Brand Pulse: Under Armour at the Mall, VO5 Repositioned

Looking to cut through the clutter, old and new brands alike are engaging strategies to go deeper into the market via extensions, expansions and retail launches.

Earlier this month, for example, Under Armour Inc. opened its first retail store in the Westfield Mall in Annapolis, Md. The site is a 3,750-square-foot unit.

Chris Hufnagel, Under Armour senior retail director, told WWD that, “Hopefully, this store will change the way people think about buying sports apparel.” If successful, the company could roll out more stores.

Meanwhile, the VO5 hair care brand is experiencing a sales surge after the brand’s was repositioned with a sexier marketing message.

WWD reported that data from Information Resources Inc. show that, for the most recent four-week period, sales of Alberto VO5 hair spray and spritz styling products grew more than 7 percent. This was ahead of the category’s 2.5 percent gain.

Rob Keen, director of marketing for VO5, told WWD that the brand set out to establish a connection with a new consumer. “There’s a segment of consumers who want to express individual style but there is no brand that stands for that,” he said.

In the denim market, Jason Verhoeven’s Brown Label is expanding its international reach, WWD reported, and is preparing to make its first entry into the U.S. department stores market, which includes distribution at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Verhoeven told WWD that the company “never wanted to go into department stores right off the bat. We wanted to start with the boutiques. Sometimes in the department stores it’s harder to succeed unless your name is starting to get known.”

To read the articles relating to this story, see:

Brown Label Readies for Expansion
Alberto VO5 Puts Sexy Spin on Old Brand
Under Armour Tests Mall Retail