Connected sports and Under Armour's positionning

Under Armour is a brand and a company developing a diversified offer of connected sports apparel.

In fact this company created in 1990 in the US has a very strong brand image. Its brand image is distinguished by it’s willing of giving the more efficient sports experience to its customer. The brand gives to the customer threw its slogan “I will” the feeling that even if you aren’t a regular sports person the products will help you reach your goal from amateurism to professional sport practices.

This training brand experience and image is consolidated threw their celebrity endorsement campaign but also with the multiple devices they launch. In fact for instance “Map My Run” is an application owned by the brand in order to permit a virtual training for its customers. This application can follow your performance in running, cycling and many other sports.

This use of the digital world to provide a personal training experience to its customer is something out braking in the sports industry and has a very interesting development potential. Under armour distinguishes its position in the sports industry by investing massively in sports linked to technology in order to serve its brand image and to be distinctive from brands as Nike, Adidas or puma. Originally the brand image was inspired with the first apparel created by the brand creator which was an anti-sweat t-shirt drying quickly in order to save it’s users from the uncomfortable after sports wet t-shirt. Since this product Under-armour focused its Research and development orientation to improve the customer’s sports experience. What it is trying to achieve in our days is to bring professional sports aspect and technical follow-up to amateurism sports practices. In fact Under Armour has launched very innovative connected apparel that confirms the brand aspirations. With map my run the brand is providing a performance follow-up to the user which is the basics of personal training. Under Armour is going further with its connected shoes.

In fact the shoes are connected to map my run in order to help you adapt you’re training practice to your physical possibilities. An electronic chip is incorporated in the running shoes, this chip will record your performance and the application will immediately match your physical situation to your training session in order to avoid injuries during the practice. Before the training session the application (personal trainer) will ask the user to do a series of movements in order to analyse the performance. For instance the application asks the user to process a series of small jump and calculates the time lap between the impulsion and the reception. This way and regarding the training follow-up the algorithm which collects the data sent by the chip to Map my run and adapt the training session.

This research and development policy that Under Armour chooses is a very impressive way to compete in the sports apparel industry and serves the brand image of not being only an apparel brand but a training brand that follows and adapts its products and service to any sports practices.

http://www.europe1.fr/emissions/l-innovation-du-jour/under-armour-les-chaussures-qui-remplacent-le-coach-sportif-2931155

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_Armour

http://www.uabiz.com/

http://www.mapmyrun.com

Lululemon: The Fall of Yoga Pants

The yoga wear company, Lululemon Athletica, has been facing serious challenges in the later part of this year. Shares have been down 25% since the results were released in the second quarter. 

With the increase in demand due to the "athletic fashion" trend caused huge growth for the company in the beginning of the year and at the end of 2015. The yoga pants trend caused huge demand for Lululemon products as an alternative for everyday wear. Based on the results of this year sales, many are arguing that this trend has changed. Lululemon is facing huge competition in the market today from companies such as Under Armour, Nike, and other businesses who are considered less expensive. The trends show that Lululemon is facing a tough period in sales. According to the Financial Post, Lululemon's stocks rose by 0.46 in recent period and has added the addition of 86 new mutual fund as owners, in the past quarter. This demonstrates that the trends in the apparel industry are changing and are shifting away from active wear. 

Denim is Back
Trends predict that people are now favouring jeans instead of yoga pants. According to analyst Betty Chen, women are now favouring ripped and distressed jeans as well as retro athletic styles from Adidas and Puma. These trends are caused by many celebrities and stores who are promoting and wearing this style. This was also indicated due to change in average sales of yoga pants. In 2017 so far, the average number of pants a customers owns is 3 pairs which is down from last years 4 pairs.


However, there are some analysts who predict growth for the next year, however, giving the performance in the past months, many are also concerned. One suggestion for Lululemon is in order for them to stay relevant in the market, they might need to shift their production strategies to satisfy the new trends whether that is towards denim, or any other upcoming trend. 

Sources: 

http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/a-shift-from-yoga-pants-may-leave-lululemon-athletica-investors-in-a-sweat

http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/16/12/8770888/athleisure-bubble-lululemon-could-face-trouble-heading-i

Fred Perry Brand Story (Part 4) ------ The Art of Integration 

When it comes to marketing and branding, I remember there are two basic book: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion written by Robert B. Cialdini, and Strategic Brand Management written by Kevin Lane Keller. The essential strategy of marketing and branding, in my opinion, is to exercise influence. However, there are a little difference between them. Marketing is more inclined to employ influence to persuade people to make purchasing decisions. Branding more tends to apply influence to attract people’s attention and create attachment relationship. To a certain extent, I believe branding is a bit more charming than marketing thanks to its personality traits just like a human. Therefore, you build a brand just like you create a character. There are a variety of touch points and weapons such as visual shock, stories, history, culture, flashpoints, that kind of things. All of them have strong influence and magical power that could make a deep impression on audience.

As we all know, brand equity is one kind of intangible assets that is an important financial contributor. So, brand managers have to pay attention to all kinds of details. For example, different styles of fonts have ability to deliver distinctive messages and express different meaning. Meanwhile, a broad and holistic thinking is also required when making decisions.

It is obvious that it is extremely tough for brands to compete against their rivals in the crowded marketplace only by means of one kind of branding approach. Although there are a variety of branding model including cultural branding, emotional branding, community branding, content branding, etc., it is not easy for brands to combine more than one branding approach. However, Fred Perry, in my opinion, is a strong role model of successfully integrating these branding approach and has achieved a better performance in the competitive context. It has taken advantage of traditional branding approaches including sponsorship and celebrity endorsement. The key success factor is that Fred Perry has applied cultural branding to successfully keep its position in the market from generation to generation. It has continued to maintain its relevance with contemporary subculture to deliver its essential heart and soul of brand. It uses the power of music and build partnerships with talent musicians to build emotional connection between its brand and consumers. The most important thing is that Fred Perry has carried out various kinds of branding activities with non-commercial feeling.

  

Team 4: Florine Bonduelle, Shensheng Dai, Arthur Jourdan, Erin Palmeter, Joséphine Peyre

Fred Perry Brand Story (Part 3) ------ The Balance of Brand Heritage and Innovation

It is obviously tough for sportswear brands to retain their market positions in the crowded marketplace only by means of sponsorship and endorsement. A majority of sportswear brands carry rich historical cultures of several decades in this traditional industry. They are all committed into telling different heritage stories behind the brands and connecting themselves with their past so as to create a stronger emotional bond with their consumers. Keeping long-term development and sustainable competitive advantages, however, requires the balance of brand heritage and innovation. Fred Perry is a strong model of combining its past and present, and it has successfully increased its competitiveness for subsequent developments.

The Founder and His Rebellious Spirit

Mr. Perry was born into a working class family in 1909. Although he won the world table tennis champion at age 19, it was quite difficult for him to join All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and a tournament since he was not a public school boy. The barrier motivated him and made him more determined instead of dispiriting him. He suffered from erroneous judgment in his first Wimbledon final, and missed out on the championship. When the International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain asked him not to wear the club sweater again, he expressed his feelings to them through giving them a sleeve of club sweater. After his dream was broken by the social hierarchy, he went to America which was a classless society and joined US Air Force during the World War II. As the king of court and the former world No.1, Mr. Perry won 10 championships in the major competitions such as Grand Slam tournaments, and he was a record breaker and a record holder. He enjoyed high life and dated with the most beautiful women in the world such as Marlene Dietrich and Jean Harlow in his life.

Promoting Heritage in New Ways

As a personal brand, Fred Perry has been deeply influenced by its founder Mr. Perry thanks to his outstanding achievements and colorful and controversial life. He is an inspiring role model of striving for ideals and dreams for the people with great ambitions. His rebellious spirit, talent, and desire for excellence have shaped the brand personality, which reflects and expresses its brand mantra. Fred Perry is a representative of breaking the social hierarchy between working class and upper class. Its slogan of 1950s, “Struggle against the class society” was synonymous with Fred Perry’s essential heart and soul.

The most important thing is that Fred Perry has delivered its brand spirit in new ways from generation to generation. It has connected the rebellious spirit with the contemporary subcultures including 1950s’ Mods, 1960s’ Skinheads, 1970s’ and 1980’ Soul boys and 1990’s Britpop. According to Richard Martin, Fred Perry’s Global Director of Marketing, the brand needs to constantly remind people of its history, and meanwhile maintain its relevance with contemporary.

It is the fact that a brand could leverage its brand heritage to attract consumers’ attention and build a deeply emotional connection with them so as to charge a premium price. However, it is maybe not enough to drive consumers to make purchasing decisions in a competitive context. The innovative integration of the brand heritage and the contemporary relevance could motivate consumers to be willing to pay more for its products, namely validating a premium price.

The combination of the past and present, moreover, is a significant contributor to differentiating Fred Perry from its competitors. When it comes to differentiation and innovation, the product aspect will be first emphasized. However, it is increasingly tough to differentiate the brand from its rivals only by means of products. Compared with Lacoste, the key rival of Fred Perry, both of them provide the similar looking tennis shirts at the similar prices. However, if you further explore, it will be found that the creators of two brands are completely different. Mr. Lacoste was born in France, was the son of a rich businessman, and was educated in the most prestigious schools. The difference leads to the fact that you just wear a tennis shirt, but the tennis shirts of two brands respectively stand for distinctive person. If you wear Fred Perry, you will be proud of being Freds or Perry Boys.

Today’s innovation will become tomorrow’s history. It is the reason why Fred Perry has become an iconic heritage brand in different periods and could continue to attract the followers of new generations.

Sources:

Heritage branding: making the most of the story behind your brand

http://www.bordbia.ie/industry/manufacturers/growingyourbusiness/brandforum/BrandscapesArchive/Brandscapes Issue15 - October 2009.pdf

Who was Fred Perry?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8126053.stm

Fred Perry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Perry

FRED PERRY – MEANS OF EXPRESSION FOR SUBCULTURES, PART 2

http://www.schuhdealer.com/shoeblog/fred-perry-als-erkennungszeichen-von-subkulturen-teil-2/

A Tale of Two Tennis Shirts

https://theawl.com/a-tale-of-two-tennis-shirts-61eda4727e63 - .dofxte2xx

Understanding brand heritage

http://foodanddrinkeurope.eu/understanding-brand-heritage/

Richard Martin of Fred Perry Talks About the Iconic British Brand's 60th Anniversary

https://hypebeast.com/2012/10/richard-martin-of-fred-perry-talks-about-the-iconic-british-brands-60th-anniversary

Team 4: Florine Bonduelle, Shensheng Dai, Arthur Jourdan, Erin Palmeter, Joséphine Peyre