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...poster hangs over the desk of Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, the red-hot athletic-apparel brand that has joined Nike, Adidas and New Balance as a major player on the market. Under Armour pitchman Eric Ogbogu, a former NFL lineman, is flexing his impressive pecs; underneath him, the tagline reads protect this house...
...know, one that sounds like a roaring, rollicking Swoosh? Nike, the $18 billion sporting giant, knows a tough competitor when it sees one, and when it sees one, it attacks. So it surprised no one that as Under Armour announced it would try to revive the long-dead cross-training category (which basically describes shoes you can use to run, lift weights, jump rope or channel surf), Nike pounced. The company launched its SPARQ trainers--as the company puts it, kicks built for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness--a month ahead of the May debut of Under Armour...
...Nike is trying to relaunch cross-training and deny the space to Under Armour. (The aerobics craze made Reebok, remember.) The Swoosh blitzed the airwaves with SPARQ ads during the NCAA basketball tournament; MY BETTER IS BETTER THAN YOUR BETTER went the tagline. SPARQs retail for $70 to $90, while Under Armour's shoes are in the $80-to-$100 price range...
...just marketing. Both Nike and Under Armour are latching onto a new approach to training that's more dynamic than lifting weights and sprinting. At Nike.com athletes can access drill videos from "SPARQ Master Trainers": You're a basketball player, and you want to improve your quickness? Have your coach drop tennis balls at your feet, and catch them before they bounce above your knees. Under Armour will also post cross-training drills on its site this summer. "Nike is going after them with a vengeance," says John Shanley, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group. "They want to make sure...
...strategist, though, Plank is more brains than brash. Many analysts admire his approach to expanding his brand. Under Armour could have jumped right into one of the two biggest sports-footwear categories--running and basketball--to try to steal share from Nike, Adidas and other Bigfeet. Instead, the company chose a more disciplined approach. Under Armour tested the footwear landscape about two years ago, when it started making American-football cleats. Selling soccer shoes against Adidas and Nike would have been suicidal. Football is a small, specialized market--about $250 million in the U.S. "Our No. 1 goal was authenticating...