsUnder&Armour& leverages&a&number&of&marke.ng&support&programs&to&promote& their&products&and&expose&consumers&to&the&values&associated&with&the&UA&lifestyle.&One&of&the&company’s&key&tac.cs&is&associa.ng&the&UA&brand&with&other&successful&brands&that&have&a&reach&beyond&UA’s&tradi.onal&audience.
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Sponsorships
Like&any&performance&wear&brand,&UA&heavily&on& its&sponsorship&deals&with&athletes,&athle.cs&teams,& and& leagues& to& reach& consumers.& Consumers& must& find& these& individuals& compelling,&likable,&and&congruous&with&the&brand&image&in&order&for&these&sponsorships&to&be&effec.ve.&&
Stephen&Curry,&of& the&Golden&State&Warriors,& is&an&NBA&MVP,&champion,&and& top&shooter&and&considered&one&of&the&most&promising&stars&in&basketball&today.&He&is&also&a&massive&fan&favorite&who&recently&signed&a&10Tyear&contract&with&UA.&UA’s&flagship&Curry&basketball&footwear&line&is&its&most&popular&men’s&apparel&item&and&the&“Rule&Yourself”&campaign,&which&was&Curry’s&first&appearance& for& the&brand& received&na.onal&press& coverage&and&has&accrued&millions&of&views&(Under&Armour,& 2015).&Consumers&also& like&Curry&personally& –&he& is& the& second&mostTpopular&NBA& player& on& social& media& with& around& 11& million& followers& on& Facebook,& Instagram,& and&TwiVer&combined&(Alsher,&2015).&
(CURRY TWO INTRODUCTION PHOTO, 2015)
Other&major&UA&athletes&include&Misty&Copeland&of&the&American&Ballet&Company,&who&became&their&second&minority&principle&dancer&while&under&UA&contract,&supermodel&Giselle&Bündchen,&and&swimmer&Michael&Phelps&who&is&preparing&for&his&last&Olympics&before&re.rement.&
A& common& theme& that&makes& all& of& these& sponsorships& so& successful& is& that& every& individual&reflects&UA’s&brand&message&of&top&performance,&being&an&outsider,&and&generally&being&a&likable&admirable&brand&representa.ve.
�31
Advertising
It& is& only& recently& that& Under& Armour’s& adver.sing&strategy&has&begun&to&produce&results.&In&2015,&UA&won&the& Cyber& Lion&Grand& Prix& at& the& Cannes& Lions& Fes.val&for&their&Giselle&Bündchen&spot&in&the&I&Will&What&I&Want&campaign.&This&campaign&is&considered&a&turning&point&in&how& consumers& perceive& the& UA& brand.& I& Will& What& I&Want& was& the& brand’s& first& strategic& effort& to& aVract&females& consumers& and& to& reposi.on& themselves& as& a&brand& for& all& serious& athletes,& not& just& football& or&basketball& players.& Since& that& campaign,& the& brand’s&awareness& numbers& have& been& higher& among& women&than&men,&a&first&for&the&company.&&
In& rela.on& to& the& brand’s& current& “Rule& Yourself"& campaign,& the& brand& has& aVracted&considerable& consumer& interest& through& their& #RuleYourself& social& campaign,& which& has&aVracted&millions&of&interac.ons&and&will&eventually&results&in&a&documentary&featuring&UA&fans&and&their&connec.on&with&the&brand&lifestyle&(Mirabella,&2016).
Product PlacementIn&addi.on&to&its&sponsorship&programs,&UA&has&made&a&significant&impression&on&consumers&through&its&product&placement&program,&which&has&seen&UA&products&integrated&into&a&number&of&top&television&shows&and&movies.&In&general,&research&has&shown&consumers&feel&posi.vely&about&product&appearances&in&films&and&movies&and&that&product&appearances&improves&aLtudes,&recall,&and&recogni.on.&Other&studies&indicate&that&placement&also&increase&purchase&intent,&although&this&may&be&a&shortTterm&effect&(Jin&&&Villegas,&2007).&
Two&successful&films&of&2015&that&featured&UA&products&prominently&were&The&Mar.an®&&and&Avengers:&Age&of&Ultron®&In&both&films,&the&brand&was&worn&by&the&protagonists&and&appeared&in&highly&favorable&light,&tying&the&brand&aVributes&to&those&of&characters&like&Captain&America&and&Mark&Watney.&
�32
Web Presence
Social& media& is& consumers’& primary& methods& of& communica.ng& with& brands& directly& so& it&maVers&how&present&and&effec.ve&brands&are&on&these&playorms&and&whether&they&are&on&the&right&channels&for&their&audiences.&
UA& has& a& presence& on& Facebook,& TwiVer,& Instagram,& YouTube,& and& Pinterest&with& TwiVer& and&Instagram& being& their& primary& twoTway& channels.& Through& these& channels,& UA& fans& and&customers&interact&with&the&brand,&either&in&rela.on&to&various&hashtag&campaigns&the&company&is&running,&in&rela.on&to&product&experiences,&brand&spokespeople,&or&just&general&conversa.on.&Not&only&do&customers&talk&to&UA,&UA&talks&back&with&a&team&of&social&media&staff&who&answer&ques.ons,& cheerlead,& retweets& fan& content,& and& solve& whatever& problems& arise& so& that& UA’s&social&channels&stay&busy&and&fans&con.nue&to&feel&involved&in&the&brand.&
Competitive Environment (External)Although&UA&is&a&rela.vely&young&brand,&today&it&is&compe.ng&for&customers&against&two&of&the&biggest&brands& in&the&world&–&Nike&and&Adidas.& It& is,&of&course,&also&compe.ng&against&smaller&and&niche&brands&such&as&Lululemon,&Columbia,&Skechers,&and&Sitka,&but&Nike&and&Adidas&are&its&major&challenges.&These&brands&were&covered&in&more&detail&in&the&brand&inventory&sec.on.&
NikeNike&is&one&of&the&largest&brands&in&the&world&and&dwarfs&UA&by&every&measure.&It&is&a&global&brand&with&a&strong&brand&presence&on& every& con.nent& and& among& virtually& all& athle.c& types& –& it&even&sponsors&the&Indian&Na.onal&Cricket&Team.&&
According& to& SportsOneSource,& out& of& 1000& possible& points,&Nike&rates&at&775&on&their&Brand&Strength&Index,&which&assesses&consumer& brand& awareness,& past& purchasing,& likelihood& to&purchase& again,& and& commitment& to& brand.& UA& ranks& almost&
175&points& below& that& –& though& it’s& important& to& note& that&Nike’s& nearest& neighbor& on& those&charts&is&nearly&100&points&below&it.&More&cri.cally,&when&asked&what&brands&consumers&would&leave& the& store& if& they& weren’t& carried,& 20%& said& they& would& leave& if& Nike& were& not& on& the&shelves.&Nike&is&also&the&only&performance&apparel&brand&to&have&nearly&100%&name&recogni.on&among&all&demographics&(SportsOneSource,&n.d).&
In&addi.on,&Nike&owns&the&majority&of&uniform&contracts&with&the&NBA,&NFL,&and&NCAA,&ensuring&high&visibility&in&its&tradi.onal&sports&fan&target&market&and&high&brand&loyalty&by&fans&who&want&to&support& their& favored& teams.&Like&UA,&Nike& is&making&a&push& in& the& female&athle.c&market,&which& currently& represents& approximately& 20%& of& their& total& revenues& (Trefis& Team,& 2014).&Considering&that&that&20%&of&revenue&is&equal&to&UA’s&total&annual&revenue,&that&is&a&decep.vely&low&percentage.&&
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AdidasAdidas& is& the& secondTlargest&performance&apparel& brand& in& the&world;& however,& in& the&Unites&States,& UA& has& already& eclipsed& it& in& apparel& sales.& This& is& in& part& because& the& brand& has& not&made&U.S.&markets& its&primary& focus.& It& is&much&more&prominent& in&Europe,& in&part&due& to& its&historic&.es&with&football&(soccer),&which&its&brand&has&been&affiliated&with&since&WWII.&&
According& to& brand& strategists,& Adidas&expects& to& make& a& strong& push& in& U.S.&markets& over& the&next& several& years,&which&could& suppress& UA’s& ability& to& aVract& new&customers.&Their&goal& is&to&have&15%&of&the&US&market&by&2020&(BreVman,&2015).&&
Areas& of& par.cular& focus& are& runners& in& Los&Angeles&and&New&York,&which&the&company&believes&are&key&to&domina.ng&the&running&market&in&the&rest&of&the&country&(Emmerentze,&2015).&Especially&given&the&growing&popularity&of&soccer&in&the&U.S.,&it&is&possible&consumers&familiar&with&Adidas&through&its&sponsorship&of&interna.onal&teams&could&transfer&their&brand&loyalty&to&Adidas&rather&than&UA.&
In&general,&consumers&are&more&aware&of&the&Adidas&brand&than&they&are&of&UA,&with&rankings&of&89%& for&men& and&87%& for&women.&Despite& this,& purchasing&behavior& is& rela.vely& comparable&with&both&ranked&at&about&25%&purchase&rates.&Consumers&believe&Adidas’&sports&equipment&is&higher& quality& than& UA’s& although& they& feel& the& opposite& related& to& apparel& and& footwear&(SportsOneSource,&n.d.).&
Adidas’s&U.S.&sponsorship&program&focuses&on&football&and&baseball&with&stars&like&Robert&Griffin&III,& DeMarco& Murray,& and& Chase& Utley.& The& company& plans& to& add& as& many& as& 500& new&sponsorship&deals&with&NFL&and&MLB&players&over&the&next&three&years&(Gemano,&2015).& If&the&brand&is&successful&in&this&ini.a.ve,&it&will&restrict&a&number&of&UA’s&opportuni.es&to&expand&the&visibility&of&their&brand&in&rela.on&to&professional&sports&fans.&
�34
Key Customer Profiles
UA C
usto
mer
Prof
ile
- Fe
male
Top Social Apps
Key Facts Gender: Female Age range: 18 - 34 Likely Ethnicity: Caucasian, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic Relationship status: Unmarried, no children or Married, one child; 1 dog Education: College graduate, likely with graduate degree as well Career: Sales or Financial Services, 3+ years experience Lives: Suburban apartment in Midwest or Western region of U.S. Income: > $60,000 Hobbies/Activities: cooking, volunteering, travel, shopping with friends
Athletic Apparel Profile Sports: soccer, running/walking, CrossFit, yoga Technology: Uses Fitbit or UA Band fitness tracker, uses one or more UA fitness apps Apparel Values: comfort, durability, versatility, functionality, style, cost-effectiveness Shops at: department stores, outdoor stores (Dick’s), amazon.com
Frequently wears performance apparel for everyday activities such as grocery shopping, meeting friends, or casual days at work
Apple or Android? Apple
Favorite Publications Architectural Digest,
Atlantic, Bicycling, Boating, Real Simple, Businessweek, Conde Nast Traveler, United
Hemispheres
TV & Movies Comedy Central, The Voice, ESPNU, Tennis Channel, Mad Men, Hunger
Games
(Mediamark Researcher, 2014; Fontein, 2016; Smith, 2014; female runner [image], n.d.)
UA C
usto
mer
Prof
ile
- Ma
le
Top Social Apps
Key Facts Gender: Male Age range: 18 - 34 Likely Ethnicity: Caucasian, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic Relationship status: Unmarried, no children or Married, one child; 1 dog Education: College graduate, likely with graduate degree as well Career: Management or Financial Services, 3+ years experience Lives: Suburban apartment in Northeast or Midwest region of U.S. Income: > $75,000 Hobbies/Activities: travel, cooking, hiking, photography
Athletic Apparel Profile Sports: Running, Team sports (football, basketball, soccer), Weight-lifting/CrossFit Technology: Uses Fitbit Charge HR or UA Band tracker, may or may not use UA apps Apparel Values: comfort, durability, functionality, moisture-wicking, brand affiliation Shops at: department stores, outdoor stores (Dick’s), amazon.com
Values technology-driven products and strong affiliations with athletic figures
Apple or Android? Android
Favorite Publications American Rifleman, The Atlantic,
Bicycling, Cigar Aficionado, Psychology Today, Runner’s World, Ski, Southwest
Spirit
TV & Movies The Walking Dead, Comedy Central, ESPN, Golf Channel, HGTV, Nat Geo
Wild, Outdoor Channel, Game of Thrones, Ted 2
(Mediamark Researcher, 2014; Fontein, 2016; Smith, 2014; murat.demirci, 2016)
Brand Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Increase brand awareness among non-traditional athletic markets by 5% over the next 2 years through increased marketing and product promotionBased&on&the&results&of&this&brand&audit,&our&first&recommenda5on&is&that&Under&Armour&turn&its&a8en5on& to& athle5c& markets& Nike& does& not& have& a& strong& affilia5on& with,& and& use& those&audiences&to&increase&brand&awareness&among&under?targeted&audiences.&&
Although&Under&Armour&is&the&third?largest&performance&apparel&company&in&the&US,&it&controls&only&a&small&percentage&of&the&total&market.&In&order&for&the&company&to&expand&and&overtake&Nike,& it&must& increase& its&prominence& in& the&overall& athle5c& community.&Currently,&Nike&has&a&near&monopoly&on&major&team&sports&such&as&basketball&and&football,&as&well&as&a&presence&in&a&number&of&other&sports.&Under&Armour&cannot&surrender&the&fight&for&these&markets;&however,&it&can&increase&the&a8en5on&paid&to&smaller&sports&such&as&lacrosse,&rugby,&MMA,&and&surfing.&&
There& are& a& number& of& athletes& in& these& sports& that&Under& Armour’s& underdog& aLtude,& and&focus&on&performance&should&resonate&with.&The&fact&that&these&individual’s&chosen&sports&are&oMen& overlooked& in& favor& of& the& high?profile& team& sports& that& are& Nike’s& core&makes& them& a&par5cularly&promising&market&since&Under&Armour&focuses&on&the&quality&of&performance,¬&the&athle5c&venue,&and&will&be&able&to&make&them&feel&part&of&our&brand& lifestyle.& In&addi5on,&many&athletes&par5cipate&in&more&than&one&sport,&and&if&our&brand&can&reach&them&in&one&sport,&it&increases&the&likelihood&of&them&adop5ng&UA&products&for&other&sports&they&par5cipate&in.&
Tactics 1. Develop&sponsorship&agreements&with&more&non?traditional&competitive&athletes&
and&heavily&promote&them&in&national&marketing&campaigns&
1.1. Promote&existing&non?traditional&spokespeople&more&prominently&
2. Identify¤t&athletic&markets&with&crossover&potential&–&i.e.&NASCAR&audiences&tend&to&be&football&fans&&and&people&who&golf&are&likely&to&be&skiers,&and&begin&marketing&products&toward&the&secondary&sport&as&a&channel&for&infiltrating&the&established&sports&audiences&(Milne,&McDonald,&Sutton&&&Kashyap,&1996)&
3. Pursue&partnership&with&GoPro&to&use&their&equipment&at&UA&events&(summer&training&camps,&competitions,&etc.)&and&to&incentivize&participants&in&GoPro&events&to&adopt&UA&products,&which&will&increase&brand&visibility&in&non?traditional&markets&
4. Begin&advertising&the&value&of&RECORD&and&other&UA&fitness&apps&beyond&their¤t&applicability&to&running,&walking,&and&hiking.&&
�39
4.1. In&order&to&add&non?traditional&athletes&to&brand&ecosystem,&they&must&believe&our&services&have&something&useful&to&offer&
5. Increase&publicity&of&non?traditional&teams&UA&sponsors&such&as&competitive&fishing&and&NASCAR®&in&advertising&campaigns&and&on&owned&media&platforms&such&as&Underarmour.com&and&Instagram&
6. Pursue&event&sponsorships&in&fast?growing&sports,&aiming&for&ones&expected&to&become&mainstream&among&millennial&and&iGeneration&members&in&order&to&create&early&brand&loyalty&
Recommendation 2: Increase repeat product purchase rates by 10% over 2 years by implementing brand loyalty program
One&of&the&keys&to&Under&Armour’s&future&growth&is&its&ability&to&posi5on&the&brand&as&a&lifestyle&–&one&that&serious&athletes&and&performers&iden5fy&with&and&draw&value&from.&In&pursuit&of&this&goal,&the&brand&is&already&promo5ng&a&UA&ecosystem&in&which&apparel&and&technology&products&support& athle5c& performance& and& brand& spokespeople& provide& the& mo5va5onal& and&aspira5onal&elements&of&the&environment.&However,&it&is&important&to&bring&consumers&fully&into&the&UA&ecosystem,&which&means&providing&them&with&reasons&to&interact&with&our&brand&to&the&exclusion&of&our&compe5tors.&One&strategy&for&doing&so&is&to&create&a&brand&loyalty&program.&&
Not& only& will& a& loyalty& program& increase& repeat& product& purchases& and& heighten& brand& self?iden5fica5on,& it& will& increase& our& ability& to& improve& marke5ng& messages& and& product&development&through&increased&access&to&consumer&behavior&data&and&feedback.&
Tactics 1. Implement&brand&loyalty&program&using&direct&marketing&campaign&to¤t&
members&of&UA&mailing&list,&online&shoppers,&and&members&of&UA&RECORD&network&
2. Adapt&product&packaging&to&include©&reminding&consumers&to®ister&products&purchased&through&non?UA&channels&to&allow&program&access&& &
2.1. Registration&approach&ensures&consumers&are&able&to&purchase&from&third?parties&and&still&participate,&which&will&encourage&retailer&promotion&
3. Run&integrated&social&and&PR&campaign&promoting&new&program&and&rewards&customers&will&gain&from&membership.&&
3.1. Roll?out&campaign&will&be&followed&periodically&with&promotions&highlighting&exclusive&content&available&to&members&to&encourage&new&membership&
4. Include&fitness&and&apparel&profiling&in&loyalty&program&sign?up&process,&which&will&enable&brand&to&run&one?to?one&marketing&campaigns&and&tailor&promotions&later&on&
�40
5. Rather&than&rebates,&loyalty&rewards&will&be&primarily&in&the&form&of&early&purchase&access&or&limited&edition&multimedia&content&from&UA&spokespeople&such&as&a&video&of&shooting&tips&from&Stephen&Curry&or&an&exclusive&AMA&(ask?me?anything)&with&Misty&Copeland.&This&will&increase&brand&affiliation&and&keep&consumer&focus&on&UA&quality&and&performance&rather&than&price&
6. Integrate&social&sharing&mechanisms&into&loyalty&program&so&consumers&can&share&when&they&receive&rewards&or®ister&products,&increasing&word?of?mouth&visibility&of&loyalty&program&benefits&
7. Make&loyalty&program&membership&interact&with&UA&RECORD&environment&enabling&promotion&of&personal?performance?based&rewards&
7.1. Use&UA&spokespeople&to&run&performance&competitions&for&program&members&leading&to&major&rewards&such&as&event&tickets&or&training&opportunities&
Recommendation 3: Increase brand awareness within target market by 10% over 2 years by increasing promotion of UA cause-related products & activitiesOur& third& recommenda5on& for& improving& Under& Armour’s& brand& posi5on& is& to& promote& the&brand’s&cause?related&ini5a5ves&more&heavily&among&tradi5onal&audiences&as&well&as&use&them&to&reach&new&audiences.&Although&our&philanthropic&programs&are&well&established,&they&could&be&more& heavily& promoted& on& an& ongoing& basis,&which&would&make& consumers& aware& of& our&brand’s&efforts&to&improve&the&people&and&communi5es&we&market&to.&
Under& Armour& supports& a& number& of& cause?related& programs& including:& UA& Power& In& Pink,&focusing& on& women’s& fitness& and& breast& cancer& awareness,& UA&WIN& Global,& which& promotes&youth& athle5cs,& and& UA& Freedom,& which& is& a& veteran’s& support& program.& By& making& these&programs&more&visible&and¢ral&to&the&UA&brand&iden5ty,&we&will& increase&brand&awareness&among& audiences& beyond& our& tradi5onal& markets& since& philanthropic& causes& and& events& are&oMen&promoted&to&friends&and&family&members,¬&just&the&athletes&par5cipa5ng&in&events.&
Improving& our& brand’s& presence& in& these& areas& will& also& provide& a& number& of& co?branding&opportuni5es&through&rela5onships&with&events&and&spokespeople.
Tactics 1. Under& Spotlight& headings& on& underarmour.com& retail& channel,& promote& cause?related&
product&lines&on&a®ular&basis&
1.1. Always&have&one&cause?related&line&promoted&under&Spotlight&
�41
2. Carry& out& marketing& campaigns& for& UA& causes& on& a& regular& basis& (at& least& annually)&using¤t&UA&spokespeople&and&fans&who&are&involved&in&that&cause&
3. Use&both&UA&and&spokesperson’s&owned&media&channels&for&cause&promotion&
4. Feature&spokespeople&as&models&on&website&
5. Recruit& loyal& UA& fans& to& act& as& spokespeople& on& UA& channels& and& promotional&materials&
6. Promote& causes& and& cause?related& products& during& relevant& holidays& or& days& of&recognition&(Memorial&Day&–&Veterans;&Breast&Cancer&Awareness&month,&etc.)&on&owned&media&channels&
7. Overhaul&website&with&targeted&imagery,&colors,&and&promotional&materials&relevant&to&events&
8. Use&social&platforms&to&promote&cause&awareness&independent&of&UA&products&
9. Solicit& crowdsourced& media& from& brand& followers& related& to& causes& and& re?share&through&UA?branded&channels&to&raise&awareness&and&user&interaction&
10. Collaborate&with&high?profile&designers& to&produce& limited&edition& co?branded&apparel&items&that&support&UA&causes&
11. Produce& supporting& marketing& materials& related& to& UA& and& designer’s& brands& in&relation&to&the&supported&cause&
12. Sponsor& one?off& athletic& events& supporting& brand& causes& and& promote& heavily& on& UA&owned&media&channels&
13. Focus&on& events& that& are& growing& in& participation& and& visibility& rather& than& largest&events&to&reinforce&UA&brand&identification&with&underdog&entities&
14. Make& UA& executives& available& to& press& before& and& during& to& promote& events& and&causes,&which&will&draw&more&attention&to&sponsored&events
�42
References
References&
About&Under&Armour.&(n.d.)&Retrieved&from&hVp://www.uabiz.com/company/mission.cfm&&
Adidas.&(n.d.).&Number&of&retail&stores&of&the&adidas&Group&worldwide&from&2008&to&2014,&by&
store&type.&In&Sta<sta(F(The(Sta<s<cs(Portal.&Retrieved&March&28,&2016,&from&hVp://
www.sta.sta.com/sta.s.cs/268442/numberTofTretailTstoresTofTtheTadidasTgroupT
worldwideTbyTstoreTtype/&
Adidas&AG.&(2016).&Adidas&AG&2015&Annual&Report.&Retrieved&from&hVp://www.adidasT
group.com/en/investors/financialTreports/&&
Alsher,&J.&(2015,&August&21).&NBA:&The&5&Most&Popular&Players&on&Social&Media.&Sports(
CheatSheet.&Retrieved&from&hVp://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/nbaTtheT5TmostT
popularTplayersTonTsocialTmedia.html/?a=viewall&&
BreVman,&A.&(2015,&March&26).&Adidas&targets&growth&through&2020,&sets&sights&on&Nike,&U.S.&
market.&Oregonian.&Retrieved&from&hVp://www.oregonlive.com/playbooksTprofits/
index.ssf/2015/03/adidas_sets_sights_on_nike_wit.html&&
Curry&Two&Introduc.on&[image].&(2015,&October&20).&Retrieved&from&hVp://
www.fastcocreate.com/3052516/stephenTcurryTchangesTtheTgameTwithTjamieTfoxxTforT
underTarmour&&
Davies,&R.&(2012,&August&1).&Under&Armour&to&take&on&Adidas&and&Nike&with&help&of&hiTtech&new&
ToVenham&Hotspur&kit.&Retrieved&from&hVp://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/
ar.cleT2182302/UnderTArmourTstakesThiTtechTnewTToVenhamTHotspurTkit.html&&
Emmerentze,&E.&(2015,&March&26).&Adidas&targets&turnaround&with&new&strategy.&WSJ(
MarketWatch.&Retrieved&from&hVp://www.marketwatch.com/story/adidasTtargetsT
turnaroundTwithTnewTstrategyT2015T03T26T44852235&&
�44
Euromonitor&Interna.onal.&(2016,&March).&Sportswear(in(the(US.(Retrieved&from&Euromonitor&
Passport&database.&&
Euromonitor&Interna.onal.&(2015,&February).&Under(Armour(Inc(in(Apparel(And(Footwear(
(World).(Retrieved&from&Euromonitor&Passport&database.&(
[female&runner&image].&(n.d.)&Retrieved&from&hVp://img2.thejournal.ie/inline/1745939/
original/?width=630&version=1745939&&
Fontein,&D.&(2016,&March&23).&The&Top&Social&Media&Sites&That&MaVer&to&Marketers.&Retrieved&
from&hVps://blog.hootsuite.com/topTsocialTmediaTsitesTmaVerTtoTmarketers/&&
Germano,&S.&(2015,&January&8).&Under&Armour&overtakes&Adidas&in&U.S.&sportswear&market.&Wall(
Street(Journal.(Retrieved&from&hVp://www.wsj.com/ar.cles/underTarmourTovertakesT
adidasTinTuTsTsportswearTmarketT1420753934&&
Germano,&S.&(2015,&January&13).&Adidas&to&Sign&Up&to&500&Athletes&for&Endorsements.&Wall(
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