UNDER ARMORE In his days as a University of Maryland football player, Kevin Plank had been dissatisfied with cotton T-shirts that retained water and became heavy during practice. Under Armour was born when, with$500 and several yards of coat lining, Plank worked with a local tailor to create seven prototypes of snug-fitting T-shirt that absorbed perspiration and kept athletes dry. With a focus on performance and authenticity and backed by intense,in-your-face advertising, the brand quickly became a favorite at high shools,colleges,and universities, later introducing a wide range of athletic apparel as well as football cleats, basketball shoes, and running shoes. By 2009, it was squarely in compettion with formidable opponent Nike and Adidas. A traditionally male-oriented brand, Under Armor soon rec-ognized the value of a new target demographic-women.Not wanting to fall back on a “shrink it and pink it” approach,the company united its marketing, product design,and consumer insights departments to develop focused solutions for women.The fully integrated “What’s Beautiful” media campaign-with its tagline urging women to ”No Matter What,Sweat Every Day”-and the success of its footwear lines have helped the women’s division become the fastest-growing Under Armour business. The company is also looking to expand internationally,focusing initially on Europe and Latin America.While Nike and Adidas both generate about60 percent of their revenue outside their home regions,Under Armour generates only6 percent outside North America, with very little of that in fast-growing emerging markets like India,China,and Brazil.