Under Armour Is Connecting With Consumers at Home, But Teens Still Don’t Think the Brand Is Cool

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Under Armour’s efforts to support health-care workers and engage consumers amid the coronavirus crisis have been well received, but the athletic brand continues to fall out of favor with U.S. teenagers.

According to Piper Sandler’s 39th semiannual “Taking Stock With Teens” survey, which was released today, the Baltimore-based company is deemed a “brand no longer worn” by 23% of upper-income male teens. That is up from last spring, when the Baltimore-based company held 15% of that distinction.

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The company has held the No. 1 spot in the “brands no longer worn” category specific to teenage upper-income males for the last four seasons.

Also, Under Armour’s rankings in apparel in footwear fell significantly, with apparel dropping to No. 20 from No. 15 year over year and footwear to No. 14 from No. 12.

The decline in Under Armour’s popularity comes as its toughest competitor, Nike, continues to gain market share. The survey revealed that 47% of teens named Nike as their No. 1 brand, and its largest gain was with females. It is also a preferred apparel brand with a 25% share, which is up from 22% last year.

The survey was conducted as the coronavirus crisis forced people indoors, from Feb. 17 through March 27. According to Piper Sandler, roughly 5,200 teens with an average age of 16 from 41 states responded.

News of the lack of interest from teens comes as Under Armour is ramping up its efforts to engage consumers in a meaningful way with the health crisis consuming much of the world. The initiatives, which have been applauded by industry insiders, include free workouts via social media led by brand ambassadors and its Healthy From Home challenge, which utilizes its MyFitnessPal to track activity.

Under Armour earned more goodwill by announcing that it would donate $2 million to nonprofits to support those affected by the coronavirus pandemic and that it has started manufacturing protective equipment from its Lighthouse innovation hub to support the health-care providers of the University of Maryland Medical System.

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