Under Armour, Inc. hosted its first investor day in six years on Thursday, December 12, for investors and analysts in New York City, providing a qualitative overview of its strategy under the returning Founder Kevin Plank as president and CEO. During the meeting, senior executives provided an in-depth qualitative overview of the company’s product, brand and commercial strategies and other key initiatives in execution to strengthen UA’s ability to deliver improved value creation to shareholders over the long term. The company also reiterated its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook, which it provided in conjunction with its November second-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings results. One analyst said much of the meeting’s messaging revolved around simplifying the business and, in many ways, returning to Under Armour’s roots, centered on performance solutions, elevating the brand with a greater focus on better and best products while increasing full-price selling, and embracing the company’s underdog status. The analyst said the plan has already resulted in healthy gross margin gains on lower markdowns but cautioned that operating margins will be under pressure this fiscal year due to increased investments in marketing. “The key proof point will ultimately be sales, with a critical mass of new product innovation anticipated in the second half of fiscal 2026 (Fall/Winter 2025),” the analyst said. As Plank started the presentation, he underlined the underdog positioning and attitude by describing Under Armour as a $5 billion start-up. “We have the right assets; we just need to deploy them correctly,” Plank said.“With a significantly strengthened product lineup coming in Fall 2025, a clear underdog brand positioning, and purposeful, disciplined marketplace management, I am confident that our actions are gaining traction,” said Plank. “We are running a more agile and focused company, and our strategies are fostering renewed brand strength, which we believe will ultimately improve our ability to drive sustainable, profitable growth for our shareholders.” Key elements of Under Armour’s strategy center on four pillars: ProductPlank talked about a new product that he said felt like he held the future of sports in his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ball cap in his balled-up fist, a product he said would change the entire baseball cap category. He told the audience that UA “will achieve performance on a widespread basis through this Stealthform uncrushable cap at $45 that will lead every brand to have the product in their lines over time.” Plank introduced Chief Product Officer Yassine Saidi, a key hire in early 2024. Based on his perspective from working in European fashion houses, he talked about a new focus on pushing the boundaries of technology and design with a streamlined, more focused, and more efficient product engine versus a previous paradigm characterized as “lacking a point of view with too many duplicative products.” Plank also talked about “sportswear,” but with innovation on the performance side at its core. A sneak peek at new product innovation centered heavily on footwear, with much more visible technology and a much more distinct design aesthetic. Outside of footwear, UA said it is looking to reinvigorate key franchises with new innovation, with new fabrics, including Neolast, a performance and more sustainable alternative to Spandex, and elevated features such as suspension straps on backpacks, which more evenly reduces load and bounce. Key points in the UA’s Product category included: Streamlining the creation engine, assortment and merchandising approach to deliver a simplified, more deliberate presentation with athletes and customers. Revolutionize products through redefined processes, including transformative innovations in performance and improved design to increase consideration. Ensure an aligned category-centric, go-to-market process to facilitate a “holistic connection” between athletes’ needs and UA’s global and regional commercial strategies. StoryThe company said it needed to evolve its operating model to be consumer-led through collaborative alignment and clear accountability across its product, marketing and commercial functions to increase brand affinity. Plank said the company is ready to roll its new positioning by embracing the brand’s underdog positioning infused with “resilience and grit” through its Sports House positioning in all aspects of storytelling. Under Armour also said it will use its existing marketing investment more effectively to launch the “most significant and impactful activation in our history to amplify awareness and consideration to win the hearts of young team sports athletes.” An analyst wrote that to combat a customer base that has aged (34-plus years old) and skews male, Under Armour will harken back to its origins with a focus on a younger (16- to 24-year-old), team-focused consumer, albeit with a somewhat softer image (more determined/less tough) to improve relevancy to female customers. To reposition itself, the company is shifting its operating model to be consumer-led versus function-led and will launch a multiyear brand platform campaign beginning in 2025 that will mark its most significant marketing investment. ServiceThe company will execute market-specific commercial strategies across the brand’s regions focused on the following. Americas: reset and strengthen the brand through “disciplined marketplace management by optimizing promotional levels, sharpening segmentation strategies and driving a more premium representation of the brand.” Reinvigorate UA’s focus on team sports to connect with young athletes and “reprioritize our marketing investments to drive brand-right and brand-building activations that elevate consumer perception.” Europe, Middle East, and Africa: protect brand strength by continuing to leverage “our reputation as one of the highest-performing athletic team sports brands with a disciplined approach to premium distribution and brand-right segmentation. Focus on regionally relevant sports categories to expand our addressable market opportunities and build on success in the United Kingdom to scale into other key countries, including France, Germany and Spain.” Asia-Pacific: protect the brand while “navigating the near-term dynamic environment. Elevate channel discipline to ensure premium revenue quality and leverage global marketing activation to increase awareness and drive engagement across core categories.” TeamUnder Armour will leverage its “strengthened, experienced leadership team” and employees to improve its ability to execute on strategies with “increased alignment, efficiency and effectiveness.” Plank stressed that the company has 11 members on its Executive Leadership Team, with seven employees having new titles and three are new to the company. Another key point in the conversation was calling out UA’s prioritization of “key initiatives to optimize capacity utilization and productivity and align with our strategies to strengthen the Under Armour brand.” Plank talked about energizing a culture of leadership, teamwork and accountability that is “communicative, collaborative and passionate.“ “Today, we reviewed our plans to enhance and fortify the Under Armour brand, highlighting our seasoned leadership team’s commitment to ensuring consistent execution with improved alignment, clarity and confidence about our future direction,” shared Plank. “As a global Sports House, capable of equipping athletes head to toe on and off the field, pitch, or court, we are hard at work putting in place the people, structures, and strategies essential to realizing Under Armour’s full potential over the long-term.” UA meeting presenters included: Yassine Saidi, Chief Product Officer Kyle Blakely, SVP, Innovation, Testing & Development Yuron White, SVP, Sportswear, Basketball/Curry, Run & Collabs Eric Liedtke, EVP, Brand Strategy Jason Archer, Managing Director, APAC Kara Trent, President, Americas Kevin Ross, Managing dDrector, EMEA Images courtesy Under Armour, Inc.

Under Armour, Inc. hosted its first investor day in six years on Thursday, December 12, for investors and analysts in New York City, providing a qualitative overview of its strategy under the returning Founder Kevin Plank as president and CEO. During the meeting, senior executives provided an in-depth qualitative overview of the company’s product, brand […]

Under Armour, Inc. hosted its first investor day in six years on Thursday, December 12, for investors and analysts in New York City, providing a qualitative overview of its strategy under the returning Founder Kevin Plank as president and CEO.

During the meeting, senior executives provided an in-depth qualitative overview of the company’s product, brand and commercial strategies and other key initiatives in execution to strengthen UA’s ability to deliver improved value creation to shareholders over the long term.

The company also reiterated its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook, which it provided in conjunction with its November second-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings results.

One analyst said much of the meeting’s messaging revolved around simplifying the business and, in many ways, returning to Under Armour’s roots, centered on performance solutions, elevating the brand with a greater focus on better and best products while increasing full-price selling, and embracing the company’s underdog status.

The analyst said the plan has already resulted in healthy gross margin gains on lower markdowns but cautioned that operating margins will be under pressure this fiscal year due to increased investments in marketing.

“The key proof point will ultimately be sales, with a critical mass of new product innovation anticipated in the second half of fiscal 2026 (Fall/Winter 2025),” the analyst said.

As Plank started the presentation, he underlined the underdog positioning and attitude by describing Under Armour as a $5 billion start-up. “We have the right assets; we just need to deploy them correctly,” Plank said.
“With a significantly strengthened product lineup coming in Fall 2025, a clear underdog brand positioning, and purposeful, disciplined marketplace management, I am confident that our actions are gaining traction,” said Plank. “We are running a more agile and focused company, and our strategies are fostering renewed brand strength, which we believe will ultimately improve our ability to drive sustainable, profitable growth for our shareholders.”

Key elements of Under Armour’s strategy center on four pillars:

Product
Plank talked about a new product that he said felt like he held the future of sports in his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ball cap in his balled-up fist, a product he said would change the entire baseball cap category. He told the audience that UA “will achieve performance on a widespread basis through this Stealthform uncrushable cap at $45 that will lead every brand to have the product in their lines over time.”

Plank introduced Chief Product Officer Yassine Saidi, a key hire in early 2024. Based on his perspective from working in European fashion houses, he talked about a new focus on pushing the boundaries of technology and design with a streamlined, more focused, and more efficient product engine versus a previous paradigm characterized as “lacking a point of view with too many duplicative products.”

Plank also talked about “sportswear,” but with innovation on the performance side at its core.

A sneak peek at new product innovation centered heavily on footwear, with much more visible technology and a much more distinct design aesthetic.

Outside of footwear, UA said it is looking to reinvigorate key franchises with new innovation, with new fabrics, including Neolast, a performance and more sustainable alternative to Spandex, and elevated features such as suspension straps on backpacks, which more evenly reduces load and bounce.

Key points in the UA’s Product category included:

Streamlining the creation engine, assortment and merchandising approach to deliver a simplified, more deliberate presentation with athletes and customers.
Revolutionize products through redefined processes, including transformative innovations in performance and improved design to increase consideration.
Ensure an aligned category-centric, go-to-market process to facilitate a “holistic connection” between athletes’ needs and UA’s global and regional commercial strategies.

Story
The company said it needed to evolve its operating model to be consumer-led through collaborative alignment and clear accountability across its product, marketing and commercial functions to increase brand affinity.

Plank said the company is ready to roll its new positioning by embracing the brand’s underdog positioning infused with “resilience and grit” through its Sports House positioning in all aspects of storytelling.

Under Armour also said it will use its existing marketing investment more effectively to launch the “most significant and impactful activation in our history to amplify awareness and consideration to win the hearts of young team sports athletes.”

An analyst wrote that to combat a customer base that has aged (34-plus years old) and skews male, Under Armour will harken back to its origins with a focus on a younger (16- to 24-year-old), team-focused consumer, albeit with a somewhat softer image (more determined/less tough) to improve relevancy to female customers.

To reposition itself, the company is shifting its operating model to be consumer-led versus function-led and will launch a multiyear brand platform campaign beginning in 2025 that will mark its most significant marketing investment.

Service
The company will execute market-specific commercial strategies across the brand’s regions focused on the following.

Americas: reset and strengthen the brand through “disciplined marketplace management by optimizing promotional levels, sharpening segmentation strategies and driving a more premium representation of the brand.” Reinvigorate UA’s focus on team sports to connect with young athletes and “reprioritize our marketing investments to drive brand-right and brand-building activations that elevate consumer perception.”
Europe, Middle East, and Africa: protect brand strength by continuing to leverage “our reputation as one of the highest-performing athletic team sports brands with a disciplined approach to premium distribution and brand-right segmentation. Focus on regionally relevant sports categories to expand our addressable market opportunities and build on success in the United Kingdom to scale into other key countries, including France, Germany and Spain.”
Asia-Pacific: protect the brand while “navigating the near-term dynamic environment. Elevate channel discipline to ensure premium revenue quality and leverage global marketing activation to increase awareness and drive engagement across core categories.”

Team
Under Armour will leverage its “strengthened, experienced leadership team” and employees to improve its ability to execute on strategies with “increased alignment, efficiency and effectiveness.” Plank stressed that the company has 11 members on its Executive Leadership Team, with seven employees having new titles and three are new to the company.

Another key point in the conversation was calling out UA’s prioritization of “key initiatives to optimize capacity utilization and productivity and align with our strategies to strengthen the Under Armour brand.”

Plank talked about energizing a culture of leadership, teamwork and accountability that is “communicative, collaborative and passionate.“

“Today, we reviewed our plans to enhance and fortify the Under Armour brand, highlighting our seasoned leadership team’s commitment to ensuring consistent execution with improved alignment, clarity and confidence about our future direction,” shared Plank. “As a global Sports House, capable of equipping athletes head to toe on and off the field, pitch, or court, we are hard at work putting in place the people, structures, and strategies essential to realizing Under Armour’s full potential over the long-term.”

UA meeting presenters included: