As a business student, I worked collaboratively with Under Armour and Textile Materials Technology students to explore opportunities within the brand and develop product. We conducted research on consumer wants and needs, social media integration, competitive fibers and materials, and brand aesthetics. Through this research we developed a marketing plan and presented it to executives within Under Armour. The three opportunities for entry were as follows:
The Skateboarder
A large portion of this 5 billion dollar market has the potential for UA to acquire. This connects with the UA athletic consumer in a new way. The products originally proposed were a baseline thermal with hand protection, a padding system, a reflective jacket, and a tactical pant. A great way to enter the market, would be a collaboration with smaller “mom n pop” retailers from across the globe, allowing their products to be globally accessed, and UA to help produce, distribute, and market these products. This maintains the consumers need for individuality and personalization within the market. They will still have a wide range of products to choose from. Within this market, there is a breakdown in consumers. First, the "posers" are someone who would listen to what a popular celebrity skater would do. Second, the more "conservative" skaters, who don't like mainstream fashion, and who don't care about what shoes Rob Dyrdek has on.
In terms of collaboration, instead of working with a celebrity specifically, UA should collaborate with Thrasher Magazine. This magazine consists of skateboard and music related articles, photography interviews and skateboard reviews. “Skater of the year” is awarded by Thrasher Magazine annually. This would be a great way for UA to collaborate with both the magazine and have new representatives for the brand each year. In the implementation of this market, Under Armour can appeal to both parts of the demographic. The “poser” will be interested in the more mainstream apparel that UA can sell all the time, this portion of the market is the teenagers (14-20) so generally their parents are the ones forking out the cash for their clothing and shoes. The more conservative skaters who might not be interested in something that is readily available, could be interested in the exclusive line that comes out every year with the Thrasher “Skater of the Year”. This would allow them to showcase their individuality and provide exclusive access to apparel (with a max quantity).
The Everyday Active Commuter
Have you ever taken public transportation in major city and felt comfortable? This is the opportunity that is needed to be fulfilled. This is the active commuter. The active commuter consists of not only those who bike or walk but also those who use public transportation in their daily commute. The products proposed were a reinforced dress jackets, high fitnes dress shirts, and proactive dress pants. “More than 1.3 billion passenger journeys were made on the Tube, an increase of 3.2% on the previous year” “Cycle use grew by 10 per cent last year and is forecast to grow by 12 per cent over financial year” In major U.S. and European cities more commuters are becoming active commuters due to a recent surge in lifestyle and activity trends. Under Armour has the power to enter this market. Creating a line geared towards the active commuter will succeed because there is nothing quite like it yet dominating the market. Visualize a line that seeks all demands but proves functional and fashionable. There is space in the market.
America Ninja Warrior
The extreme sport market is one that has the potential to be extremely profitable but has yet to truly and deeply explored. The characteristics of the ePTFE fabric provides a perfect gate-way to further delve into the market, something that not many athletic brands are doing, which is another reason Under Armour should take the lack of presence as an opportunity rather than shy away from the challenge. The company already has a partnership with Dwayne “the rock” Johnson and his USDNA line. This line stresses apparel that can withstand the hardest workouts and toughest conditions using its Threadborne Microthread technology. It has sold out in stores and online, proving that there is a need for this in the market. The successful launch of the USDNA collection from UA provides us with a clear example of the opportunity UA has to expand into the extreme sport market. The fabric we have produced and are continually testing would take the Microthread fabric Under Armour already has to the next level, implementing more strength and more style in the garments.
Under Armour has also already collaborated with American Ninja Warrior in sponsoring the apparel for the finalist Jessie Graff. Similar to how the Under Armour and other athletic brands create mimicked styles to the uniforms worn by Olympic athletes, the same method could be implemented in American Ninja Warriors. These extreme athletes create fan bases who would buy styles repped by their favorite athlete. Taking the partnership with Jessie Graff one step further would only enhance the exposure Under Armour has begun to create. UA’s new campaign “unlike any” delves into the more atypical extreme sports and brings more attention to these extreme athletes. Videos are taken of the athletes excelling in the brands clothing, which are then posted to the brands youtube page and in commercials. Under Armour’s next steps could be interviewing and recording American Ninja warriors to continue to strengthen their campaign and enter into an already excelling market.
