Under Armour is “readying its first-ever marketing campaign just for women,” and the company also is “looking to broaden its demographic reach -- launching the Under Armour Challenge this week, a gauntlet-style competition" on college campuses, according to Sarah Mahoney of MEDIA POST. The Under Armour Challenge event will run at Auburn, Arizona State and Penn State, and ties in with MTV's "Real World/Road Rules Challenge." UA Senior Dir of Women’s Marketing Adrienne Lofton-Shaw said the company “launched a college program with brand ambassadors just for female college students, using online engagement, on-campus fitness-oriented events with celebrity guests, fitness center takeovers, and pop-up shops.” She said it is “a first for us in the women's brand, and a first step toward consumer brand ambassadors, not just professional athletes.” Lofton-Shaw said UA has “covered the high school athlete and the young working woman,” but the company on campus “can't always be seen -- especially when a college has a relationship with another brand.” Lofton-Shaw: “Our women's program, as a whole, continues to grow at a pace nobody expected -- not just apparel, but footwear and accessories, too. Next year, we'll kick off a marketing campaign that will be larger than any campaign you've seen from Under Armour.” She added, “Our marketing will always be athletic, but this new campaign will have a little wider lens. … This new effort will [be] a little more general, and appeal to women who work out with passion and drive. We want women around the world to know Under Armour is here for them” (MEDIAPOST.com, 9/26).
SPARTAN STRONG: Univ. of North Carolina-Greensboro and UA announced on Monday the company has become the official outfitter of UNCG athletics beginning this year. The multiyear agreement gives UA the right to provide on-field and training gear to each of the school’s 17 varsity teams. The agreement includes marketing entitlements as well as marketing campaigns through print and on-field presence at the university (UNCG).
