(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SUPE_Social-Media-Post_Creative-View730x375px1.jpg alt: Creative view – Create a culture)
Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
That’s one of the things Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said when asked why his company was able to go from nothing in 2006 to being worth $3.3billion today.
It’s a core internal belief at (link: http://www.underarmour.co.uk/en-gb text: Under Armour) but it shows in their behaviour. And so it should.
One question they never really answer though, is ‘What is the Under Armour brand?’
Yes, they have a paragraph on their site, a sort of mantra. And, if you dig around, you’ll find ‘Empower Athletes Everywhere’ buried in there. But they never seem to boil it down to a single consumer facing statement.
Kevin did recently say, however, “I do like being defined as a performance company because I think it is completely unlimiting” as he demonstrates with his next move – developing wearable technology to take on the likes of the Apple Watch.
That’s more of a public display of culture than the building of a brand. And it’s working. With sales of $3.96 billion in 2015 they are now second only to Nike. For now.
From personal experience, Nike used to ‘get’ me.
It wasn’t that long ago they enabled my passion for running. But now just email me about their latest styles, colours and innovations – all drowned out by a culture that’s motivating me to:
‘rule myself’
(youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikmd-vtRCqo)
and ‘slay my next giant’
(youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpHisw0cdjk)
They tell me:
‘It’s what we do in the dark that puts us in the light’
(youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh9jAD1ofm4)
All courtesy of the brilliant Droga5 who have, yet again, nailed why anyone should give a f*ck about their client.
I’ve read that Under Armour want revenue to go up to $7.5 billion by 2018.
And I reckon they’ll make it.
Because they didn’t just develop a brand and repeat the statement over and over in their comms.
They consistently and publicly demonstrate their incredibly compelling core culture and invite you along.