UNDER ARMOUR
Reimagining Under Armour’s omni-channel experiences to compete in an evolving market
OVERVIEW
“The Next Level of You” is a design strategy that helps Under Armour foster its customer relationship with the Veterans (middle-aged dads) and bring in the Rookies (young, trendy shoppers) without sacrificing its primary target, the Warriors (pro athletes). By partnering with lifestyle brands and artists, implement AI features, and enable product customizations, Under Armour scales its customer base by bringing them closer to its core values.
ROLE
Researcher & Strategist, Presentation Designer
TIMELINE
3 Months • 2025
BUSINESS PROBLEM
Under Armour's revenue has declined year-over-year since 2023, with its own CEO acknowledging the brand has been "dropped down the consumer radar".
How can we redesign UA's omni-channel experiences to rebuild its brand equity?
WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING
The brand that built champions is now your dad's favorite on the clearance rack
1994 - Under Armour HeatGear: Breakthrough moisture-wicking technology
2025 - Seen by non-pro athletes as another generic brand for middle-aged dads
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Deep diving into trends, brand perception, and competitor strategies
[01]
Competitive Analysis through SET Factors Framework
Assessed the social, economic, and technological forces shaping the sportswear market to understand the broader landscape UA was operating in.
[02]
Studying Brand Perception
Studies how UA positions and markets itself as compared to its competitors. Also analyzed Reddit threads and X conversations to understand consumer sentiment towards the brand.
Under Armour's positioning, built entirely around elite athletic performance, had locked the brand into a narrow identity, making it difficult to resonate with or expand into newer audiences.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Getting scrappy with our research to work around budget and timeline constraints
[03]
Field Research - Store Visits
We visited not only the UA Flagship store, but also the Nike one in downtown Chicago to observe how customers navigated, engaged with products, and interacted with the space. This gave us a clear picture of the gaps in UA's in-store experience.
The Nike store featured dedicated exhibits of the Chicago marathon and interactive brand storytelling that gave customers a reason to linger. The UA store was clean and well-organized, but offered little beyond the product itself.
[04]
Contextual Research
Approached people mid-workout on campus for short, 15-minute interviews, asking about their gear preferences and brand perceptions. Catching participants in the moment gave us responses that were based on actual behavior rather than recall.
[05]
Virtual Stakeholder Interviews
Northwestern is a UA partner, so we interviewed the equipment manager to explore a different angle of shopping experience. We also interviewed UA store employees, and family & friends across different activity levels and age groups.
USER SEGMENTATION
Currently, Under Armour successfully targets the Warriors: hardcore athletes
But overlooks a large part of their existing customer base, the Veterans: active middle-aged men
And is missing out on a potential customer, the Rookies: young, trendy athleisure fans
INSIGHTS
[01]
Missing the MVP
Middle-aged men value efficiency, deals, and information that is relatable to them. However, big-box sports retail focuses on youth, fashion, and high-end performance, leaving dads on the sideline.
— Rob, 51, goes golfing with his friends
[02]
Out with the Old
Casually-active young professionals value the aesthetics and cultural relevance of products, but they don’t associate Under Armour with these qualities because they view it as a generic brand bought by middle-aged men.
— Nadia, 26, goes to the gym after work
REFRAMING THE GOAL
How do we reimagine Under Armour’s omni-channel experiences to compete in an evolving market for these newer audiences?
DESIGN STRATEGY
The Next Level of You is a game plan that positions Under Armour as the enabler of performance and personal excellence both on and off the field
This strategy partners Under Armour’s top quality and innovation with customers’ favorite lifestyle brands and artists.
Leveraging AI to speed up their shopping and product exploration, they can easily choose and personalize products that match their style and purpose of athleticism in their life.
The Veteran's journey through an Under Armour store
The Rookie's journey through an Under Armour store
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
Evaluating the feasibility by making projections for the next 5 years
Mapping the new stakeholders in a value web with their existing ecosystem to identify cost & revenue streams
IMPACT
“Next Level of You” helps Under Armour foster its customer relationship with the Veterans and bring in the Rookies without sacrificing its primary target, the Warriors.
[01]
Diversified customer base by expanding beyond just athletes.
[02]
Increased sales and revenue from brand and artist collaborations.
[03]
Increased product exploration and purchases due to AI recommendations.
[04]
Enhanced brand loyalty and elevated brand image by meeting users where they are.
LEARNINGS
