Ryan Drew on NBA and UA Basketball.
The NBA lockout doesn’t just affect players and the League, but also the extended network of major athletic footwear and apparel companies that gain nightly exposure from having their athletes exhibiting a fresh seasonal rotation of sneakers and gear to a largely style-driven basketball consumer market. So how will Under Armour deal with an extended NBA lockout and what does the near term future of the category hold for the Baltimore-based brand? We talk with Under Armour’s Director of Basketball Ryan Drew, or “Drewsy” as he’s known around the office, on exactly that…
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CounterKicks: Do you expect a prolonged NBA lockout to impact Under Armour’s basketball category going into next season? Why or Why Not?
Ryan Drew: Our presence in basketball is rooted in a comprehensive approach that starts in grassroots and extends into college and the NBA. Without question, the NBA provides amazing exposure for brands. Having the UA logo on our athletes during NBA games helps put our basketball products in front of a global audience of basketball fans. All brands that are invested in the NBA will have to deal with missed opportunities if the lockout continues into the season. We’re confident that our commitment to being part of the game year-round through Under Armour skills camps, high school and AAU tournaments, and college partnerships will keep the brand front and center with key basketball audiences.
CK: Even without an NBA season, what are some opportunities for Under Armour in basketball next year?
Drew: We have less exposure from the NBA simply because we have a smaller roster of NBA athletes. It’s probably the only time in this business that I would say that it’s an advantage. We have a strong grassroots division, with over 30 Elite High School programs that give our brand a lot of exposure with our target consumers. We outfit 16 Division 1 college programs across the country, whose games are broadcast on regional and national television. Our AAU programs that run from April through July are introducing our brand to the elite ballplayer in an authentic way, and events like the Elite 24, the Best of the Best in Atlanta, and the Brandon Jennings Invitational provide us with strong platforms to tell brand stories in print, online, and on the court. Through our Team and grassroots programs Under Armour will receive a significant amount of exposure all year.
In addition, a lot of our products target the performance ballplayer, and are sold through our strongest team dealer networks and retail partners. 300 NBA players might be locked out for the season, but thousands of basketball players will be playing all year at every other level. Basketball players still need hoop shoes!
CK: How can the brand continue to grow and define itself in the basketball category, despite not having an NBA season?
Drew: We’ve taken a long-term approach to growing the basketball category at Under Armour. We have a fantastic roster of NBA players, but they are just a part of our growth plan and point of view in the category.
We will launch our product through a targeted Team Dealer network this Fall. We have strong footwear programs during the back to school timeframe with our best retail partners that have their own dealer networks and service a lot of team programs through their retail locations. We also have great products that are inspired by the life and game of our NBA athletes. The “Bloodline”, a shoe developed for Brandon Jennings, will also be featured on our best College, High School, and AAU programs over the course of the year.
CK: What are some ways that Under Armour can still leverage its basketball endorsers like Brandon Jennings?
Drew: With the exception of the exposure he received after he scored 55 against Golden State his rookie season, Brandon spent a year in Italy, and plays in Milwaukee, which hasn’t been a regular on the NBA’s nationally televised schedule. Even though he was in a small market and coming off a year abroad we’ve always been aggressive about using Brandon in our brand marketing since we signed him, featuring him in our print campaigns, using his image on our website, developing his own blog to interact directly with consumers, featuring him on billboards during All Star weekend, or providing updates on what he’s doing through our own Twitter and Facebook platforms. Additionally, Brandon has also been a great partner in that he is a tremendous marketer of himself through his own social media platforms. His followers have become our followers. His personality and marketing savvy along with our brand marketing approach allowed us to identify new ways to leverage an athlete partnerregardless of their name recognition or size of the market where they play.
We’ve never really been that dependent on the NBA to drive Brandon’s exposure to the consumer. Do I want that to change…absolutely. I’d like to see him playing on national TV on a weekly basis. But in a lockout year, when nobody is on-court or TV, we’ll be doing the same things that we’ve done for the last 3 years to drive exposure for our athletes and our products. It’s business as usual for us.
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This is what I like to here – a man with a plan. I think it is great they aren’t relying on the wims of billionaires paying millionaires to play a kid’s game. They know where the bread is and are going for it.
^Def agree.
Duke, what was your opinion of UA’s initial launches (new prototype, athletes run campaign, etc.)?
I found them to be solid, but ultimately unremarkable and pretty standard. The new releases seem to have captured the swagger and quality performance we’ve come to expect from the brand.
From a Business approach the plain has a solid direction
i just look forward to different aesthetic as far as the hoops shoes go!!!
Loving what UA’s doing.
And I disagree with Michael, where adidas, Reebok, and Nike are having trouble finding a balance for their conventional lightweight’s, they’re trying to force your feet into an ‘average gait’ not leaving much room for natural movement(things like PureMotion, and FREE stand on their own), UA has the perfect balance of lightweight, comfort, and support.(mark my words, all brands will end up copying UA’s setup for lightweight).
UA dominates when it comes to a smooth, lightweight, conventional basketball sneaker.
Sorry for the double, but they dominated with the 1st wave of UA releases, and it’ll only get better.
^Nene, I don’t think I recall any performance reviews on the initial prototype launch. I know they were reviewed, but I think I must have missed it. Nevertheless, I did own the Speed and Power prototypes and as I mentioned, I found them to be solid. However, my issue was less about the technology and more about the focus of the line thereafter.
I know they’re currently focusing on developing a more clear focus. The technology is there, but I just felt like the releases (predominately for running) were a bit muddled. I’d like to see more of a concentrated theme develop.
The creative director (Dombrow) recently discussed the refinement of specific silos and having a pinnacle product for each. I think he’s got the right idea.
It’s not that I want someone to tell me what to buy “just because,” but I do favor a more targeted approach.
Probably just depends on who you are, I’m a big strong guy, and I find the UA approach of going clean, and sleek, without excluding the big-power guys a great one(something they took care off from day 1).
That’s the Football/Rugby knowledge they’re using, allowing them to go sleek, without giving up on support, and cushioning.
Now I get that from a marketing/consumer point of view, they needed to clarify the lines, by going more for identity, than just performance, because the 1st wave was very profesional oriented(all business, no image), so they’re developing nicely, still, if you got the right shoes for you, they been serious performers from day 1.
Michael, I really did NOT have very high hopes for UA after that initial run of runners and cross trainers. Maybe me being a basketball player/runner I missed the appeal, but to me they looked like shoes Armchair Quarterback wore when he told everyone about the three touchdown night he had in middle school. Not for serious training, just people who thought they were. I completely turned around when the Black Ice came out last year. I couldn’t get my hands o na pair of Prototypes, but the Black Ice and the Micro G system opened my eyes fully last year. Admittedly, they were a little safe, but from all numbers they were faily successful, especially for a first line release. This season they seem to be opening it up a little. Some people are on their backs about the “safe” look, but look at the opinions on Ektio, aq brand that went out there. They make a good product, but even I wondered what look they were going for. With UA we know, or did last year – they wanted a look that, to quote D’Wayne Edwards, you know who made the shoe without logos. Now, I think they have to try to differentiate a little more between the models. Make the distinction between Kemba’s and Brandon’s and the College line.
As for performance, I have three pairs of ball shoes and three pairs of runners and I will put them up against any other line on pure performance. Like Nene said, if you get the right fit and shoe for you, they feel great, lightweight (not feathers), and VERY responsive. The new runners (Charge, Split) are something every performance-oriented sneakerhead need to check out.