Kevin A. Plank's Under Armour

It should be noted that Under Armour and its competitors form a segment of the Apparel Clothing market geared toward recreational and formal athletics. Under Armour, and its main competitors of Columbia Sportswear and Nike, are recognizible and prestigious brand names in the United States and in many other countries, yet affordable, to an extent, to most middle class Americans. They are popular among teenagers and young adults, and also worn by practical middle aged people and senior citizens. The desirability, versatility, and practicality of these items are intrinsic to the companies and help lead to their success. Specific practical yet luxurious products are offered, such as shirts and pants for running, that help the runner in either too hot or too cold climates. With more and more people trying to exercise for health, beauty, athletic, and other reasons, these types of products are in demand. It seems that there are some Niche markets, and unique products, among each of Under Amour and its competitors, so there is not much threat between the different brands. Also, some recreational and formal athletes would purchase all three brands of items. The industry is considered to be a growth industry, but also somewhat mature as all the brand names are recognized. The following article explains how the author, at the end of 2014, considered Under Armour to be “a great growth stock” http://investorplace.com/2014/12/under-armour-inc-ua-stock-growth/ (Navellier

Under Armour’s rapid rise in the sports apparel industry under its founder and CEO Kevin Plank has surprised many. Plank has turned a company that he started in his grandmother’s basement into a powerful opposing force to Nike. The company’s competitive advantage comes through its focus on performance, and its products have been well received by athletes. The company currently enjoys a strong position as professional athletes and movie and video game creators clamor for its products.

Under Armour was started in 1995 by a man called Kevin Plank. A young college graduate made it his goal to find a new kind of T-shirt for athletes. Kevin found the kind of fabric he was looking for, went to a tailor and had numerous prototypes made. Kevin then handed these prototypes out to friends that he had known from playing football for his a large portion of his life. His old teammates too these products, spread the word and before Kevin knew it he was selling thousands of shirts to athletes all around the world.

In 1996, Kevin Plank, a former special teams captain at the University of Maryland had an idea for clothing that would revolutionize the way athletics would be played. In his days in college playing football and going through two-a-days, he knew there had to be a better solution to dealing with perspiration than changing his cotton shirts. Plank created a shirt with moisture-wicking performance fibers, engineered to keep athletes cool, dry, and light even in the most hot and brutal conditions. In 1997, Under Armour created clothes for all seasons, whether it’s cold or hot. As Plank began to search the East coast, he came from selling gear out of the trunk of his car to 1998 where he moved into a new warehouse ("Under Armour, Inc. - History.").

Under Armour (UA) was founded by a then 23-year old football player from the University of Maryland in 1996 named Kevin Plank. Kevin started the company from his grandmother’s basement in Washington, D.C. As a player he became tired of having to change his undershirts which became quickly soaked with perspiration. A revelation he made was that his compression shorts worn during practice remained dry even with heavy sweating. This inspired him to make a t-shirt using moisture-wicking synthetic fabric. After graduating, Plank developed his first prototype of the shirt, which he gave to his Maryland teammates and friends who had gone on to play in the NFL. He soon perfected the design of the shirt which utilized microfibers that quickly wicked

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

Under Armour’s business strategy towards market segmentation is broken down into three different basis; Age, Gender, Uses. The first major market segmentation is by age, different age groups demand different products and Under Armour has produced certain merchandise to appeal to each generation. The second is Gender, both male and female respectively make up roughly 50% of the market equally.To appeal to females UA produces apparel in brighter colo, as a fashion forward athletic wear. While for males they they cater toward masculine vibe of tight fitting and resistant to wear and tear. Lastly, UA segments by the range of uses for their products.

Under Armour is an America sports clothing and accessories Company. It’s a supplier of sportswear and casual apparel. Their headquarters is located in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2015, they had opened their business into worldwide especially in Europe and Asia. Kelvin Plank is the founder of Under Armour in 1996.

The company Under Armour(UA), was founded in 1966 by a former University of Maryland football player that goes by the name of Kevin Plank. We know that Under Armour is known for their advanced sportswear, casual apparel company and being the original inventor of performance apparel. The primary focus for Under Armour primary goal is to promote the fitness and nutrition aspects in our society. For example, people use fitness applications to help them track there exercise and nutrition such as Under Armour Record, Mapmyfitness, Endomondo and Myfitnesspal. These fitness applications are directed towards the general health community or individuals with a healthy lifestyle.

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

Under Armour is currently one of the leading companies in the sports apparel industry whose mission is to “Make all athletes better through passion, science, and the relentless pursuit of innovation”.1 When Under Armour first broke into the sports apparel industry it was a disruptive pioneer that initially made the two giants, Nike and Adidas, a little weary. Under Armour revolutionized the sports apparel industry by creating apparel that used synthetic materials as an alternative to natural fibers, such as cotton, or other materials, such as polyester. This all-important switch to these materials resulted in a 2“shirt that provided compression and wicked perspiration off your skin rather than absorb it. A

Under Armour (UA) is a publicly traded consumer products company specializing in athletic apparel and accessories. According to Google Finance, UA is “engaged in the development, marketing and distribution of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and youth”. Under Armour was founded in 2006 by a University of Maryland football player, Kevin Plank. The company originated with selling compression undershirts that were made of synthetic fabric and could wick sweat away. UA is best known for their ColdGear ® and HeatGear® product lines that are known for keeping athletes comfortable and performing in all elements. UA’s target market are men, women and children that are health conscious or looking to better themselves physically, “to make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation.” (uabiz.com)

Who better to create the perfect athletes’ apparel than an actual athlete? In 1996, Kevin Plank decided to divorce his sweat drenched t-shirts. Like any football player, Plank would have to change his undershirt multiple times when practicing with his team at the University of Maryland because it became soggy and heavy as it soaked up his sweat. (Mark Brewer Brandi Chauvin Eric Mitchell Eric Partington Mark Radel Don Riddle Yinghong (Sara) Song Robin Chapman Gail Christian Arizona State University, 10e) Using his grandmother’s basement as a laboratory, Plank created a synthetic fabric that wicks away sweat, this lead to the common phrase, “wicking fabric or wicking technology.” By the end of its first business year, Under Armour had developed five lines of clothing, one for each climate type. Most of its popularity and fame is thanks to its celebrity marketing. From professional athletes to movie stars, Under Armour has many famous faces wearing its products making it THE brand to wear. Although relatively small in size and financial standing when compared to its competitors, it has established its spot as a competitive player in the athletic apparel market. (Mark Brewer Brandi Chauvin Eric Mitchell Eric Partington Mark Radel Don Riddle Yinghong (Sara) Song Robin Chapman Gail Christian Arizona State University, 10e)

Under Armour is performance apparel gear to keep athletes cool, dry, and light throughout the course of a game or a workout. Under Armour belongs to Kevin Plank, a team captain that experience having to change his sweating cotton t-shirt various time during games in order to maintain himself fresh and cool. Until he invented what he call the Under Armour (UA). Although this company started in a basement, they have overcome financially to have a continually growth in sales. It operates its headquarters in Baltimore. Over the years the company has made significant advance in establishing a strong presence outside of the US. A regular Under Armour t-shirt in

Under Armour Inc. is an American sports apparel and accessories company. The company supplies innovative sportswear, footwear and casual apparel to consumers. The company is headquarters is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The company was founded in 1996 by 23-year old Kevin Plank, who was captain on the University of Maryland football team. Kevin saw a need for a more innovative training T-shit because he would have to change out of sweat-soaked ones during practice. So he decided to design a T-Shirt using a micro fiber that would regulate the amount of moisture in the shirt and keep the athlete cool, dry and light. Major competing brands such as Nike and Adidas followed in Kevin’s footsteps and began to manufacture their own version on Under Armour’s microfiber shirts. The company began to receiving public attention when Oakland Raider quarter back Jeff George wearing an Under Armour turtle neck appeared on the front page of UUSA Today. Under Armour then began aligning its self with Universities such as Arizona State University, North Carolina State and other Division I football teams. That same year, Under Armour launched with several new apparel lines including ColdGear, TurfGear, AllseasonGear, and StreetGear. The company received its big break in 1999 when its apparel made an appearance in the Warner Brothers movie Any Given Day. In that same year a brilliant marketing campaign generated close to $750,000 in sales revenue.