Under Armour announced a suite of connected products at CES last week as it works to further integrate users into its digital ecosystem of smart shoes, watches, earbuds, and the MapMyRun app.
Along with the launch of its fourth-generation HOVR connected shoe, the sports apparel company announced integrations with Samsung’s Galaxy smartwatch and JBL wireless headphones. The growing ecosystem will allow users to get real-time coaching insights, such as gait analysis, cadence, and heart rate, while they run, without needing to carry their phones.
According to Jim Mollica, Under Armour’s senior vice president of consumer engagement and digital, all of the company’s 2019 running shoes “will feature a connected component.”
“We decided that part of this is to create a completely closed system for that consumer. So we’ve partnered with world-class experience providers in each area, rather than do it ourselves,” Mollica said. “Within that ecosystem you get real-time coaching, which has proven out for the average runner to get them five percent faster over a five-week period of time. And what has happened over time is we’ve moved from general information down to very specific information around stride length, cadence, gate coaching embedded in the shoe.”
Other branded products, such as the Apple Watch and non-JBL wireless headphones, can also be used to track runs through Under Armour’s MapMyRun app. However, Under Armour has plugged the Galaxy watch directly into the HOVR platform, which means that the watch automatically detects when a workout has started, and Galaxy users can get real-time feedback and coaching during their run versus analyzing metrics when they return to their phones.
Under Armour said it plans to continue to pursue partnerships with third-party device manufacturers beyond just Samsung and JBL as it works to find solutions within its closed ecosystem for a broad range of fitness goals.
The company has been building a digital presence over the past few years and now counts 260 million people as part of its connected fitness community. The insights gleaned through its digital platforms have enabled it to tweak its strategy and offer more personalized products.
“The value it’s providing us is deep insights into human behavior around health and fitness, sleep, nutrition, running, exercise. All of that data can be used to create better experiences and better utilities to help people get better results,” Mollica said. “I think you’ll continue to see us move in the direction of physical activity becoming more prescriptive.”
As part of those efforts moving forward, Under Armour plans to use partner wearables and its digital ecosystem to focus on the part of day when users aren’t workout out, tracking things such as sleep and nutrition.
“What you put in your body, recovery elements, the routine you have after, the sleep you get, all have huge impacts on your performance and any of the goals you have,” Mollica said. “You’ll continue to see us focusing on that entire perspective of each element of your life that feeds into that ultimate goal you’re trying to achieve.”
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