Under Armour and the Art of Authenticity

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Under Armour, the now ubiquitous apparel company that graced the Inc. 500 back in 2003, was the subject of a recent New York Times profile. The paper holds the company up as an example of the power of cultivating an extreme brand positioning in order to create a sense of authenticity with mainstream consumers.

"[W]hile the Under Armour marketing machine likes to evoke Mr. Plank's rough and tumble football background, the company has been as cunning as a chess pro in cultivating its image and fan base," the Times asserts. "This is apparent in its testosterone-juiced "Protect This House" television ads featuring hugely built football players (like the fearsome-looking N.F.L. veterans Eric Ogbogu or Ray Lewis) sweating, shouting and working up as if for battle. Extreme as they are, they send a message of authenticity (one of Mr. Plank's favorite words) and aggression to a select audience, unlike ads from sporting goods giants like Nike and Reebok aimed at more general audiences."

To read the article, click here.

Mike Hofman

Mike Hofman was previously editor of Inc.com and a deputy editor at Inc. magazine, which he joined in 1996. The site was nominated for a National Magazine Award for Digital Media in 2010, and was named the best business website by Folio Magazine. In 2006, Hofman was part of a team of writers nominated for a Webby Award for best business blog. He lives in New York City.