HOW UNDER ARMOUR FORGOT THE FIRST RULE OF BRAND STRATEGY

Summary from the TLDR Marketing newsletter

Under Armour illustrates what happens when a brand expands into adjacent categories without a clear brand promise anchoring its identity. The company's mission centers on making athletes better, but years of chasing athleisure, yoga, and lifestyle segments left consumers unsure who the brand is actually for. Deal-heavy sales attracted price-sensitive buyers who churned when discounts ended, and a good-better-best pricing tier strategy undermined the premium performance positioning the brand was built on.