Under Armour International Marketing Director Interview

Under Armour is a Global sportswear company that has built a leading brand name in the hi-tech athletic gear. Under Armour traditional focus has been on compression (tight fitting) performance attire, but with a strategic marketing approach has also begun to offer a wide variety of products in other sports such as Football.

In a highly competitive sport, Under Armour launched in 2006 its first American football boots and gained 20% of the market that year. The company is constantly growing. For the fiscal year 2009, net revenue grew 18.1% from 2008 to $856.4 million.

I am interviewing Blair Tripodi. He is the Under Armour International Marketing Director. Blair has an extensive marketing experience and worked for the US Olympic Committee for 6 years as Director NGB Marketing, Director of Consumer Products and Brand Marketing Director. He is at Under Armour since 2006 and I am getting his views on Under Armour expansion in football and ultimately how Under Armour can challenge the largest established football brands.

Madrid. A REAL financial disaster?

Florentino Perez had a dream; Put together the best football team with the most talented football players, and win the Champions League final in Bernabeu.
Well that dream shattered in small pieces, when Olympique Lyonnais Pjanic drew at the 74th minute last wednesday.  Actually Perez had the exact same dream in 2000, when he took over from Lorenzo Sanz,  and won 2 Ligas (2001-2003) and 1 UEFA Champions League in 2002 with world class players such as Zidane, Owen, Ronaldo, Beckham. It was Los Galacticos Part I. Then the ROI was below expectations…………no kidding.