Under Armour is a fascinating and dynamic brand and I had such fun researching the brand and developing recommendations for improving brand equity for this class. I thought the two most under-explored areas of the brand are the niche athletic markets and the company's cause-related products and activities. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.

1. Genifer Snipes
IMC 619 - Brand Equity
April 20, 2016
Brand
Audit

2. Executive Summary
In#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.
2

3. 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.
3

4. 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
4

5. 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&sector&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 Share
According&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&
not& be& easy.& Globally,& UA& ranks&
34th& with& a& 2%& market& share&
(Euromonitor,&2015).&
(Wilson,&2015)&
5

6. Revenues
In&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&sectors&
• Ac.ve&in&connected&health&sector,&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&not&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
6

7. Brand
Inventory

8. Inventory Overview
Brand 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
8

9. Brand Catalog
Under&Armour&is&the&sole&brand&iden2ty&of&Under&Armour,&Inc.&and,&as&such&does&not&compete&
for,&or&share&assets&within&the&company.&&
Brand Name
Under 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.&
Logo
UA 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.
9

10. 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&not&
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&not&
engaging& in& their& sport.& It& should& be& noted& that& all& labeling& and&
packaging&use&the&original&UA&logo.
Slogan
I& 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.&&
10

11. 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&copy.&The&silver&is&used&for&the&UA&logo&on&some&package&labels.&
Color(hex(codes:
• Black:&#000000&
• White&#FFFFFF&
• Red:&#E03A3E
• Silver:&#C0C0C0
Labeling/Packaging
UA& 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 Names
All&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
11

12. Product Lines
Under& Armour& produces& hundreds& of& products& in& the& apparel,& footwear,& accessories,& and&
technology&sectors.&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
12

13. Product Distribution
Under& 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
13

14. 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 Press
Under&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.
14

15. 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.
Facebook
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& #IWill,&
#RuleYourself,&and&#SlayYourNextGiant.
15

16. 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,& behindT
theTscenes& 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& and&
microTvideo&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.
Pinterest
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.
16

17. 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 Competitor
Beaverton,&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).&&
17

18. 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
18

19. Brands
NIKE&&
Converse&&
Chuck&Taylor&&
All&Star&
One&Star&&
Star&Chevron&&
Jack&Purcell&&
Hurley&&
Jordan&
Nike&+&
NikeiD
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
• Unques.onable&dominance&of&all&sectors&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&
19

21. 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&not&directly&comparable&to&Under&Armour’s.&&
Market Share
Adidas’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&sector,&Adidas&was&edged&out&by&U.S.T
based&Skechers&in&2015&(Gould&&&Lutz,&2015).&&
21

22. (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&not&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&popT
up&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).&
22

23. Products
Adidas&produces&a&variety&of&apparel&and&athle.c&equipment&products&including:&&
Brands
adidas&
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&sectors&
• 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&not&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
23

24. Brand
Exploratory

25. Exploratory Overview
Exploratory
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.
25

26. Product Landscape
Under&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
26

27. Awareness, Attitudes, & Perception
Product Awareness
Consumers& 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&wellT
known&within&the&hun.ng&community,&its&outdoor&lines&are&otherwise&not&widely&recognized.&&
Another&area&of&ques.onable&consumer&knowledge&is&related&to&the&brand’s&Connected&Fitness&
sector,&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&not&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 Perception
In& 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.&
27
Fig.2UnderArmourWordAssociations

28. 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
28

29. 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.&&
Attitudes
In&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.
29

30. 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 Elements
The& 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 Programs
Under&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.
30

31. 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

32. 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 Placement
In&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

33. 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.&
Nike
Nike&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.&&
33

34. Adidas
Adidas&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

35. Key Customer
Profiles

36. UACustomerProfile-Female
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.)

37. UACustomerProfile-Male
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)

38. Brand
Recommendations

39. Recommendation 1: Increase brand awareness
among non-traditional athletic markets by 5%
over the next 2 years through increased
marketing and product promotion
Based&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,&not&
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&current&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&
current&applicability&to&running,&walking,&and&hiking.&&
39

40. 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&current&
members&of&UA&mailing&list,&online&shoppers,&and&members&of&UA&RECORD&network&
2. Adapt&product&packaging&to&include&copy&reminding&consumers&to&register&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

41. 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&register&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 & activities
Our& 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&central&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,&not&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&regular&basis&
1.1. Always&have&one&cause?related&line&promoted&under&Spotlight&
41

42. 2. Carry& out& marketing& campaigns& for& UA& causes& on& a& regular& basis& (at& least& annually)&
using&current&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

43. References

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47