Running through the recession
November 7, 2008
Looking at the economic impact results from the eighth annual Under Armour Baltimore Marathon and Running Festival, you’d never know there’s a recession going on.
According to a news release on Thursday, the Oct. 20 event generated nearly $22 million in spending around the Baltimore area — a $2.7 million increase from last year. The festival also had a record 17,922 runners participate this year and has been averaging about a 20 percent increase in registrants each year.
This year’s total number of visitors numbered around 49,000, meaning each person averaged about $443.70 in spending. That expenditure per person has remained relatively consistent over the last eight years, based on the numbers provided by Corrigan Sports Enterprises, which organizes the event.
So are people saving up their money in other areas so they can still spend what they’re used to for special occasions? And if that’s the case, do you think people will step it up for the holiday season or it will be as bad as the analysts are forecasting?
What constitutes a splurge in your budget these days?
LIZ FARMER, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentUnder Armour Running Festival by the numbers
October 9, 2008
At a news conference Thursday for the 8th annual Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival, the press packet included an informational “by the numbers” sheet about the festival.
- 300,000 cups used for water throughout the course
- 17,000 PowerBars available along the course and finish line
- 4,000 gallons of Gatorade available
- 92 — the age of the oldest registered runner
Thanks to the Internet, here’s how those same numbers can be applied to your everyday lives:
- 300,000 cups of water: the same amount you’d have to add to a cup of pureed habanero pepper before the heat is fully dissipated.
- 17,000 PowerBars: Approximately 3,740,000 calories. If consumed by one person on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, it would take 1,870 days to finish them all.
- 4,000 gallons of Gatorade: fills a 17-by-30-foot pool
- 92 years ago: Jackie Gleason was born, Mutual signed Charlie Chaplin to a film contract and the U.S. had 270,000 miles of railway (twice the amount left by 1986).
Puts everything in perspective, doesn’t it? Although please don’t consider this information an endorsement for drinking habanero sauce, swimming in Gatorade pools or living on a PowerBar diet. Especially if you’re 92.
All joking aside, who’s planning on attending the festival this year? It’s the biggest one yet and organizer Lee Corrigan says it’ll keep on growing until Baltimore’s streets can’t take any more (wonder how many PowerBars that is?)
Also, check out the story “Under Armour Running Festival entries up 23 percent over ‘07.”
LIZ FARMER, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentIs the advantage of UnderArmour undeniable?
September 19, 2008
I came across an op-ed piece today in the University of Maryland’s Diamondback student newspaper that makes an interesting accusation about the school’s defense of Under Armour becoming the official outfitter of its 27 varsity sports teams in a $17.5 million deal.
The author, Malcolm Harris, says a letter to the editor that was written by the university’s basketball and football coaches and the director of athletics in response to a former student’s letter wasn’t as much a defense of the Baltimore-based sports apparel company as it was a press release for Under Armour.
Sphere: Related ContentYour pitch sucks!
September 11, 2008
In an industry filled with words like “traction,” “leverage,” “branding” and “spin,” it’s nice to see someone cut through all that public relations lingo and give it to you straight: your pitch sucks…dot com, that is.
My editor alerted me this morning to a new Web site that has a domain name that made me laugh out loud and immediately enter it into my Web browser. Yourpitchsucks.com is a free marketing service for those looking to clean up press releases they send to journalists — and might I say, from one of those who receives dozens of pitches and press releases every day, thank you! That is, if the owner, Jim Kukral, actually does what he promises. Read more
Sphere: Related ContentThe Dew Tour, brought to you by Nike
June 11, 2008
This week, the AST Dew Tour (arriving in Baltimore next Thursday) announced a new major apparel sponsor: the enemy — uh, I mean Nike.
“As an associate sponsor, Nike 6.0 will receive tour-wide exclusivity in the footwear, athletic and casual apparel, and outerwear categories,” a press release states. Nike 6.0, the company’s action sports athletic wear line, will also get television ads on NBC and USA Network (which broadcast the events), online and on-site exposure and will benefit from the tour’s multi-million dollar marketing campaign. The brand will also sponsor the first annual AST Winter Dew Tour.
And even though the summer Dew Tour stops in four other cities after Baltimore, I can’t help but wonder if officials at Under Armour are miffed that Nike is entering their turf in a very noticeable way. Last year, the four-day Panasonic Open drew nearly 55,000 people to downtown Baltimore.
In a conference call with reporters today, tour president Wade Martin said they didn’t really shop around for a sponsor, that they had been talking to Nike 6.0 about sponsorship opportunities for the past year. The athletic wear sponsor for the Dew Tour’s first two years was Vans.
So it sounds like Under Armour wasn’t given much of a consideration (if any), but on the flip side, do you think it matters to the Baltimore company? After all, the skateboarding, BMX-riding athletes of the Dew Tour are far different from the agility-training, weight-lifting, “no pain, no gain” traditional athletes Under Armour has prided itself on appealing to.
Either way, will anyone find it weird next weekend to see the Camden Yards Sports Complex besieged with Nike symbols when this has been essentially an Under Armour town?
LIZ FARMER, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentUnder Armour’s cross trainer debut
May 2, 2008
Under Armour Inc., the Baltimore-based sports apparel company, has the scheduled launch of its much-anticipated cross trainer shoe tomorrow, and for those who can’t wait, pre-ordering is available on the company’s Web site.
Kids’ shoes run from $45 to $75, while adult sizes run from $80 to $100.
Some observations:
- Maybe I’m over the line, but I find it a bit odd (bordering on offensive) that the only choices for women’s shoes are pink/white or blue/white. And we’re talking hues of the “It’s a girl!” or “It’s a boy!” variety. All this talk and planning for a new footwear line and that’s all they could come up with for the women’s designs? Admittedly, the simple styles are more my taste than some of Nike’s designs, but the point had to be made.
- Meanwhile, Under Armour’s men’s styles (three choices) run in red, black and white. Also a bit unoriginal, but those are the brand colors so it makes sense.
- Taking into account the above remarks, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me when I saw a job posting on Under Armour’s Web site today for a footwear designer. Most notably the description cites the opportunity to “get out of the box and get creative.”
Do you think Under Armour needs to step up their cross trainer shoe designs if they’re going to truly compete with Nike?
LIZ FARMER, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentStar-studded Nike ad calls out UnderArmour
March 24, 2008
If you watched any part of the NCAA basketball tournament over the weekend, you surely saw the “My better is better than your better…” commercials for Nike’s Sparq training gear. Both the gear and the commercials are clearly geared to thwarting competition from Baltimore-based Under Armour.
I know (or at least I think) I recognized a good number of professional athletes and coaches in the commercials, but the only ones I can put a name to are New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, USC football coach Pete Carroll and soccer star Julie Foudy. Web Specialist Joe Bacchus picked out the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash and soccer player Landon Donovan.
Here are two questions: 1) What athletes did you recognize from the commercials?
And, 2) should Under Armour be worried that Nike is coming after it full throttle?
ED WALDMAN, Managing Editor/Business
Add Germany to UnderArmour’s list
February 15, 2008
The sports apparel company is now officially the supplier for the German soccer league club Hannover 96 (through the 2010/11 season, at least).
From the release:
This agreement includes all technical apparel and accessories for game day and training as well as numerous advertising assets inside Hannover’s AWD Arena and promotional rights for Under Armour.
Above right: Baltimore-born David Hasselhoff, beloved in Germany, plays the German coach in the Vince Vaughn movie “Dodgeball.”
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
Sphere: Related ContentUnderArmour playing to win in U.K.
February 14, 2008
UnderArmour has won the heart of the Welsh Rugby Union, the Baltimore company announced this Valentine’s Day.
UA will be outfitting players and support staff in a major across-the-pond coup (take that, Reebok!).
This is the latest in a series of international developments for CEO Kevin Plank’s sports apparel company.
The British press is stating that the four-year deal could be worth about $20 million to WRU, the BBJ reports.
From the release:
“We were enormously impressed by UnderArmour’s story and product,” said Roger Lewis, WRU Group Chief Executive. “The technology involved with UnderArmour products demonstrates an innovative and forward-thinking company that is very cutting edge.”
The brand has an official supplier agreement with New Zealand side Canterbury RFU and has developed significant club, athlete, and sports governing body partnerships across the major UK sports of rugby, football and cricket.
…[UA] is committed to working towards further integration into European sport by converting rugby, football, cricket, ice hockey and handball players to the high-tech performance wear that has made Under Armour an integral part of an athlete’s performance.
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
Sphere: Related ContentUnderArmour: “The future is ours”?
February 4, 2008
What did you think of UnderArmour’s ad during the first quarter of last night’s SuperBowl?
The athletic apparel company’s stock price fell by more than a third earlier this month, after an analyst questioned UA’s upcoming ad blitz - including the SuperBowl spot. As of this posting, stock price was back up to nearly $44/share.
In a Saturday article about the Baltimore-based company, 
WaPo wrote that CEO Kevin A. Plank described the ad as “the coming-out party for more than 100 million people, to introduce them to the Under Armour brand.”
Smart buy, or waste of money?
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
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