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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2018

  Under Armour

  Rory McDonald, Clayton M. Christensen, Daniel West and Jonathan E. Palmer

  After twenty years of growth unprecedented in the sports apparel industry, Under Armour finds itself with a new record to beat: making the leap from $5 to $10 billion in sales — a feat only accomplished to date by competitors Nike and Adidas. At the heart of this challenge is how Under Armour can maintain its brand’s authenticity while adding new products that fuel future growth. The case traces the evolution of Under Armour’s brand and describes how the company chose to extend or not extend its brand into adjacent categories and markets in the past. Now Under Armour needs to decide on their next steps. Should the company focus on its core markets? Should it stretch the brand into more adjacencies? Or should it consider something more radical, like app-related sales through subscriptions and wearable technologies?

  Keywords: Under Armour; Nike; Adidas; ＂Jobs to be Done; Purpose Brands; Entrepreneurship; Customer Focus and Relationships; Innovation Strategy; Business Growth and Maturation; Growth Management; Innovation Leadership; Sports Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; Health Industry; Technology Industry; Retail Industry; United States; Maryland; Baltimore;

  Citation:

  McDonald, Rory, Clayton M. Christensen, Daniel West, and Jonathan E. Palmer. "Under Armour." Harvard Business School Case 618-020, January 2018.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 1997 (Revised October 2017)

  Hospital Equipment Corporation

  Clayton M. Christensen and Rory McDonald

  Hospital Equipment Corp. is a very successful maker of hospital beds. Due to outstanding performance in new product development, it grew to dominate its primary market and is searching for other opportunities to grow through new product development. It discovers that its internal system for identifying new, high-growth markets actually screens out some exciting growth possibilities.

  Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Innovation and Management; Opportunities; Business Processes; Product Development; Technological Innovation; Expansion; Markets; Problems and Challenges; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Christensen, Clayton M., and Rory McDonald. "Hospital Equipment Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 697-086, March 1997. (Revised October 2017.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017

  Under Armour: Evolution of a Purpose Brand

  Rory McDonald, Clayton M. Christensen, Daniel West and Jonathan Palmer

  After twenty years of growth unprecedented in the sports apparel industry, Under Armour finds itself with a new record to beat: making the leap from $5 to $10 billion in sales — a feat only accomplished to date by competitors Nike and Adidas. At the heart of this challenge is how Under Armour can maintain its brand’s authenticity while adding new products that fuel future growth. The case traces the evolution of Under Armour’s brand and describes how the company chose to extend or not extend its brand into adjacent categories and markets in the past. Now Under Armour needs to decide on their next steps. Should the company focus on its core markets? Should it stretch the brand into more adjacencies? Or should it consider something more radical, like app-related sales through subscriptions and wearable technologies?

  Keywords: Under Armour; Nike; Adidas; ＂Jobs to be Done; Purpose Brands; Entrepreneurship; Customer Focus and Relationships; Innovation Strategy; Business Growth and Maturation; Growth Management; Innovation Leadership; Sports Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; Health Industry; Technology Industry; Retail Industry; United States; Maryland; Baltimore;

  Citation:

  McDonald, Rory, Clayton M. Christensen, Daniel West, and Jonathan Palmer. "Under Armour: Evolution of a Purpose Brand." Harvard Business School Case 618-010, September 2017.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

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