Company 's Mission, Vision, And Primary Stakeholders

In addition, these companies are able to easily compete in the sports apparel market because the barriers to entry are low. On the other hand, many companies should think twice before entering the market. One reason is the large capital costs that are required to meet consumer demand in the market. In addition to large capital costs, some of the largest companies have gained customer loyalty based on their strong marketing skills. For example, Under Armour, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, ASICS, make new entrants into this industry much more difficult to compete with when these companies have a big share in the market already. According to Exhibit 4 in the textbook, it shows the major competitors and brands in 2013. Nonetheless, competition is intense in the sports industry market but, the high levels of product differentiation can also act as a barrier to entry for many companies because company’s need a high level of marketing to market their brand to consumers.

Threats-Tax increases placing additional financial burdens on under armour could be a threat. The financial burden of increasing interest rates could be a threat to under armour. Changes in the way consumers shop and spend and other changing consumer patterns could be a threat to under armour’s performance. The actions of a competitor could be a major threat against under armour for instance it they bring in new technology or increase their workforce to meet demand. Substitute products available on the market present a major threat to under armour. Hard competition from companies such as nike and adidas. Recession may impact the sale of company. Low price importers can fetch market share. Male dominated focus.

a. Under Armour’s approach towards innovation is very unique, they think and plan out their projects thoroughly in order to create a one of a kind product that could be appealing to their consumers. The company has been extremely progressive throughout the years in order to stay ahead of the other competitive companies in their targeted industry. By constantly updating and coming up with different product lines, such as compression shirts and cleats, Under Armour is able to compete with other top athletic wear company’s in their market. If

The also place a big emphasizes on the Under Armour logo and pushed for brand recognition. Under Armour became the official uniform sponsor for many colleges and sport teams. Under Armour’s strategy was to design and make varies styles of sports apparel with their moisture-wicking fabrics to satisfy the needs of athletes of all levels and all sports. Their growth strategy was to continue to expand on the products they offered their consumers. They wanted to create more products that encompassed several sports and activities. By doing this they would be targeting additional consumers with their new performance products. Part of the growth strategy was to expand sales in foreign countries, become a global competitor in sports apparel and strengthening the appeal of their products and brand

Sociocultural/Demographic – Under Armour was able to build its brand image through extensive sponsorship. Under Armour now provides gear to the NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL the USA baseball and Ski teams including other professional leagues abroad. In 2005, Under Armour was supplying over 100 NCAA division I-A football programs and 30 NFL teams. Only four years since its founding Under Armour had become a globally recognized brand, and was still looking for areas to branch into within the performance apparel industry and introduced a women’s and youth line.

Under Armour faces intense competition such as Nike and Adidas. They play an important role in sportswear products, and have a strong market outside North America where Under Armour has a limited presence in international market (Trefis

In today’s athletic market world, being the number one is what many athletes strive for—that is what sets the standards for many sport clothing companies, to deliver products that allow athletes increase their performance while striving to take the number “one” spot. Under Armour works to deliver products that do that and more. Under Armour is currently one of the leading companies in the sports apparel industry whose mission is to “Make all athletes better through passion, design, and the relentless pursuit of innovation” (Under Armour, Inc). Baltimore, Maryland-based Under Armour, founded in 1996 by ex-football player Kevin Plank, who transformed the sports apparel industry by creating apparel that used synthetic materials as an alternative to natural fibers, such as cotton, or other materials, such as polyester. Plank’s mission was to develop a shirt using synthetic materials that handled perspiration most efficiently than was previously expected. Under Armour’s ability to target their products to a wide range of potential clients has enhanced their ability to continue to grow within the athletic marketplace. Under Armour, it is classified as a high-end fitness clothing supplier that appeals to a diverse income audience. This audience has been reached by the outstanding advertising strategies and that include men, women and children. Under Armour currently uses a mixture of pull marketing and different campaigns for its diverse product lines. The overall goal for Under

Under Armour, Inc. is ranked among the established sports Kit producers across the globe. It thus enjoys massive sales in several markets. Under Armour has its headquarters Baltimore, Maryland with Kevin Plank as the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Robin Thurston as the Chief Finance Office. The company is committed to developing its brand continuously through advertisement. It is presently listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) market with a share price of $46.99. The company through its CEO believes that for the company to remain viable in the market, it has to ensure that that its products satisfy the taste of the consumers (Thompson, 2015). Clearly, this has bored fruits, basing the argument on the high consumer

Under Armour sponsors lot of basketball events and competitions, UA Association (UAA) is the biggest event related to basketball. The UAA is focused to develop young talented kids by organizing professional competition between them. They also organized Stephen Curry camp, UA-All American Camp, and sponsored some charity games in China.

The major weakness that has been identified is the lack of Under Armour’s lack of establishment and footprint of the brand around the world. Over 90% of the company's revenue comes from the North American market, which is a major source of concern. They are starting to become a larger brand in the golfing world which will help them gain market share in the western world but still doesn’t help with eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. They can change this by sponsoring and equipping more soccer and cricket athletes and teams. These are some of the two largest sports in the world and if they are able to get their brand associated with these sports Under Armor will easily become a household

Under Armour is in the Textile- Apparel Clothing industry, in the consumer goods sector. The market has been driven by economic recovery, new product offerings and a

Under Armour is a leading athletic clothing line directed towards the overall athlete who is looking for the most comfort during extracurricular activities. The mission of the company is, "to provide the world with technically advanced products engineered with exclusive fabric construction, supreme moisture management, and proven innovation. In short, every Under Armour product is doing something for you; it's making you better."

Since the evolution of the company, Under Armour rapidly expands their business while some internal problems still exist. For example, unprotected intellectual property right issue and supplier relationship management. Also, the current business strategy was focusing on marketing, international expansion, product differentiation, and other expenses while they have weak financial management. These will certainly pose future problems to the company.

The rapid success of Under Armour is not a mistake. The company dominates the performance apparel category. According to Founder Kevin Plank, “The mission of Under Armour is to make technically advanced products that are engineered with superior fabric construction, to provide proven innovation available to the masses-aimed at making athletes perform better” (UnderArmour.com). Under Armour uses many marketing initiatives including athlete endorsement, product placement, and popular culture which illustrates the success of Under Armour.

Other than Under Armour, the industry’s most prominent competitors are Nike and Adidas. In Figure 1 of the Appendix, a strategic group model illustrates Under Armour’s performance in comparison to the other leading competitors in the same industry. 7The size of each bubble is the amount of market share that that company holds. According to the map, Under Armour comes in at third place; it is apparent that the firm needs to make some changes if they desire to remain a legitimate player in the long run.