Under Armour - Supporting the launch of the HOVR Machina on the French market

Consultant : Sandra Pomart

Category: Brand launches & campaigns

Sector of activity Sport & leisure

Context

Under Armour, an American brand renowned for its innovations in sports equipment, was preparing the launch in France of its new HOVR Machina running shoe. In order to establish this model in a highly competitive market and quickly reach running enthusiasts, the brand wanted to raise its profile with affinity audiences.

In partnership with Alltricks - a leading e-commerce platform in the sports sector - Under Armour wanted to deploy an acquisition system capable of generating qualified traffic, while ensuring that the product presentation (data sheets, sales pitch, key messages) was beyond reproach when users discovered the HOVR Machina.

The aim: to maximise the reach of the launch, reach the right segments in the first few weeks and guarantee a consistent experience from the first contact right through to the product page.

Solution

For sports equipment brands, the launch of a new model is a key moment in their seasonal visibility. Communicating as closely as possible with the practices and behaviour of runners helps to align the brand's message with the expectations of users. The challenge is to capture attention at a time when athletes are most receptive and when they consume the most running-related content.

The consumption of running content on YouTube and social networks increases sharply during major preparation periods, sporting challenges and running events. Runners are looking for opinions, product tests, technical advice and videos that immerse them in their running. Social platforms and YouTube have become the preferred places to discover new products, understand innovations and compare models.

To capitalise on this momentum, a multi-channel acquisition system has been deployed:

YouTube sponsorship, to increase the visibility of the HOVR Machina among runners looking for inspiration or advice, and to fit in with their natural consumption of running content.
Social Ads campaigns, reaching affinity audiences via short, engaging formats, tailored to the discovery of a new product.
Highlighted on Alltricks, the e-commerce environment where users are as close as possible to their purchasing intentions.

This system has been strengthened by specific work on the product sheets, to ensure that they are presented in a way that is consistent with the campaign messages: benefits highlighted, clear hierarchy of technical arguments, verified and accessible information.

The whole package ensures consistent, targeted visibility throughout the launch: from the first inspirational contact on YouTube to consultation of the product sheet on Alltricks.