Posted on 02/19/2017 10:49:58 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee
Under Armour isn't cool anymore, according to a recent analyst note.
CEO Kevin Plank's comments on CNBC praising Trump make it “nearly impossible to effectively build a cool urban lifestyle brand in the foreseeable future,” according to the note by Susquehanna International Group, an industry research firm
Though Susquehanna does not think the brand will lose its deal with basketball star Steph Curry, "it simply cannot be good for business if the face of Under Armour spoke out so pointedly against the CEO’s comments,"as Misty Copeland, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson also did.
According to NPD sports analyst Matt Powell, younger shoppers greatly consider the moral implications of where they spend their dollars.
“Millennials and Generation Z want brands and retailers to be transparent about their stands on social issues," Powell told The Baltimore Sun. “If those values don't align with their views, they will take their business elsewhere.”
In response to the backlash Plank's comments generated, Under Armour released two separate statements and a full page open letter in The Baltimore Sun to clarify the words and come out against Trump's executive order travel ban. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Prediction: Their sales will increase considerably.
The liberal rag, Business Insider, could have written this same article about Nordstrom’s but it didn’t. Very fake news.
I own the stock. In the past 6 months it has been a TOTAL dog. I sure hope so.
Nonsense. Idiot yuts don’t “social shop” 1/10 as much as “experts” think.
“nearly impossible to effectively build a cool urban lifestyle brand in the foreseeable future,”
Soooooo it could become a “cool SUBurban lifestyle brand”
“Susquehanna does not think the brand will lose its deal with basketball star Steph Curry”
I don’t even know who she is. But I do know who underarmor is. She has a deal with underarmor. Not the other way around.
“I own the stock. In the past 6 months it has been a TOTAL dog. I sure hope so.”
Buy low; sell high.
Any good will that the company might have generated among conservatives was destroyed when they came out publicly against Trump's immigration EO.
P.S. -- Any company that markets itself as an "urban lifestyle brand" belongs firmly in the sh!tter. WTF is that, anyway ... sideways baseball caps and baggy pants pulled halfway down your @ss?
Stick it out. If they are anything, these flighty urban hip types are transient in their thoughts....they are largely told by peer influence what to do. That comes and goes.
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>> “Cool urban lifestyle brand” <<
Code for “far left moron wear.”
Now they can market to real Americans; a far better marketing strategy.
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I agree, that is a horrible mistake.
This illustrates the problem with too many Republicans, and the reason we voted for Trump. A Republican says something that is fairly innocuous, the left throws conniptions after twisting it and reading into it meanings the Republican never said, and then the Republican backs down, apologetic and trying to explain that he didn't really mean whatever words the left put into his mouth. The tactic works because the left has bullied Republicans for so long, they don't have the fortitude to stand up for themselves.
The proper response is to never apologize, but to add to it. The only "clarification" that the CEO of Underarmour ever needed to make is to pile on how great he thinks Trump is for the country and maybe talk about business, reduction of the burdens of excessive government, etc.
Coming out against the EO was a dumb move. Now both sides will be down on the brand. Pick a side and own it, such is life in the USA 2017.
“According to NPD sports analyst Matt Powell, younger shoppers greatly consider the moral implications of where they spend their dollars.”
““Millennials and Generation Z want brands and retailers to be transparent about their stands on social issues,” Powell told The Baltimore Sun. “If those values don’t align with their views, they will take their business elsewhere.””
How transparent does a clothing company need to bas as all one need to do is look at the tags on the garments.
For Under Armour, I bet all the tags say, “Made in India” “Made in Bangladesh” “Made in Indonesia.” etc.
If their garments are not made in America, they are an anti American company.
Usually (usually) i get that adage right. This was just a bad buy.
The politicization of sports puts gear companies in an interesting spot - they can either slavishly follow the liberal party line, or they can risk alienating and angering their spokesmen. Steph Curry is easily the biggest star in UnderArmour’s endorsement line-up - they’ve gotten where they are because of him and any open rift with him could do enormous damage to their brand. Nor are they likely to find any spokesman with any credibility for the athletic shoe crowd that can replace Curry. The CEO’s capitulation to Curry was swift and entirely predictable.
“Now they can market to real Americans; a far better marketing strategy.”
If they are going to market to real Americans, their products should be made by real Americans.
I don’t really need any new gear, but I’m going to the Under Armour store next week and get some just to show support.
B.S. The lying media is trying to pretend that all Trump-supporting businesses are losing money.
Not necessarily. Trashing Trump's EO as a means of getting back in the good graces of the Brownshirts sits very poorly with a lot of us.
Their products are overpriced. I can sell their stuff as a wholesaler, but I offer instead Badger Sportswear for equivalent items. Much better priced.
When my daughter was in the police academy some years ago I bought her the Badger stuff because it REALLY is necessary under the vests. My wholesale for UA is damn near retail so Badger it was. Just as good.
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