Under Armour Marketing Strategy Evaluation and Strategy

The aim of this memo is to study Under Armour’s marketing strategy, specifically the
success of the “I Will What I Want” campaign. The findings of the analysis will help to develop
a marketing strategy that the company can use in its next campaign. The company had on
inception, focused on shorts, shoes, and other sporting apparel for the men’s athletic market and
by 2013, the company’s revenue from women’s apparel accounted for less than 25 percent of
total revenue (Maheshwari, 2014). Based on the need to expand its market share, the company
developed the “I Will What I Want” promotion.
To enhance its appeal among female customers, the company launched the “I Will What I
Want” campaign in 2014. It launched this campaign amid the failure of the “Unite All Originals”
campaign that Adidas, Under Armour’s second biggest competitor, had started the previous year.
Despite the failure of Adidas’s promotion, Under Armour managed to implement a successive
campaign in the same market, which led to an increase in the market share and profits.

Identified Facts

Through the “I Will What I Want” campaign, which is the mega concept, Under Armour
managed to appeal to the female customers and this led to an increase in its market share and
revenue. The company chose to use two female sports athletes in the campaign, whose main goal
was to celebrate women. Notably, the first advertisement received a positive reception on

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television, print, and the digital space while the commercial created for the second phase of the
promotion received positive and negative comments in equal measure. Despite the challenges,
the campaign was a huge success.
The promotion’s success surpassed the company’s expectations. It led to a 28% increase
in female apparel sale and a 42% increase in traffic to the Under Armour’s website (Nudd,
2015). Following the success of the campaign, Under Armour moved on to become the second
largest company in the U.S sportswear market (Germano, 2015). Although the company did not
manage to get to the number one spot, it is evident that the “I Will I What I Want” campaign was
a success.

Analysis of the key issues

Sports marketing campaigns such as Under Armour’s “I will What I Want” have to
consider several issues. One is the use of celebrity endorsers. The use of famous personalities as
brand endorsers often leads to an increase in product sales and profits (Crutchfield, 2010).
However, the celebrities also present a risk to the brands they represent. For example, if such
celebrities get involved in any sort of scandal, their actions are likely to negatively affect the
brand.
Secondly, is the issue of word of mouth and viral marketing. While the strategy, which
involves the spread of promotion messages through social media, is effective and helps to save
on financial resources, consumers tend to forget what brand a certain advertisement was
associated with (Franchise Help, 2019). As such, when undertaking a campaign, it is important to
incorporate several deliver channels, such that they complement each other.
Thirdly, companies need to engage in market research. This will help them to identify the
gaps in the market as well as potential markets in which to venture. For example, industry

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estimates show that the global sports apparel will reach the $184 billion mark by 2020 (Market
Watch, 2015). This, therefore, means that companies in the sports apparel market should focus
on the global market as it presents growth opportunities.
Evaluation of arguments

As Under Armour looks into developing a new campaign, it needs to consider several
factors. First, the company needs to develop a campaign that will help it enhance its presence on
the global market. According to McNew (2015), world sports apparel sales experienced an 8%
annual growth from 2013 to 2015. This continuous growth points to the fact that there is a large
unsatisfied global market. Under Amour, therefore, should develop a marketing campaign that
targets the international market.
Secondly, the company faces the challenge of identifying the most effective channel to
use for its next campaign. While the use of television and online advertisements was effective in
the “I Will What I Want” promotion, the company should also include word of mouth and viral
marketing in its next campaign. Viral marketing involves creation advertisements and sharing
them on socials platforms such that people share with their contacts. Seeing that its next
promotion targets the global market, and given the social connectivity that exists in today’s
worlds, it is more practical to use word of mouth and viral marketing as these are likely to reach
a large audience in a shorter time and with the use of less resources.
Thirdly, Under Armour needs to make a choice of brand endorsers to use. Although
celebrities are expensive to hire and maintain in terms of finances and present risks to the brand,
their endorsements would be most effective in the company’s next promotion. The fact that the
company is targeting the global market means that it would need to recruit everyday people in
each individual market to act as endorsers. However, famous personalities enjoy a global

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following and thus they would appeal easily to the global market. For example, for its sports
apparel products, the company could choose a football player to be the brand endorser. The
choice of a football player is advised by the fact that the game is played and popular in most
parts of the globe, which means that a wider market will relate with it. This is as opposed to
choosing a basketball or tennis player. These games are not as common and popular as football
and so a significant part of the market will not relate with them.

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References

Crutchfield, D. (2010). Celebrity Endorsements Still Push Product. Retrieved 12 September
2019, from https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/marketing-celebrity-endorsements-
push-product/146023
Franchise Help. (2019). Fitness Industry Analysis 2019 – Cost & Trends. Retrieved 12
September 2019, from https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/fitness-industry-
analysis-2018-cost-trends/
Germano, S. (2015). Under Armour Overtakes Adidas in U.S. Sportswear Market. Retrieved 12
September 2019, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/under-armour-overtakes-adidas-in-
u-s-sportswear-market-1420753934
Maheshwari, S. (2014). Why Under Armour Made That Mesmerizing Ad With Ballerina Misty
Copeland. Retrieved 12 September 2019, from
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sapna/under-armours-powerful-new-misty-
copeland-ad-kicks-off-recor#.ookjnO1r9
Market Watch. (2015). World Sports Apparel Market is Estimated to Garner $184.6 Billion by
2020 – Allied Market Research. Retrieved 12 September 2019, from
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/world-sports-apparel-market-is-estimated-
to-garner-1846-billion-by-2020—allied-market-research-2015-10-08-82032519
McNew, B. (2015). Can Nike Inc and Under Armour Inc Survive an Athletic Apparel Bubble? |
The Motley Fool. Retrieved 12 September 2019, from
https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/04/12/can-nike-inc-and-under-armour-inc-
survive-an-athle.aspx

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Nudd, T. (2015). Droga5’s Gisele Campaign for Under Armour Scores the Cyber Grand Prix at
Cannes. Retrieved 12 September 2019, from https://www.adweek.com/brand-
marketing/droga5s-gisele-campaign-under-armour-scores-cyber-grand-prix-cannes-