THE ULTIMATE.

Since I entered this competition, I have received an overwhelming amount of support from friends, family, and strangers alike. Before I say goodnight, allow me to share with you some highlights of the support I received via Twitter recently!

From the Northwestern Community:
- Popular Northwestern Sports blog RiseNU (and a proud alumni!)

- The Northwestern Student Section itself (winners of the #B1G Home Court challenge!)

- Alumni Pete Dirksen, owner of SalesForce!

- Alumni Jenny Fukumoto, marketing manager at Ragan Communications

From some inspiring athletes:
- Kurtis Drummond, Safety for the Michigan State Spartans football team

- Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Former 1st Team All-Big Ten WR at The U of Iowa and current WR for the Montreal Alouettes

From news outlets:
- Sarah Lauch, the Emmy-Winning On-Air Production Manager for Comcast SportsNet Chicago

- Northwestern News Network, the exclusive student TV news station

From the FabFive:
- who tweeted a link to UA’s Brandon Jennings basketball video to nearly 20,000 followers as well!

And of course, just a few highlights from my close friends :)

This is yet another reason I love this competition and have enjoyed my time in it immensely- it has made me realize how truly blessed I am to have the support system that I do.

Once again, thank you, Under Armour, for providing us all with such an amazing opportunity. Looking back through my work, I am proud, and confident that I have portrayed myself accurately:
I want this SO bad. I know I have what it takes to join this fast-paced and innovative company, and help it continue to evolve and out-do itself. I have what it takes to live and breathe Under Armour. Now let me show you.

Thanks for following along, and good luck to all of the competitors!

Peace, love, & Under Armour
- Dayana

The world of marketing is one that is evolving quickly. Traditional marketing concepts have been traded in for new and innovative strategies, and social media is the main reason for this. It’s no secret that we are in a revolution, and in order to keep up, companies have to hire new and fresh talent. These employees must have the knowledge of traditional marketing, paired with innovation and an awareness of where the world of marketing is headed.

Between my studies and my exposure to real-world marketing via numerous internships, I have accumulated almost three years of traditional marketing knowledge. However, something that comes naturally to me is knowledge of social media, and how to use and incorporate it in creative and innovative ways.

To prove this to you, I’d like to share some highlights from the support I garnered over the last few days via social media!

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As I mentioned in a previous post, my past weekend was spent with my team, duking it out with the best for a shot at a conference title. After we snagged the gold, I was able to launch my Facebook fan page on Monday night. Knowing that many competitors had  their pages up for a few days now, and I had to rally.

Within 24 hours of putting up the page, I had surpassed 200 likes. I continued posting my page for my friends to like, but used various marketing strategies as well. For example, I employed the use of LinkedIn Groups to raise awareness. By sharing the link with groups such as “NCAA Athletes in the Workplace,” I was able to gain new ‘likes’ and extend my network.

It has now not even been 48 hours, and I’ve surpassed the 300 Like mark with no signs of stopping. To be honest, I wanted to make a post about my Facebook page earlier, but the count kept rising and I wanted to catch it at it’s highest!

As a marketing strategist, knowledge of successful networking strategies and social media is imperative. Not only do I have real-life extensive experience with this, but I also have a natural knack for it.

We are in in the middle of a revolution, and to keep up, you have to stay ahead.

Throughout this competition, I believe I’ve done a thorough job of illustrating to Under Armour why I would be the Ultimate Intern. As I stated in my cover letter, I have the drive and the skills necessary to help Under Armour continuously evolve and be the best.

With this post, I want to go a little more in-depth. 
I want to show you why I am specifically the Ultimate Intern for the Marketing Strategist position.

In my opinion, marketing is more of an art than anything else. It’s understanding your audience, having a passion for your product, and trusting your intuition. 

But marketing is also a business. I am a student studying this business, and I want to share with you just some of the technical knowledge I’ve acquired over the years through school and work experience, with some in relation to Under Armour. (I apologize for the lengthy post in advance… blame it on the nerd in me!)

Branding Strategy:
The strength of a brand can be measured by three categories:
- Awareness
- Like-ability
- Market share

Different mixes of awareness, like-ability, and market share have different implications on the branding strategy of a company. Here I have a branding strategy matrix I put together, with examples of three different combinations.

By applying this strategy, I would have to categorize Under Armour as high awareness, high likeability, but low market share. However, proper marketing strategy can improve this. Here is a quote from CEO of Under Armour, Kevin Plank, from the Goldman Sachs Eighteenth Annual Global Retailing Conference in New York: It’s coming. We will take market share. And I believe that the opportunity we have is great. And I believe that the competition is very good at what they do. But I think that what we’re going to offer isn’t to say that the competition is bad, because they’re not bad, they’re actually very good at what they do. But we are going to say is that we have a different value proposition for that consumer and that they should try us. And I think we’re seeing some of that.

But how exactly is Under Armour living up to Kevin Plank’s words? Read on….

Competitive Strategy:
It is clearly important to analyze any and all competition before putting together a comprehensive marketing plan. In order to do so effectively, one must characterize the competition at an industry level. Here I have a visual I put together of the structural analysis of industries. These are the “five forces” that shape industry competition.



Next, it is important to choose a basis for competitive advantage in your industry. This concept is explained by authors Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema, and I believe it does a great job of explaining the success of market leaders.

A company has the choice of three disciplines:
- Operational Excellence
- Product Leadership
- Customer Intimacy

It is important for a company to meet expectations in two disciplines, but exceed the expectations of a third. By doing so, the company can brand itself heavily by becoming the “master” of a certain discipline and raise the bar in the industry.

It is very clear that Under Armour has already established itself as a company focused on product leadership. This is exactly how Under Armour is living up to Kevin Plank’s words. With each product, UA continues to out-do themselves and raises the status quo. For an example, we can take a look at their most recent heavily marketed item- the Under Armour Bra. The very first thing a customer becomes aware of is the bra’s unique flat seams, and the customization capabilities that set it apart from the competition.

While Under Armour is obviously a company that has operational excellence and great customer support, the quality of its products is clearly above and beyond. The company’s culture is experimental, and thinks ahead and outside of the box. By focusing its marketing on highlighting these advanced product characteristics, Under Armour gains a significant edge over its competition.

(Pictures property of UnderArmour.com)
(All diagrams property of this blog)

As I packed up my bag to head to the library again, my roommates literally tried to barricade the front door. They begged me to stay home, to just go to sleep and finally get some rest. I have truly and literally not slept a wink of sleep since Sunday night. There’s something about this competition, something about this brand, that makes me want to keep creating. When I’m not scribbling ideas in my notebook or snapping pictures with my phone, I’m rearranging the order of my next few blog posts in my head. I feel like the rest of my life has become more so going through the motions, until I can get to the next block of time I’ve set aside just for this competition. 

Regardless of the outcome on Friday, I really want to thank Under Armour for providing me with this opportunity in the first place. All my life, I have defined myself as a competitor, and getting the chance to compete for something I’m so excited about is, well…. fun.

Too often we get caught up in the monotonous responsibilities of our lives, and forget what it’s really like to be passionate about something. What it’s like to have that burning desire to constantly improve, evolve, and create. To be quite honest…

The idea of marketing for Under Armour makes me okay with never getting a wink of sleep again :)

Perhaps one of the most frustrating things for me lately has been the excitement of this competition, paired with my insanely busy schedule. If I had it my way, I would be blogging about the Ultimate Intern competition every time I get excited about it- a.k.a…. I would be blogging about it 24/7. Seriously. The other day during class, we were watching a documentary on the financial crisis, and I realized 20 minutes in that I had spent the entire time thinking about market segmentation, networking, and possible Under Armour athlete endorsements. All I can say is thank God there was no pop quiz that day.

I’m currently writing from a hotel room in the lovely city of South Bend, Indiana, home of Notre Dame’s fighting Irish. As my season begins to wind down, the most important competitions remain. This weekend, I’m competing in the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships. Tomorrow will be the individual event, where I will try to one-up my silver medal from sophomore year by claiming a title, and Sunday will be the team event. Because of this, I have to apologize in advance for what may be scarce blogging, and hope you know it is not due to a lack of commitment. Keep in mind “quality over quantity,” and stay tuned for what I have in store as soon as I’m done kicking some butt :)

Thanks!
- D

PS- My latest blog post for NUSports.com went up today!!!
For a little peak into my crazy life in season, please take a look here!

As midnight draws closer and I reflect, I believe my blog represents my accomplishments throughout life very well. However, I really do believe that it is not only these facts and figures that define a person, but rather the characteristics of my personality as well. There is a lot about me as a person that I believe makes me the next Ultimate Intern, and I would love to share these traits with you as a final post.

First of all, I’m extremely self-motivated. I don’t need to be told twice to do something, and most of the time, I don’t even need to be told once. These types of self-motivated and problem solving people are exactly who Under Armour needs to continue succeeding as such an energetic and fast-paced company.

Second, I am not afraid to be judged by a scoreboard. I’ve mentioned countless times that I am a student-athlete, and this experience has molded me into a person I am very proud of. I am not afraid to be judged by my results, and I’m not afraid to have goals and deadlines that I must meet. I know how to rededicate myself and make sure that I reach the highest possible level of my performance.

Finally, I believe I’m a great blend of a team player and a leader. I’ve learned how to work with all types of people, how to take constructive criticism, and how to bring strengths together to reach a common goal. But at the same time, I’m not afraid to put the team on my back, take initiative, and work under pressure to make sure we accomplish what we need to.

Thank you, Under Armour, for the opportunity to learn so much about myself and my peers throughout the competition. Now, I hope that I have the opportunity to continue my journey with Under Armour, and show how I can help YOU. 

- Dayana

The summer before my Junior year, I worked in the Chicago offices of Locallife - “Locallife is the place to come for all that’s local - with listings, maps & directions, special offers, websites and much more to help you make those all-important local decisions.” Not only does Locallife Chicago serve as an interactive city directory, but is also a pioneer in today’s “daily deal” market. Due to its multi-faceted nature, I was able to gain experience not only in marketing, but in many complimentary aspects of business as well. I worked first-hand with the company’s sales team, managed the company’s micro-sites and directories, and aided in customer service and satisfaction.

Most importantly, after I completed initial training, I was given the reigns to the company’s social media marketing. By implementing Hootsuite, I managed the company’s Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress blog. My responsibilities included understanding the various neighborhoods of Chicago, conducting market research, and deciding how to schedule the company’s daily deal offers. 

Working for Locallife Chicago was by far the most intensive work experience I’ve had. Meeting deadlines, understanding new marketing concepts, and working alongside such a fast-paced and advanced team pushed me to new levels of productivity and innovation. I’m ecstatic that the owner of the company personally asked me to come back and work a second internship with the company because he was impressed with the work I completed during the duration of the summer. I love the company and all of its employees, and am extremely thankful for everything I experienced and learned during my time there!

It was the summer after my freshmen year of college. Most of my peers were working local summer jobs, taking summer classes, or simply enjoying their time off with friends and family. And in the beginning, these were activities that I was looking forward to myself. However, after a week or two back home in Michigan, I immediately became restless. I knew that I was young, and that it was more typical for students to find internships later in their college career, but I hated the idea of wasting an entire summer when I could be out learning and creating things I was truly passionate about.

I contacted Eric Englebarts II, the Event Manager at the West Michigan Sports Commission, and scheduled a time to come into the offices. After a tour of the building and an interview, I convinced him to take me on as an intern for the remainder of the summer. 

During my time there, I communicated and assisted with events such as:
- The Annual Midwest Mountain Bike Summit
- The International Mountain Bicycling Association’s 2012 World Summit
- The 2010 Wake Wars at the B.O.B.




As an intern for the West Michigan Sports Commission, I gained invaluable experience while aiding with marketing, communication, and event coordination. Not only did this inspire me to continue working and studying in the world of marketing, but it also gave me an amazing first-hand look at what it takes to work in the sports business world.