#IWillWhatIWant by Under Armour Part II

                       

Under Armour Social Media Presence Against Competitor Brands

Under Armour may be in its way as unseating Nike as the premier fitness and athletic brand in terms of social media reach and presence. In additional to its global and ubiquitous name recognition, Nike has also employed social media tools into its products. Nike was among the first major to brands to employ the tracking technology as part of Nike +,  with more recent efforts like the Nike Fuel line among others. These applications much like a FitBit or other tracking device, could map and record you runs, your route, speed, heart rate, calories and such. More recently Nike has employed these apps to be used with and connected to social media and has tried to expand the range of the products function while also marketing the products as a seamless choice for previous Nike customers. 

Nike is a global brand, here is an ad from a Nike China. 

In terms of marketing towards women, Nike has no shortage of that however I couldn't locate a specific hashtag related to a Nike women campaign that wasn't used more generally for other Nike marketing. The campaigns geared toward all kinds of markets by Nike use the "We Will #MakeItCount" which quite similar to the We Will or I Will themes of Under Armour. However, in terms of hashtags or slogans Nike's Just Do It is universally recognized. 

Controversies 

However, Nike doesn't go without its controversies with claims of sweatshops, harmful labor practices and exploitation. This Wall Street Journal feature is from 1997 and Nike has had many similar stories and claims made since then. 

This shirt was considered offensive and insensitive to veterans and making light of the original image of the famous flag raising at Iwo Jima during World War II.

Customer Feedback 

Most of the feedback that I found on the social media sites for Under Armour were related to questions of product availability and information, there was very little critical feedback. I think this demonstrates that Under Armour was using social media effectively to sell and market their products and to grab the attention of their followers and draw them to the new released. 

Recommendations 

While Under Armour is actively doing some things better than their competitors like Nike, the global recognition and reach of a brand like Nike makes them a formidable competitor for the comparatively new Under Armour. As it relates to social media and and analytics, Nike is a big enough brand to have multiple social media accounts per platform with some of these accounts having multiple millions of followers each. In addition, Nike has appeal beyond the athletics and fitness and has become a staple for casual, street attire in addition to having a presence in the fashion world with collaborations with well known designers and being involved in high brow events in fashion world, like New York Fashion Week among others. Nike's reach ranges from the casual gym goer to the world class athletes in the NBA and to everyone in between. Nike is a brand with an international reputation and has diverse lines and price points to be accessible from anyone to school children to fashion and celebrity icons. Under Armour has yet to have this kind of broad appeal and range in recognition and scope, however, Under Armour's social media presence is clear and is certainly reflective of the brand's values and its themes. 

Recommendations to Under Armour following a review of their social media and marketing strategies would be to not merely aspire to be a brand like Nike that is broad and all encompassing. I think part of Under Armour's strength is the targeted and unique campaigns for certain audiences. Nike does do this as well but their campaigns are broad and under the umbrella of the general Nike aesthetic and appeal. For example, women driven campaigns don't have their own distinct hashtag or social media marker, whereas Under Armour has a whole segment of the company that is visibly devoted to women, with target campaigns and carefully crafted social media postings as shown in the #IWillWhatIWant campaign. Nike and other brands do utilize some targeted messaging but it is much more broad and less personalized than the ads under the #IWillWhatIWant campaign. Under Armour told the stories of the spokeswomen included in the campaign and shared their professional goals in the messaging that went along with the campaign. I think this is a thoughtful and special way to connect with women and potential buyers of the brand because it humanizes and uplifts the spokeswomen to be more than a face or body for the ad. It is a much stronger message and much more relatable for the average consumer to connect with a spokeswomen if they aren't some photoshopped false ideal. I think the goal sharing and narrative of the campaign are a tremendous strength. 

The Future of the Groundswell

The of the Groundswell book outlines what the future for the groundswell movement and what it might look like. The day in the life of the ubiquitous groundswell is really not that different than the potential daily routines of millions of people with computers, phones, tablets and other gadgets. The constant updates, tracking, and information feedback help people decide what and how to consume, read, purchase, travel, listen etc. The future that is outlined is determined by the embedding of the groundswell into every activity due to the accelerating nature of technology.


This reality looks a lot like the ways in which many people use their mobile devices and the ways in which we live today. From location tracking to social media and push notifications, we are constantly within reach of information and data about our own patterns, preferences and behaviors. This information has become second nature and we now rely on it for personal choices about purchases or who to friend or date to our professional prospects through sites like LinkedIn or what a quick Google search of one's name might turn up.


Most importantly however, the groundswell is about person to person activity and connections. The most successful media tools, marketing campaigns and digital platforms really seem to adhere to that philosophy by providing an easy, authentic or socially necessary way for people to engage with each other and make connections. I think many marketing campaigns are now reflecting these kinds of perspectives.

 

 

With the rise of lifestyle branding, blogs and social media have utilized the idea of  their targeted marketing for clothing, shoes, accessories among others. Celebrities have created their own sites such as Reese Witherspoon's Draper James site, Gwyneth Paltrow's infamous Goop site among many others. This kind of branding certainly reflects the groundswell principle of being opportunistic, as social media particularly Instagram can help these bloggers gain attention and help them build partnerships with brands. While I personally dislike this kinds of blogging and social media posting, I think its clear they occupy a unique space in the groundswell movement.

 

 

 

I think the future of the groundswell will continue to reflect much of the principles outlined in the chapter. I think that social media and digital platforms will need to maintain some if not all of the core principles of connection, opportunity, patience, flexibility, listening, etc to be viable in a competitive and fast paced digital future.

Gender and Social Media

Recently, a book by Nancy Jo Sales entitled American Girls came out and was featured as part of an NPR topic of All Things Considered. The book discusses the experiences and the social media lives of young women, particularly teenaged and school aged girls. She describes the differences in experiences and expectations for young women versus young men on social media and the results reflect many of the same pressures young women face in their regular daily lives. They face social and sexual pressure in addition to the expectations to be considered pretty and sexy particularly by their young male counterparts.

In fact, there are many differences in the social media habits of men and women. Such differences may influence the ways in which marketers and brands try to target and reach these audiences. a recent report reflected that women are more likely to use social media than men.

 

 

Not all think that gender and social media are influenced by the traditional structures of society. In a Ted Talk, Johanna Blakely provides an overview of the ways in which she thinks social media has allowed for gender to become irrelevant in online spaces. Her stance is controversial and many feminists disagree with her position but it is interesting to consider the ways in which gender may change, shape or blur ones social media and online experience.

In the average American home, women are actually responsible for much of the discretionary and household spending and therefore may be uniquely targeted or a desirable target audience for many brands and companies to reach through social media. As demonstrated by the graphic below, women make influential choices across many different industries, They also have unique patterns of what they buy online versus men, opting to buy clothing and shoes online much more frequently then men. The graphic also highlights some of the ways in which successful brands may reach their female audiences or the ways in which they alienate them through specific marketing campaigns as evidenced by Harley-Davidson's lower situated seats for women or Dr. Pepper's "Its Only for Men" campaign.

 

 

Men and women have some stark contrasts in their online use and mobile purchasing choices



From a marketing perspective, the graphic below highlights the ways in which men and women make different kinds of purchases on their mobile devices. Mobile banking and mobile purchasing have been one big trend and initiative that social media has enabled in the last few years. In addition, the technology and accessibility of purchasing on mobile devices has advanced very quickly, in large part due to the platforms provided by social media or partnerships with the applications that provide the platforms. Have you had an experience with social media, online shopping or marketing that was particularly gendered? Can you think of a time gender based marketing may have influenced your decision to purchase a product?







I Will What I Want by Under Armour Part I

We're not a campaign, not a season or a snapshot 

Our story isn't told through a press release or a social post 

Its dripping down our backs- each drop a declaration to prove

that the space between woman and athlete is no space at all 

We are UA women. And we WILL what we want. 

This is how Under Armour characterizes its relatively new initiative featuring some very iconic women in their advertising. Beginning with Misty Copeland, the well-known ballerina and expanding the campaign to include women like skier Lindsey Vonn, surfer Brianna Cope, soccer player Kelley O'Hara, and supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Drawing from Under Armour's famous I Will mantra, this campaign seeks to celebrate the female form in all its strength, complexity and drive. 

Sample from the site featuring the spokeswomen 

This is an important and very unique campaign because it is empowering and celebrates strength and diversity in women as opposed to encouraging women to appear traditionally feminine or pretty as many other athletic brands do in their advertising. Most significant perhaps is that the brand equates womanhood with being athlete, a fresh perspective and departure from many conventional marketing campaigns that try to encourage women to have balance in their lives, instead of celebrating the ways in which women may be multi-faceted and contain multitudes all at the same time.

The campaign was launched with a video of dancer Misty Copeland that was circulated around social media and television. The campaign has also utilized traditional media as part of its initiative and I can distinctly recall billboards and posters around New York City that feature this campaign. 

The video celebrates her grace, strength and athletic prowess. The tagline reads, "Misty Copeland's destiny was not to be a ballerina. But will trumps fate." A young woman narrates the criticisms of Copeland's unconventional body for ballet dancing that she heard growing up and moving through the ranks of dance. The marketing videos that are associated with this campaign have a tremendous reach, with the Misty Copeland video receiving nearly 10 million views. The video introducing supermodel Gisele to the campaign has over 3 million views on Youtube. Within two months of the campaigns launch in July 2014, the hashtag had been used 3,100 times and had 1,600 likes on Instagram. 

A billboard in New York City featuring the campaign 

Under Armour has had a steady increase in interest over time since its inception in 1996. The brand saw another uptick in interest following the addition of footwear and expanded offerings in 2006. 

Google Trends

Under Armour has been trending upwards demonstrated by the graph from 2006 through the present

Regional interest shows the US, Philippines and Canada along with Singapore at the top

Social Media

A sample from the Instagram page of Under Armour Women

The I Will What I Want campaign also celebrates the accomplishments of its spokeswomen

A Facebook post featuring spokeswoman Lindsey Vonn

A recent Facebook post that utilizes #IWillWhatIWant

Recent tweets about and related to the campaign

Another strength of the brand is the use of international social media accounts in various languages

Analytics 

A sample from Meltwater IceRocket

Courtesy of Followerwonk, this map shows the locations of @UAWomen's followers

A hashtag analysis from Keyhole for the last week on social media

In overviewing the social media postings and analytics, it looks like the campaign and associated hashtag of #IWillWhatIWant is most utilized by young women with an interest in sports, though not exclusively. There were some men who utilized the hashtag and there were many women who used the hashtag as part of a commitment to their new goals of exercising more or trying a new activity. In addition, the analytics reveal that Under Armour is most popular in North America and South East Asia and has been on a steady upward trend particularly since the addition of footwear in 2006.


Under Armour is on its way to surpassing Nike as the largest brand of sportswear and athletic attire in the world. With the rise of athleisure as a popular trend that looks like its here to stay, in conjunction with excellent and targeted social media and marketing campaigns, it is easy to see why Under Armour is at the forefront of global market for their industry. Their powerful and empowering marketing campaigns and their celebrated spokespeople help to give the brand a unique and unrivaled perspective that is unlike conventional sportswear advertising. Do you will what you want?