Under Armour Over Nike: The Masters 2014

UGA grad Bubba Watson claimed his second title in three years in this year's Masters that concluded yesterday. Watson edged the 20 year-old American Jordan Spieth by 3 and put on the symbolic green jacket for the champion. While Bubba Watson was the star of the show and talk of the town (Especially in Athens), Jordan Spieth has risen to stardom and could become a force in marketing for companies. Jordan Spieth's clothing sponsor Under Armour was able to take center stage at the Masters due to Spieth's tremendous success. Spieth was dressed in Under Armour from head to toe, and that was more than enough to ensure Under Armour the national spotlight. On the other hand, UA's main competitor Nike was unable to garner any attention at the Masters, as its sponsored golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy respectively missed the tournament and struggled in the event. Nike spends $20 million on these two athletes annually and they did not pay dividends for the world-renown sports juggernaut. Not known for its golf apparel and considered a challenger to Nike and Adidas, Under Armour is exploring new areas to increase its brand awareness and rapidly climbing the ladder in the sports brand competition.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2014/04/13/jordan-spieths-scintillating-performance-shines-spotlight-on-under-armour-golf-at-the-masters/

Google Plus Bandwagon

Despite the quiet success of Google Plus, critics are still skeptical about the relatively new social media platform. Google Plus only has one-quarter as many global users as Facebook and Google Plus users spend significantly less time on the platform than do Facebook users. The New York Times even called Google Plus a 'ghost town.' However, Google Plus is a must-have asset, and every marketer should use Google Plus. Well... Why...?

Google Plus has more users than people think. When 60,000 U.S. adults were asked what social media platforms they use, 22% said Google Plus. That's the same percentage as Twitter and more than LinkedIn. Marketers can build a solid follower base on Google Plus. Some brands actually have more followers on Google Plus than on YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest combined. Also, Google Plus generates brand engagement just as well as Facebook. Google Plus eclipsed Twitter in terms of engagement per follower. Most social media platforms allow you to syndicate your Facebook posts to Google Plus, so less work is required to keep Google Plus running. Sooner or later, Google Plus will surpass Facebook and become the most dominant social media platform.


http://www.forbes.com/sites/forrester/2014/03/31/why-every-marketer-should-use-google-plus/