Under Armour recruits runners with emotional mobile video, social sharing
Under Armour is attempting to create an emotional bond with consumers through a heartfelt mobile video campaign that emphasizes the passion it takes to be a runner paired with a social media contest in which participants prove their love of running.
Runners on social media can now post photos, map tracking and a statement explaining why they should win for a chance to grab a spot at Under Armour?s next UA Run Camp. The brand is also sharing a mobile video that shows the heart it takes to be a runner and the extreme strength it takes to complete the program.
"Under Armour's new video campaign is another great example of how brands can leverage exclusive content to engage with their customers on a deeper level," said Lindsey Murray, vice president of marketing services at BrandShop. "What makes this campaign particularly unique is that it doesn't require runners to purchase, endorse, share or even be wearing Under Armour gear for entries to be valid.
"This shows Under Amour?s heart for the sport and encourages runners to test their limits, regardless of how they get there," she said. "It's a refreshing approach for a brand to take, one that often generates far more social engagement and reach than your typical self-promotional contest that's heavily branded.
"This shows Under Amour?s heart for the sport and encourages runners to test their limits, regardless of how they get there," she said. "It's a refreshing approach for a brand to take, one that often generates far more social engagement and reach than your typical self-promotional contest that's heavily branded.
"Ultimately, the campaign will help the brand foster the growth of the runner community while driving increased brand awareness and customer loyalty."
Running mobile wild
Consumers interested in attending the next UA Run Camp are sharing pictures of themselves during, after and before a run, along with maps and text explaining why they deserve to attend. Users on Under Armour?s fitness applications, MapMyFitness and Endomondo, can select the share button after finishing their run to share a summary on social media including a map image, date, duration, average pace and distance.
Selected winners will be able to attend the next Run Camp or receive a pair of Under Armour?s upcoming running shoe, UA Charged Bandit 2. Each post must include the hashtag #earnyourspot for a chance to be selected.
The It Comes From Below videos feature an expert runner who participated in UA Run Camp discussing their thoughts on how hard it is and the level of mental strength needed. For instance, one video features Imke explaining how it took a lot of mental effort but that she always hopes to walk away being a different person than before.
The running program features 35 athletes running for two days in difficult conditions such as high altitudes and extreme temperatures. The next camp will take place in the desert.
Armed with marketing
Under Armour?s differentiated positioning, cutting-edge brand building, relentless production innovation and commitment to business transformation recently contributed to a social currency score commensurate with heavyweight competitors Nike and Adidas, according to a new report from CMB and Vivaldi (see more).
The brand also leveraged IBM Watson?s cognitive computing technology to bolster its UA Record mobile health app with a slew of features, including evidence-based sleep coaching and data-backed fitness tips (see more).
"With a campaign like this, marketers should not over complicate the contest by adding multiple tagging, following and sharing requirements," Ms. Murray said. "This can be confusing to entrants and annoying to their friends and followers.
"Do not limit entries to one specific social network," she said. "Do advertise the contest though every digital channel such as email, display ads, apps, social, SMS, etc.
"Do choose unique yet short, easy to remember hashtags. There?s nothing worse than a 30-character hashtag that's prone to misspellings. Do enable a way for consumers to transact directly with the brand if so desired, but don't be overly pushy."
