Sports Authority Partners With Under Armour To Utilize MapMyFitness Data

Sports Authority in a new agreement with Under Armour "has linked its loyalty program, The League, to one of the Baltimore-based sports apparel brand's health and fitness tracking applications, MapMyFitness," according to Lorraine Mirabella of the Baltimore SUN. The idea "is to better understand customers' habits and offer rewards for meeting fitness goals and healthy living, which in turn allows for targeted marketing and increased sales." UA VP/Advertising Warren Kay said, "This is one of the more forward leading implementations I've seen." Mirabella noted to kick off the arrangement, Sports Authority and MapMyFitness "have launched the month-long 'Back on Track' challenge." Through Oct. 16, customers who link their loyalty and fitness tracking accounts "can compete for Sports Authority gift cards and prizes by logging three workouts or 10 miles per week on fitness tracking devices." As of yesterday, "more than 72,000 people, ages 14 and up, had signed up." Though the challenge "is short-term, customers will be able to earn points for fitness activities on a continuing basis." Kay: "We started talking to Sports Authority about other ways we could work together, and their desire to know more about their consumer base. They know how many shoes or baseball bats they buy, but they don't know how they use that equipment. MapMyFitness knows how equipment is being used, but they don't know about the purchasing of it" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 9/21).

POSITIVE CHARGE: In Baltimore, Colin Campbell reports UA Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank "has joined the effort to bring the technology" for high-speed, magnetic levitation trains to Baltimore. DC-based Northeast Maglev "hopes to build a magnetic levitation line that would shorten the trip between Baltimore and Washington to 15 minutes and eventually extend all the way" to N.Y. Plank "sits on an advisory board for the project" (Baltimore SUN, 9/22).