Rapid Response: Under Armour’s pivot to growth, w/CEO Stephanie Linnartz
Oct 12, 2023
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Stephanie Linnartz, CEO of Under Armour, talks about pivoting the brand back to growth by leveraging her experience at Marriott, emphasizing sports style, product segmentation, and female customers. She shares insights on hiring fashion designer John Varvatos, the impact of Taylor Swift for all brands, and trying every item in Under Armour's female line.
Under Armour is pivoting back to growth by focusing on sports style, sharper product segmentation, and targeting women as customers.
Under Armour recognizes the untapped opportunity in serving women athletes and aims to market to women differently, using female athletes as ambassadors and exploring partnerships with social influencers.
Deep dives
Under Armour's Unique Position in the Sports Apparel Market
The competitive landscape in sports apparel and footwear is quite complex. It's not just Nike and Adidas, there's lots of other smaller and rapidly growing players like Lulu and Hoka. Under Armour believes it is uniquely positioned to win because of its brand authenticity, global reach, and the performance aspect of its products. They plan to tap into new spaces, including sports style and footwear, to continue growing in the market.
Under Armour's Focus on Women Athletes and Social Influencers
Under Armour recognizes the untapped opportunity in serving women athletes and aiming to market to women differently. They are leaning into female athletes as ambassadors and are also exploring partnerships with social influencers, who may not be athletes but love athletics. Leveraging opportunities like these can help tell Under Armour's brand story and connect with a wider audience.
CEO Stephanie Lenartz's Approach to Leadership and Loyalty
Stephanie Lenartz embraces her position as the first woman CEO of a major sportswear company but also emphasizes that she is a leader, regardless of gender. She aims to bring her life experiences and leadership style to benefit Under Armour. Drawing from her experience in the hospitality industry, she emphasizes factors such as customer service, emotional connection to the brand, and the importance of building a loyal customer base. Under Armour is launching the UA Rewards program to create a sticky and emotional loyalty program that goes beyond just points for merchandise.
Can you reinvigorate a beloved but troubled brand by applying lessons from a different industry? Under Armour CEO Stephanie Linnartz firmly believes so — and earlier this year made the leap from Marriott to become the first woman to helm a major sports apparel brand.
She joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to talk about how her 25 years with Marriott is giving her unexpected insight as she works to pivot Under Armour back to growth by leaning into sports style, sharper product segmentation, and an amplified emphasis on women as customers.
Stephanie shares why she hired fashion designer John Varvatos, the importance of the Taylor Swift phenomenon for all brands, and what trying every single item in Under Armour's female line taught her.