strategic plan - underarmour
DESCRIPTION
Strategic Management of BusinessTRANSCRIPT
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 1
Under Armour
Student Name
BUSN 620
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 2
Overview
Under Armour is a worldwide distributor of athletic apparel footwear and
accessories The company got its start when a young University of Maryland football
player got tired of constantly changing sweat-soaked shirts between practices Since
then the now CEO of Under Armour Kevin Plank has taken the company that started
with a single product engineered out of synthetic fibers and transformed it into a global
competitor in the market place
Under Armour is a rapidly growing business reporting annual revenue of $183
billion at the end of 2012 up from their $85641 million published at the end of 2009
(Under Armour Inc 2012) This is a far cry from the early days of the company in
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 3
1996 when UA was lucky to generate a meager $17000 in sales Since UArsquos entry into
the market they have made serious progress to establish themselves as a successful
business and a real competitor to other companies within the market such as the
athletic giant Nike
Today Under Armourrsquos inventory has expanded from the original compression t-
shirt to a product line including a full line of athletic shirts and shorts to footwear
jackets bags cold weather garments and more Kevin Plankrsquos products are sold in
nearly every athletic apparel story across the United States and in many international
market places Additionally UA has secured its place in the professional arena by
becoming ldquothe official footwear supplier of the NFL and MLB and partners with the NBArdquo
(Yahoo finance 2013) This company has successfully claimed a prominent place in
the market and has shown no signs of slowing their expansion and determination to
achieve business success
History
As mentioned earlier the concept that
sparked the Under Armour Company was
based upon a problem involving consistently
soaked shirts from sweat Kevin Plank was
determined to find an easier way for him and
fellow athletes to push themselves physically
without having to tolerate wet hot and
uncomfortable under garments After
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 4
researching the benefits of synthetic materials and their applications he developed a t-
shirt he named 0037 (Under Armour Inc 2013) The innovative shirt helped keep
athletes cool and dry even on the hottest of days This product quickly became popular
with athletes serving as the first test for the emerging business
UA continued to conduct business on a relatively small scale until his advertising
strategy caught traction In 1999 Under Armour partnered up with the movie industry
providing apparel to the cast of Any Given Sunday In the movie Mr Plankrsquos products
were worn during iconic scenes in the movie inspiring UA to expand their advertising to
ESPN magazine For the small growing business at the time this move was risky but
paid off in the end by spreading the word of Under Armour products and boosting sales
by $750000 (Under Armour Inc 2013)
Between 2002 and 2004 UA opened product lines dedicated to women children
and golfers These strategic moves positioned Under Armour to make a serious
business move In 2005 the company went public thrusting the company into an
entirely new level of business operations
In the years to follow UA set its sights on developing products to provide for the
elite from head to toe The company publicly outfitted athletic greats such as Ray
Lewis Georges St-Pierre and even Michael Phelps To further the success of the firm
Under Armour opened a European Headquarters extending the companies reach By
the end of 2010 UA broke the $1 billion market on their yearly revenue
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 5
Presently UA continues their success by expanding and remaining true to
athletes Kevin Plankrsquos dedication to improving products to help competitors excel has
served as the foundation for how the company operates on a daily basis
Mission Statement
ldquoTo make all athletes better through passion design and the relentless pursuit of
innovationrdquo (Under Armour Inc 2013) UA publicly advertises their company mission
and it has served them well Providing broad guidance to keep their employees
motivated and innovative to address the needs of the athlete from the elite professional
to the average everyday active person
Corporate Values
Under Armour sports a thorough Code of Conduct realizing the success and
reputation of a business lies in the hands of each and every one of the companyrsquos
employees The company goes so far as to outline a Code of Conduct for their
suppliers and subcontractors refusing to do business with outside parties that do not
comply with the firmrsquos values
Business Objectives
Although it is difficult to find a well defined formal business objective published
for the masses there are general directions the company is heading In an article from
2011 Kevin Plank revealed the goal for the company is to break the $2 billion market
for annual revenue After a successful year in 2012 where Under Armour produced an
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 6
annual revenue of $183 billion the company is well on its way to achieving that
milestone
All throughout the internet and from interviews with Kevin Plank itrsquos obvious UA
has its sights set on Nike Nike is one of the most well-known athletic apparel
companies in the world and one of the main competitors for Under Armour Itrsquos no
secret Mr Plank wants to be on the same level as Nike This is a lofty goal considering
Nikersquos annual revenue is over 12 times that of UA reportedly topping out at
approximately $24 billion (Burke 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Customer loyalty
Brand equity
Innovation
High quality apparel
Consistent improvement of sales
(Annual reports show consistent
growth from year to year)
Wide range of apparel
Athlete and team sponsorships and
endorsements
Weaknesses
Small company compared to Nike
and Adidas
Heavily dependent on domestic
market small international
presence
High prices
Loss of military market (UA
products are not fire retardant)
Advertising and marketing
Target male audience more so than
a female audience
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
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httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 2
Overview
Under Armour is a worldwide distributor of athletic apparel footwear and
accessories The company got its start when a young University of Maryland football
player got tired of constantly changing sweat-soaked shirts between practices Since
then the now CEO of Under Armour Kevin Plank has taken the company that started
with a single product engineered out of synthetic fibers and transformed it into a global
competitor in the market place
Under Armour is a rapidly growing business reporting annual revenue of $183
billion at the end of 2012 up from their $85641 million published at the end of 2009
(Under Armour Inc 2012) This is a far cry from the early days of the company in
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 3
1996 when UA was lucky to generate a meager $17000 in sales Since UArsquos entry into
the market they have made serious progress to establish themselves as a successful
business and a real competitor to other companies within the market such as the
athletic giant Nike
Today Under Armourrsquos inventory has expanded from the original compression t-
shirt to a product line including a full line of athletic shirts and shorts to footwear
jackets bags cold weather garments and more Kevin Plankrsquos products are sold in
nearly every athletic apparel story across the United States and in many international
market places Additionally UA has secured its place in the professional arena by
becoming ldquothe official footwear supplier of the NFL and MLB and partners with the NBArdquo
(Yahoo finance 2013) This company has successfully claimed a prominent place in
the market and has shown no signs of slowing their expansion and determination to
achieve business success
History
As mentioned earlier the concept that
sparked the Under Armour Company was
based upon a problem involving consistently
soaked shirts from sweat Kevin Plank was
determined to find an easier way for him and
fellow athletes to push themselves physically
without having to tolerate wet hot and
uncomfortable under garments After
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 4
researching the benefits of synthetic materials and their applications he developed a t-
shirt he named 0037 (Under Armour Inc 2013) The innovative shirt helped keep
athletes cool and dry even on the hottest of days This product quickly became popular
with athletes serving as the first test for the emerging business
UA continued to conduct business on a relatively small scale until his advertising
strategy caught traction In 1999 Under Armour partnered up with the movie industry
providing apparel to the cast of Any Given Sunday In the movie Mr Plankrsquos products
were worn during iconic scenes in the movie inspiring UA to expand their advertising to
ESPN magazine For the small growing business at the time this move was risky but
paid off in the end by spreading the word of Under Armour products and boosting sales
by $750000 (Under Armour Inc 2013)
Between 2002 and 2004 UA opened product lines dedicated to women children
and golfers These strategic moves positioned Under Armour to make a serious
business move In 2005 the company went public thrusting the company into an
entirely new level of business operations
In the years to follow UA set its sights on developing products to provide for the
elite from head to toe The company publicly outfitted athletic greats such as Ray
Lewis Georges St-Pierre and even Michael Phelps To further the success of the firm
Under Armour opened a European Headquarters extending the companies reach By
the end of 2010 UA broke the $1 billion market on their yearly revenue
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 5
Presently UA continues their success by expanding and remaining true to
athletes Kevin Plankrsquos dedication to improving products to help competitors excel has
served as the foundation for how the company operates on a daily basis
Mission Statement
ldquoTo make all athletes better through passion design and the relentless pursuit of
innovationrdquo (Under Armour Inc 2013) UA publicly advertises their company mission
and it has served them well Providing broad guidance to keep their employees
motivated and innovative to address the needs of the athlete from the elite professional
to the average everyday active person
Corporate Values
Under Armour sports a thorough Code of Conduct realizing the success and
reputation of a business lies in the hands of each and every one of the companyrsquos
employees The company goes so far as to outline a Code of Conduct for their
suppliers and subcontractors refusing to do business with outside parties that do not
comply with the firmrsquos values
Business Objectives
Although it is difficult to find a well defined formal business objective published
for the masses there are general directions the company is heading In an article from
2011 Kevin Plank revealed the goal for the company is to break the $2 billion market
for annual revenue After a successful year in 2012 where Under Armour produced an
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 6
annual revenue of $183 billion the company is well on its way to achieving that
milestone
All throughout the internet and from interviews with Kevin Plank itrsquos obvious UA
has its sights set on Nike Nike is one of the most well-known athletic apparel
companies in the world and one of the main competitors for Under Armour Itrsquos no
secret Mr Plank wants to be on the same level as Nike This is a lofty goal considering
Nikersquos annual revenue is over 12 times that of UA reportedly topping out at
approximately $24 billion (Burke 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Customer loyalty
Brand equity
Innovation
High quality apparel
Consistent improvement of sales
(Annual reports show consistent
growth from year to year)
Wide range of apparel
Athlete and team sponsorships and
endorsements
Weaknesses
Small company compared to Nike
and Adidas
Heavily dependent on domestic
market small international
presence
High prices
Loss of military market (UA
products are not fire retardant)
Advertising and marketing
Target male audience more so than
a female audience
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 3
1996 when UA was lucky to generate a meager $17000 in sales Since UArsquos entry into
the market they have made serious progress to establish themselves as a successful
business and a real competitor to other companies within the market such as the
athletic giant Nike
Today Under Armourrsquos inventory has expanded from the original compression t-
shirt to a product line including a full line of athletic shirts and shorts to footwear
jackets bags cold weather garments and more Kevin Plankrsquos products are sold in
nearly every athletic apparel story across the United States and in many international
market places Additionally UA has secured its place in the professional arena by
becoming ldquothe official footwear supplier of the NFL and MLB and partners with the NBArdquo
(Yahoo finance 2013) This company has successfully claimed a prominent place in
the market and has shown no signs of slowing their expansion and determination to
achieve business success
History
As mentioned earlier the concept that
sparked the Under Armour Company was
based upon a problem involving consistently
soaked shirts from sweat Kevin Plank was
determined to find an easier way for him and
fellow athletes to push themselves physically
without having to tolerate wet hot and
uncomfortable under garments After
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 4
researching the benefits of synthetic materials and their applications he developed a t-
shirt he named 0037 (Under Armour Inc 2013) The innovative shirt helped keep
athletes cool and dry even on the hottest of days This product quickly became popular
with athletes serving as the first test for the emerging business
UA continued to conduct business on a relatively small scale until his advertising
strategy caught traction In 1999 Under Armour partnered up with the movie industry
providing apparel to the cast of Any Given Sunday In the movie Mr Plankrsquos products
were worn during iconic scenes in the movie inspiring UA to expand their advertising to
ESPN magazine For the small growing business at the time this move was risky but
paid off in the end by spreading the word of Under Armour products and boosting sales
by $750000 (Under Armour Inc 2013)
Between 2002 and 2004 UA opened product lines dedicated to women children
and golfers These strategic moves positioned Under Armour to make a serious
business move In 2005 the company went public thrusting the company into an
entirely new level of business operations
In the years to follow UA set its sights on developing products to provide for the
elite from head to toe The company publicly outfitted athletic greats such as Ray
Lewis Georges St-Pierre and even Michael Phelps To further the success of the firm
Under Armour opened a European Headquarters extending the companies reach By
the end of 2010 UA broke the $1 billion market on their yearly revenue
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 5
Presently UA continues their success by expanding and remaining true to
athletes Kevin Plankrsquos dedication to improving products to help competitors excel has
served as the foundation for how the company operates on a daily basis
Mission Statement
ldquoTo make all athletes better through passion design and the relentless pursuit of
innovationrdquo (Under Armour Inc 2013) UA publicly advertises their company mission
and it has served them well Providing broad guidance to keep their employees
motivated and innovative to address the needs of the athlete from the elite professional
to the average everyday active person
Corporate Values
Under Armour sports a thorough Code of Conduct realizing the success and
reputation of a business lies in the hands of each and every one of the companyrsquos
employees The company goes so far as to outline a Code of Conduct for their
suppliers and subcontractors refusing to do business with outside parties that do not
comply with the firmrsquos values
Business Objectives
Although it is difficult to find a well defined formal business objective published
for the masses there are general directions the company is heading In an article from
2011 Kevin Plank revealed the goal for the company is to break the $2 billion market
for annual revenue After a successful year in 2012 where Under Armour produced an
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 6
annual revenue of $183 billion the company is well on its way to achieving that
milestone
All throughout the internet and from interviews with Kevin Plank itrsquos obvious UA
has its sights set on Nike Nike is one of the most well-known athletic apparel
companies in the world and one of the main competitors for Under Armour Itrsquos no
secret Mr Plank wants to be on the same level as Nike This is a lofty goal considering
Nikersquos annual revenue is over 12 times that of UA reportedly topping out at
approximately $24 billion (Burke 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Customer loyalty
Brand equity
Innovation
High quality apparel
Consistent improvement of sales
(Annual reports show consistent
growth from year to year)
Wide range of apparel
Athlete and team sponsorships and
endorsements
Weaknesses
Small company compared to Nike
and Adidas
Heavily dependent on domestic
market small international
presence
High prices
Loss of military market (UA
products are not fire retardant)
Advertising and marketing
Target male audience more so than
a female audience
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 4
researching the benefits of synthetic materials and their applications he developed a t-
shirt he named 0037 (Under Armour Inc 2013) The innovative shirt helped keep
athletes cool and dry even on the hottest of days This product quickly became popular
with athletes serving as the first test for the emerging business
UA continued to conduct business on a relatively small scale until his advertising
strategy caught traction In 1999 Under Armour partnered up with the movie industry
providing apparel to the cast of Any Given Sunday In the movie Mr Plankrsquos products
were worn during iconic scenes in the movie inspiring UA to expand their advertising to
ESPN magazine For the small growing business at the time this move was risky but
paid off in the end by spreading the word of Under Armour products and boosting sales
by $750000 (Under Armour Inc 2013)
Between 2002 and 2004 UA opened product lines dedicated to women children
and golfers These strategic moves positioned Under Armour to make a serious
business move In 2005 the company went public thrusting the company into an
entirely new level of business operations
In the years to follow UA set its sights on developing products to provide for the
elite from head to toe The company publicly outfitted athletic greats such as Ray
Lewis Georges St-Pierre and even Michael Phelps To further the success of the firm
Under Armour opened a European Headquarters extending the companies reach By
the end of 2010 UA broke the $1 billion market on their yearly revenue
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 5
Presently UA continues their success by expanding and remaining true to
athletes Kevin Plankrsquos dedication to improving products to help competitors excel has
served as the foundation for how the company operates on a daily basis
Mission Statement
ldquoTo make all athletes better through passion design and the relentless pursuit of
innovationrdquo (Under Armour Inc 2013) UA publicly advertises their company mission
and it has served them well Providing broad guidance to keep their employees
motivated and innovative to address the needs of the athlete from the elite professional
to the average everyday active person
Corporate Values
Under Armour sports a thorough Code of Conduct realizing the success and
reputation of a business lies in the hands of each and every one of the companyrsquos
employees The company goes so far as to outline a Code of Conduct for their
suppliers and subcontractors refusing to do business with outside parties that do not
comply with the firmrsquos values
Business Objectives
Although it is difficult to find a well defined formal business objective published
for the masses there are general directions the company is heading In an article from
2011 Kevin Plank revealed the goal for the company is to break the $2 billion market
for annual revenue After a successful year in 2012 where Under Armour produced an
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 6
annual revenue of $183 billion the company is well on its way to achieving that
milestone
All throughout the internet and from interviews with Kevin Plank itrsquos obvious UA
has its sights set on Nike Nike is one of the most well-known athletic apparel
companies in the world and one of the main competitors for Under Armour Itrsquos no
secret Mr Plank wants to be on the same level as Nike This is a lofty goal considering
Nikersquos annual revenue is over 12 times that of UA reportedly topping out at
approximately $24 billion (Burke 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Customer loyalty
Brand equity
Innovation
High quality apparel
Consistent improvement of sales
(Annual reports show consistent
growth from year to year)
Wide range of apparel
Athlete and team sponsorships and
endorsements
Weaknesses
Small company compared to Nike
and Adidas
Heavily dependent on domestic
market small international
presence
High prices
Loss of military market (UA
products are not fire retardant)
Advertising and marketing
Target male audience more so than
a female audience
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
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httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
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U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 5
Presently UA continues their success by expanding and remaining true to
athletes Kevin Plankrsquos dedication to improving products to help competitors excel has
served as the foundation for how the company operates on a daily basis
Mission Statement
ldquoTo make all athletes better through passion design and the relentless pursuit of
innovationrdquo (Under Armour Inc 2013) UA publicly advertises their company mission
and it has served them well Providing broad guidance to keep their employees
motivated and innovative to address the needs of the athlete from the elite professional
to the average everyday active person
Corporate Values
Under Armour sports a thorough Code of Conduct realizing the success and
reputation of a business lies in the hands of each and every one of the companyrsquos
employees The company goes so far as to outline a Code of Conduct for their
suppliers and subcontractors refusing to do business with outside parties that do not
comply with the firmrsquos values
Business Objectives
Although it is difficult to find a well defined formal business objective published
for the masses there are general directions the company is heading In an article from
2011 Kevin Plank revealed the goal for the company is to break the $2 billion market
for annual revenue After a successful year in 2012 where Under Armour produced an
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 6
annual revenue of $183 billion the company is well on its way to achieving that
milestone
All throughout the internet and from interviews with Kevin Plank itrsquos obvious UA
has its sights set on Nike Nike is one of the most well-known athletic apparel
companies in the world and one of the main competitors for Under Armour Itrsquos no
secret Mr Plank wants to be on the same level as Nike This is a lofty goal considering
Nikersquos annual revenue is over 12 times that of UA reportedly topping out at
approximately $24 billion (Burke 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Customer loyalty
Brand equity
Innovation
High quality apparel
Consistent improvement of sales
(Annual reports show consistent
growth from year to year)
Wide range of apparel
Athlete and team sponsorships and
endorsements
Weaknesses
Small company compared to Nike
and Adidas
Heavily dependent on domestic
market small international
presence
High prices
Loss of military market (UA
products are not fire retardant)
Advertising and marketing
Target male audience more so than
a female audience
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
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httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 6
annual revenue of $183 billion the company is well on its way to achieving that
milestone
All throughout the internet and from interviews with Kevin Plank itrsquos obvious UA
has its sights set on Nike Nike is one of the most well-known athletic apparel
companies in the world and one of the main competitors for Under Armour Itrsquos no
secret Mr Plank wants to be on the same level as Nike This is a lofty goal considering
Nikersquos annual revenue is over 12 times that of UA reportedly topping out at
approximately $24 billion (Burke 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Customer loyalty
Brand equity
Innovation
High quality apparel
Consistent improvement of sales
(Annual reports show consistent
growth from year to year)
Wide range of apparel
Athlete and team sponsorships and
endorsements
Weaknesses
Small company compared to Nike
and Adidas
Heavily dependent on domestic
market small international
presence
High prices
Loss of military market (UA
products are not fire retardant)
Advertising and marketing
Target male audience more so than
a female audience
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 7
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Customer loyalty
Brand equity
Innovation
High quality apparel
Consistent improvement of sales
(Annual reports show consistent
growth from year to year)
Wide range of apparel
Athlete and team sponsorships and
endorsements
Weaknesses
Small company compared to Nike
and Adidas
Heavily dependent on domestic
market small international
presence
High prices
Loss of military market (UA
products are not fire retardant)
Advertising and marketing
Target male audience more so than
a female audience
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 8
Opportunities
Economic recovery
Consumer focus on quality (not
price)
Lower prices of products
Patent and license UA products and
technology
Consumers becoming more health
conscious
Sport participation is a key aspect
of US Culture
Diversify branch outside of sporting
apparel
Threats
Intense competition (Nike Adidas
etc)
Male dominant focus
Obesity rates in the US
Substitute products within the
market
Increased cost of raw materials
Inability to properly manage rapid
growth rate
Key Strategies
Moving forward Under Armour wants to be on a level playing field with big
companies like Nike and Adidas In order to do this UA needs to expand and gain
control of the market There are many different avenues and opportunities available to
Mr Plank and his team to gain ground against UArsquos competitors
The most obvious key to long term success is expansion According to an
investor day presentation given by UA reps the company currently expects to expand
from 114 stores to 141(Investor day 2013 2013) This strategic move will nearly
double the square footage of Under Armour stores with each store averaging 7700
square feet per store This will increase the ability of Under Armour to sell directly to the
customer and bypass distributors like Dickrsquos or Sports Authority
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 9
UA admitted in their 2012 Annual Report that expanding too rapidly can cause
more harm than good For this reason it is critical for Under Armour leadership to
ensure the company has a solid foundation in their management processes and
suppliers to support rapid growth Since UArsquos induction to the present day the
company has done a good job managing the rapid growth and success However if the
company truly wants to break $4 billion in revenue in 2016 which they stated during
their last Investor Day conference management needs to take the proper steps now to
ensure all the logistics are accounted for The projected $4 billion is vastly less than
UArsquos main competitor Nike however Nike has already solved the problem of sustaining
such a large operation Under Armour on the other hand has yet to implement
processes to adequately manage an organization of that caliber
Another key strategy which will significantly aid in the overarching objective of
expansion is for UA to further diversify their product line There are many opportunities
within the market for Under Armour to attract new customers and gain their loyalty and
business For example UA is primarily focused towards a fit male target audience with
a drastically smaller percentage of their inventory dedicated to women and children
Placing additional emphasis on product lines for a non-adult target group could prove
beneficial to the company
Major Goals
The strategy goal of Under Armour is to grow to a level that can produce an
annual revenue larger than Nike and all other competitors within the industry In order
to accomplish this it requires UA to expand and continue their upward trend of success
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 10
The major goal and overall focus of the company should be to solidify all of the
logistics and external factors involved with Under Armour operations
Those external factors include but are not limited to securing suppliers so UA
can continue to stock their shelves on a larger scale hiring and developing more
employees to manager operations working with the international community to ease
entry into new markets etc It may be easy for a firm to build more stores and produce
additional items but what is not as simple is creating a process and establishing
contracts and relationships to sustain the surge in operations The development of this
sustainable process could be one of the most challenging aspects of Under Armourrsquos
growth and success into the future
Once Under Armour can guarantee all the aspects to support continued growth
only then can management divert their focus elsewhere Management can then look to
diversify the company possibly expanding to a product line outside the realm of sports
The diversification of Under Armour could be an excellent source of revenue and a
chance to earn the loyalty of a new kind of consumer
Regarding a tentative time line for these major goals the key to success will be
having patience and staying on track To the aspect of securing logistics for large scale
operations there is no defined timeframe it will be an ongoing process requiring
continual evaluation In a market where business can be done real-time from across
the world and partners can interact on a daily basis from afar when business decisions
need to be made quickly To ensure the logistics of the company are stable and always
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 11
available UA leadership needs to take a proactive stance to managing the relationship
and contracts with all parties involved
At this point in time the decision point for diversifying the Under Armour
inventory has passed until after 2016 From the Investor Day presentation Under
Armour has a plan to get them to 2016 and continue their success to achieve the $4
billion revenue goal Because the company most likely has a detailed plan of attack it
is best to not deviate but rather include diversification in the plan post 2016 The other
benefit to waiting to implement a plan of branching out is the additional time provided to
map a detailed plan and gauge how that plan will affect future operations
All of this will be for not if Under Armour loses sight of their mission Innovation
and design are two defining aspects to the UA business Fortunately evidence from an
article posted on dvicecom shows the company is holding true to their promise of
dedication to athletes Linked to the article is a commercial showing a vision of
incorporating technology into an interactive suit which for UA is not as far-fetched as
many would believe (Strange 2013)
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 12
Strategic Actions
What is important to take into account is Under Armour already has a plan of
action to carry them through to 2016 As briefed during their Investor Day Under
Armour has already laid out where they anticipate to make their revenue See the
graphics below to gain a better grasp on where UA expects to make their money
In the graphical depictions from UArsquos Investor Day 2013 below it is easy to
notice the additional revenue UA anticipates to bring in from womenrsquos apparel youth
apparel footwear and accessories Although menrsquos apparel will remain the prominent
avenue for profit for UA it is important to note through 2016 UA will be spreading the
focus of the products to place an increased focus on product lines outside that of menrsquos
apparel
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 13
Furthermore to address strategic actions already in place UA has recently
launched a new marketing campaign The ldquoI Willrdquo slogan and campaign has cost Under
Armour however the new marketing approach is expected to draw in additional crowds
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 14
and revenue for the company Leadership is confident this strategic move will aid in
helping the company reach the $4 billion in revenue by 2016 goal
Under Armour has also just recently adopted a new product line to add to their
inventory The new product is the Alter Ego line a rather simple concept but it has
already had huge success According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun the
ldquomanufacturer found it had tapped into a new market selling out of the limited-edition
shirts within hoursrdquo (Korman 2013) The line is merely UArsquos common compression t-
shirt with superhero logos on them using the success of all of the recently released
superhero movies to spring board the companyrsquos sales
Beyond 2016 Under Armour needs to continue their growth rate and not stumble
if they are to catch up with a giant like Nike This will involve UA securing the necessary
level of support from their suppliers Once the company can confirm their raw materials
will be available to them to support growth in operations the company can press
forward
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 15
In order to accomplish this UA should conduct a thorough review of the
suppliersrsquo stability and product quality These quality assurance reviews should occur
annually at the very least Additionally Under Armour needs to review the standards of
the suppliers as outlined in UArsquos code of conduct These reviews should be executed
as outlined in the companyrsquos regulations The regulation states the inspections will be
carried out by a independent third party to verify the supplier is in accordance with all
application legislation and adhering to UArsquos code of conduct On the other hand the
last thing UArsquos needs is a case of unethical behavior on part of their supplier to ruin the
good name UA has worked so hard for ever since 1996
Secondly Under Armour must develop their management staff to oversee the
growth of the company and supervise the influx of new employees that will inevitably
occur to facilitate the expansion A trustworthy and competent staff is essential to the
success of a business and the foundation of that staff comes from effective leadership
and training Upper management must handpick the right people to put in positions of
responsibility to ensure this training program is established and the company stacks the
odds in its favor to maximize sales
Once the organization is confident in their selected team of supervisors the
company can take the steps of expanding globally Under Armour should by this time
have the appropriate funds to purchase facilities to serve as headquarters or stores to
conduct operations The staff will be prepped the supplies will be available and as
discussed earlier the marketing will already be underway The final component is
taking the product to the consumer and building a relationship to earn their loyalty
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 16
The global market can be an unforgiving environment but Under Armour has
already taken the steps to succeed in the market Under Armour has supplied and been
the official sponsor for many collegiate teams as well as teams at the professional level
This form of advertising is extremely effective and universal serving as a stepping stone
for earning a larger portion of the global market and simultaneously gaining ground
against the athletic apparel king Nike With Under Armourrsquos international revenue only
accounting for approximately 6 of UArsquos total revenue from this year there is a lot of
ground to be gained on the global level (Investor day 2013 2013) If UA is able to
remain on track the international revenue is slotted to account for nearly 12 of their
total revenue by the end of 2016
The finally key task to carry Under Armour to the next level is the further
diversification of their products to earn the business of consumers It is apparent Under
Armour is primarily focused on the male athlete but to the credit of the company has
taken steps to expand their target audience to women and children Also UA has
introduced some products outside what some could consider as athletic apparel This
trend needs to continue and additional focus should be put on a target market outside
that of male athletes This will help draw in additional revenue for the company
Measurement and Control
Measurement and control within UA should carry on as it has in the past
Leadership in the company provides defined goals and direction to their employees and
investors who in turn hold the company accountable for meeting those milestones
Take for example UArsquos goal to break $4 billion in revenue by 2016 The company
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 17
undoubtedly has a clearly mapped path to reaching this goal The responsibility falls
on all involved with the company to ensure the company reaches those goals on time
Under Armour has had great success in the past accomplishing this task and there is
little doubt they will have trouble keeping in suit as they progress into the future
Conclusion
Under Armour began as a single person Kevin Plank working in his
grandmotherrsquos basement selling a moisture wicking shirt to athletes to help keep them
cool during games and practice Since Under Armour went public in 2005 the company
has seen steady growth Sales have increased from $17000 in the first year to over
$22 billion expected at the end of this year and have published a set of goals to earn
over $4 billion in revenues by 2016
It is within the realm of reality for Under Armour to achieve their $4 billion
milestone but the overarching business goal of Under Armour is to dethrone Nike as the
largest athletic apparel company in the market This will require UA take the
appropriate strategic actions First UA needs to ensure their suppliers are able to
guarantee the raw materials will be available to facilitate the companyrsquos growth
Secondly Under Armourrsquos executive teams must properly prepare their management
staff and posture them for rapid and global expansion Finally Kevin Plank should
strive to further diversify the companyrsquos product lines with a strong emphasis on women
and children The targeting of new marketing audiences will help bring additional
revenue into the company thus bringing Under Armour closer to the level of Nike and
Adidas
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 18
If Under Armour is able to follow this guidance and meet the milestones and
goals already in place the company will be well on its way to stealing a large
percentage of the market from companies like Nike Kevin Plank need only apply his
new marketing campaign ldquoI Willrdquo to his business strategy and investors can sit back and
watch as UA grows into the number one position within the athletic apparel industry
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armourampoq=under+armourampgs_l=img30l1050205020052581100001721720j110epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120imgG9TAsKmFMwYampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=53a021071fbac8c0ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=XAvkMVe315c5GM3A3B6tQcFFDl_6JYhM3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fa252F6a00d8345194a469e20120a6a92f38970c-800wi3Bhttp253A252F252Friestypepadcom252Fries_blog252F2009252F11252Funder-armour-too-big-for-its-shirthtml3B4643B297
httpswwwgooglecomsearchsugexp=epsugrpqhmsignedinhmss23Dfalseampgs_rn=20ampgs_ri=psy-abamptok=N0RlCzu8b00JqXhP5UH4cQampcp=8ampgs_id=uampxhr=tampq=under+armour+swot+analysis+2013ampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv49784469deWUampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampum=1ampie=UTF-8amphl=enamptbm=ischampsource=ogampsa=Namptab=wiampei=HbjyUZmOH4eG9QTf3oG4CAum=1amphl=enamptbm=ischampsa=1ampq=under+armour+kevin+plankampoq=under+armour2C+kevampgs_l=img100l2j0i24l523567623664922386715500001104763j250epsugrpqhmsignedin2Chmss23Dfalse001120img4lh2-31Bmqgampbav=on2orr_cpr_qfampbvm=bv497844692CdcGE2Cpvxjssen_USMpiVkF51mpAOampfp=91651ac04e89c653ampbiw=1600ampbih=785ampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=VyerLhckSuWgyM3A3BjQSUYqoeAh6wZM3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FuploadedImages252FDarden252FMedia252FDarden_News_Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-UnderArmour_MG_7685jpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fwwwdardenvirginiaedu252Fweb252FMedia252FDarden-News-Articles252F2010252FKevin-Plank-CEO-and-Chairman-of-Under-Armour-Inc-Chronicles-His-Rise-to-the-Top252F3B2503B250
httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-interactive-running-suit-future
httpwwwunderarmourcomshopusenua-baselayeralter-egomens
httpswwwgooglecomsearchq=nike+vs+under+armourampsource=lnmsamptbm=ischampsa=Xampei=0HP0UZ-uBpLO8wTVloGQDwampsqi=2ampved=0CAcQ_AUoAQampbiw=1600ampbih=785facrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=kvSpG6CuB1CdEM3A3Buh0sJUlkMDDubM3Bhttp253A252F252Favm5062fileswordpresscom252F2013252F05252Fuavnikejpg3Bhttp253A252F252Fsportsunlimitedblogcom252F2013252F05252F24252Funder-armour-heatgear-vs-nike-dri-fit-the-sports-apparel-war252F3B25943B1384
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 19
References
Abhijeet S (2010 November 10) Swot analysis of under armour Retrieved from
httpwwwmanagementparadisecomarticle849swot-analysis-of-under-armour
Burke M (2013 March 04) Under armours kevin plank is the billionaire underdog
Retrieved from httpwwwforbescomsitesmonteburke20130304under-armours-
kevin-plank-is-the-billionaire-underdog
Investor day 2013 (2013) Under armour investor day 2013 Retrieved from
httpfilesshareholdercomdownloadsUARM2604259539x0x6701565C4A6AF7-
52AE-452B-BC3B-D173423CD32EID2013_-_Financial_Deck-_EXTERNALPDF
Korman C (2013 July 19) Under armour expands deal with dc comics re-launches
alter ego line The Baltimore Sun Retrieved from
httpwwwbaltimoresuncombusinessbaltimore-sports-blogbal-under-armour-alter-
ego-dc-comics04393356story
Reuters (2013 July) Under Armour Inc (ua) Retrieved from
httpwwwreuterscomfinancestockscompanyProfilesymbol=UA
Strange A (2013 February 13) Under armour shows off interactive running suit of the
future Retrieved from httpwwwdvicecom2013-2-13under-armour-shows-
interactive-running-suit-future
Teufel B (2011 March 17) Under armour Internal and swot analysis Retrieved from
httpwwwslidesharenetBrianTeufelassignment203-under-armour-internal-and-
swot-analysis-7700298
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 20
Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
U A S t r a t e g i c P l a n | 21
Pictures provided by
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Under armour inc - financial history (2012 Dec) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomincomecfm
Under armour inc - history (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanyhistorycfm
Under armour inc - our mission (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpwwwuabizcomcompanymissioncfm
Under armour (ua) swot analysis (nd) Retrieved from
httpwwwwikiwealthcomswot-analysisua
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012)Under armour inc (Form
10-K) Retrieved from website httpinvestorunderarmourcomannualscfm
Yahoo finance Under armour inc company profile (2013 July) Retrieved from
httpbizyahoocomic106106607html
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