by Brendan Dunne
Earlier today, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank labeled adidas as the brand's "dumbest competitor" in an interview with Bloomberg Television (video appears below).
Plank carried on bluntly about his views on the struggling sportswear giant, which Under Armour recently surpassed in the U.S. to become the number two brand in terms of retail sales.
"They will chase the old model," Plank said. "I don't like them. I don't like the other guys either, but that's my job."
The labeling of the athlete endorsement strategy as "the old model" feels slightly misplaced though, as Under Armour did come very close to spending a ton of money on signing Kevin Durant. With that being said, the brand's recent acquisitions of digital health apps Endomondo and MyFitnessApp are maybe more reflective of Plank's perceived new model for the sportswear industry. These acquisitions give Under Armour access to 120 million new social followers.
adidas North America president Mark King responded in a statement to The Wall Street Journal, saying "We’re focused on our business and fired up with all the energy we’ve got right now."
King also said that adidas is focused on its new college partnerships, as well as the launch of the adidas D Lillard 1.
Nike hasn't commented on the back and forth. But, Nike Athlete Insight Manager Peter Bromka did criticize Under Armour's boasting about its newfound social community with the following:
1.
