Diana BergerScott BruckerLarry Cenotto

Brian McCarthy

• Began using personal selling– Targeted college equipment managers

• Moved to IMC Plan– Theme: “Protect This House”

– Commercials

– Print Ads

• Interactive Media– UA Website

IMC Platform

• Endorsements/Sponsorships– MLB, NHL, NFL teams, 100 NCAA football teams

• Product placement– “The Replacements” & “Any Given Sunday”

• Great exposure to their target audience of sports enthusiasts

• Public Relations– Featured in ESPN,

SI & Time Magazines

IMC Platform

• Very Effective IMC Plan• “Protect This House” Theme

– After campaign, sales increased to $25 million

– UA now found in over 2,500 retail outlets

Critique of IMC

• Founded in 1995 by Kevin Plank, a Maryland football player, Under Armour began as a product strictly for football players, by football players

• Over its 11 year life, UA has expanded to suit the needs of virtually all athletes, creating a very strong advertising image

Image Advertising

• UA has successfully exuded a tough, high performance image that speaks directly to its target market: – Athletes and aspiring athletes

Image Advertising

• UA’s image advertising conveys that their product makes an athlete better, faster, stronger, and more feared

Image Advertising

• Under Armour crosses into daring advertising, calling out its competitors and showing that as athletes shouldn’t be afraid of their competition, UA isn’t afraid of facing their competition either

Image Advertising

• Creating emotional rapport with consumers to try to make a product as close to their ideal state as possible

• This concept has 3 levels:– Consumers…

1. Consider product benefits

2. Assign a personality to the brand

3. Develop emotional bonds to the brand

Emotional Bonding

• Showcase the Product Benefits– Entered an industry dominated by such

goliaths as Nike, Adidas, and Reebok

– Marketed as something that can help athletic performance

– Named products after their primary benefit• Ex. HeatGear, ColdGear, TurfGear, and AllSeasonGear

Emotional Bonding

• Showcase the Product Benefits– UA snuck in under the radar of Nike, and now

controls 75% of performance apparel industry

– Traditional industry giants have caught on and are trying to take market back from UA

• Nike Dri-Fit, Adidas ClimaLite, and Reebok Hydromove

Emotional Bonding

• Assigning Personality to the Brand– “We Must Protect This House”

– Shows UA football players practicing to try to beat the “Goliaths”

• Players exude confidence and perseverance• Camaraderie & affiliation between UA team

Emotional Bonding

“WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!!!”

• Assigning Personality to the Brand– UA doesn’t use marquee athletes

• More relatable to target markets• Pull off the role of the underdog

– UA brand personality is that of a tough, testosterone-driven, giant-killing persona

– Many athletes endorse for free

Emotional Bonding

• Assigning Personality to the Brand– “Click Clack” ad campaign (2006)

• Refers to sound of cleats on concrete

– Subtitle: “I Think You Hear Us Coming”• Double entendre: showcases both UA’s brand

momentum and new entry into the cleat market

Emotional Bonding

• What’s Next?– Continuous exposure to these messages will

develop emotional bonds so that emotions like accomplishment, confidence, pride, and affiliation become synonymous with UA

Emotional Bonding

Strengths•TV campaign•Strong brand identity•High quality apparel•Trade promotions•Interactive website

Weaknesses•Relatively small amongst industry giants•Narrow media focus•Not leveraging sponsorships and technology

Opportunities•Entering new markets

–Demographics: Gender, Age

–Geographic: Texas Tech, Auburn

–Psychographics: Variety of sports

–Products: Cleats

Threats•Encroaching new competitors•Industry giants•Loss of brand identity in expansion

SWOT Analysis

• Focus on product benefits– Technology: HeatGear, Compression, ColdGear

– Majority of benefits are unknown to potential customers

Recommendations

• Target new markets– Different sports

– Product launches (like “Click Clack” campaign)

– Geographic, psychographic, and demographic

• Create and leverage sponsorships– More athletes, teams, and leagues

• Increase brand loyalty• Increase saturation level

– Event sponsorship

Recommendations