Under Armour’s Intellectual Diversity

Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, was just 23 when he founded what has now become the second largest sportswear brand in the U.S.  While much has been written about his business acumen and in the words of Plank, “his love of winning and his fear of losing,” his company’s ability to recognize, understand, and leverage diversity has played a critical role in making Under Armour a powerhouse in the world of sports.  Part of what drives Under Armour’s creativity and synergy stems from a team of engineers and scientists who pick each other’s brains in a top-secret lab

Plank has assembled a team that understands, anticipates, and targets the changing cultural landscape in the U.S. and abroad.  For example:

1. Under Armour jumped at the opportunity to invest in MapMyFitness and other health and fitness applications. While it had only 20 million users when UA purchased it in late 2013, that number has increased to 31 million.  With Millennials driving the use of technology, UA’s investment in digital fitness space was timed perfectly.
2. Plank has assembled a diverse group of employees at Under Armour who, in his words, have adopted a “fight like family mentality.” When key decisions are made, every voice is heard and valued.
3. Plank is well aware of Title IX, and the opportunity it gives women to compete. With women’s apparel accounting for almost a third of Under Armour’s sales, Plank fully understands the potential of this increasing, changing demographic.
4. Under Armour’s advertisements appeal to athletes and those of all fitness abilities who do not fit into a neat, stereotypical box. Take their award-winning ad featuring Misty Copeland.  Copeland is a star ballerina who at age 13, was rejected by a ballet school because she did not have the “body of a ballerina.”  That ad appeals to people of all ages and body types who have found themselves on the outside looking in.
5. Under Armour expands their pool of diverse ideas by creating an online platform where budding entrepreneurs and inventors can share their ideas 24/7. Moreover, Under Armour sponsors a competition each year known as “Future Show.”  To qualify, anyone can submit their idea to Under Armour, with “winners” being afforded the opportunity to make their pitch to a judging panel made up of Kevin Plank and some of his top colleagues.
6. With five stores in China, Under Armour is just beginning to go global. However, it understands that the global experience, in China and elsewhere, cannot simply mirror what has worked in the U.S.  For instance, UA discovered that many people in other parts of the world do not consider themselves athletes.  To them, athletes are professional.  UA wants to change that perception

An interesting example of Under Armour’s ability to seek ideas from anyone and anywhere is illustrated by their partnership with Magzip.  Magzip, which allows someone to zip a garment with one hand, is now featured in thousands of units of UA outerwear.  How did this idea come about?  Members of a team, headed up Under Armour’s senior director of business and innovation, happened to see someone by the name of Scott Peters, demonstrating Magzip on YouTube.  Peters has an uncle who happens to have muscular dystrophy.  In this instance, the uncle’s limited ability to use his arms and hands make it extremely difficult for him to zip up his winter coat.  His uncle lives in Rochester, New York, a frigid region with lots of snow.  After watching his uncle take an inordinate amount of time to perform this task, Peters, an engineer, took it upon himself to design Magzip.  Under Armour invited Peters to participate in Future Show.  Once Plank and his team heard Peters’ pitch, they were sold and a licensing deal was finalized.

Under Armour’s ability to value and leverage intellectual diversity has been instrumental in its success.  It is a lesson that we need to keep foremost in our minds, especially when we define diversity and harness its benefits.