MBA+ PROJECT: UNDER ARMOUR Issue Under Armour asked the team of MBAs to work with members of their Retail Leadership team to develop a collegiate retail strategy and provide recommendations specific to UT Austin. Project The team conducted a competitive analysis of retail stores popular with the college-aged consumer and did primary research to gain a deeper understanding of the collegiate consumer here at UT. They also conducted several focus groups, shop-alongs, and ethnographic research to help them better understand the shopping habits of undergraduate students. Application The team played on the culture of Under Armour by creating a visual and interactive final presentation, including photos of potential store sites, a design of how the future store should look, and a financial analysis to show the profitability of the store. After the presentation, the team enjoyed an office tour and several meetings with senior members of their Retail Leadership team, as well as an informal happy hour and a gift bag full of Under Armour apparel.
“The best part about this project was doing hands-on primary research like facilitating focus groups and observing consumer shopping behavior. We were really able to empathize and identify with their target consumers since we were students ourselves. This provided Under Armour with a very authentic perspective. It was great to feel like Under Armour valued our opinion at the end of the project!” CAROLYN CROSS, MBA ‘12
Under Armour Project Team Leader
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