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(07-14-2020 10:52 AM)eroc Wrote:  

(07-14-2020 10:24 AM)Helicopter Wrote:  

(07-13-2020 02:18 PM)eroc Wrote:  

(07-13-2020 01:22 PM)SeniorBearcat Wrote:  Look back in 2015-2016 with Under Armor having a $40+ stock (currently $8.6) after the 1/1 split.

Steph Curry - 2015 NBA Champion with multiple to follow
Tom Brady - 2014 NFL Champion with multiple to follow
Bryce Harper - 2015 NL MVP
Jordan Spieth - 2015 PGA P.O.Y. with 2 majors with multiple wins to follow

Curry has been hurt, Brady is in the target demographic for Covid , Harper has not won and Spieth has not won since 2017.

They need some of these highly paid athlete advertisers to perform outside of the UA products

Cam has a chance to revitalize his brand with the Pats. i think they also have the Rock. They also signed Trent Alexander-Arnold for those who like the Premier League. Unfortunately for them, Jordan Spieth has not continued his initial trajectory. While he didn't have the Sunday uniform, a la Tiger's Red and Black, but could have really pumped up their golf division (which, like all of UA, is way overpriced).

But their challenge is not unlike that of New Balance and Puma, which are trying to get a bigger stake into the BBall sneaker game (Adidas is a clear but distant second which is why i've not listed them). Nike is getting virtually all the top talent to sign to their brands (i include Jordan with Nike). i don't know if they ever pursued Kawhi but he could have bolstered their lineup. That said, they are hemorrhaging money they might not be able to pay endorsers competitively, let alone put together a decent product for sale.

You can't compete head to head with Nike at their game. You'll lose. They need to reinvent the way they market. The old model is endorsing athletes, teams, etc and then pushing your brand on their fans. I don't know what the future in sports retail marketing will look like but the first brand to stumble upon it will make a mint.

i don't disagree, and quite frankly i wouldn't be surprised if the ambitions of the "field" were far lower than beating nike head-to-head. A baby step would be to get within the same state or zip code. Competing seems like a bridge pretty far away imho.

That said, i think the challenge here is that the old model is stable with established parameters and formulas, proverbially speaking. There are entire structures built around that system. if you take adidas, Harden and Dame have given them some clout in the shoe game (still far below that of Nike's roster) and they are as strong, if not stronger, in the international soccer market. While they are undoubtedly looking for the next big thing, it is still probably more efficient to use the old model of marketing to gain market share.

Sure you might be able to strike gold with something new, but younger consumers are more fickle and the ebbs and flows of trends seems to come quicker these days (again more my opinion than science). Even if you strike gold, you're more likely to burn through your gains trying to keep up with the tastes of millennials while fending off copy cats, including those with deep pockets.

Its not about the tastes of Millennials, our time is mostly over. Its about getting in with the Gen Z crowd. Millennials are all 25+ now... I am firmly in that generation group and Under Armor was far better/cooler than Nike was growing up, but it seems Nike has completely taken over the market since then.