A conversation with Brand Protection Director at Under Armour

Last updated on: June 8, 2022

Under Armour is one of the largest and most reputable athletic brands worldwide. According to Statista, in 2019 the company ranked among the top 4 athletics brands with the most global sales. 

As part of Red Points’ Brand Protection Heroes podcast, we’ve spoken to John Carriero, Brand Protection Director at Under Armour. Want to discover the Brand Protection Hero behind Under Armour’s intellectual property efforts? 

Head over to our podcast, Heroes of Brand Protection, for the full interview, or continue reading this article for a sneak peek into his journey.

Key takeaways:

• Under Armour’s business overview. 
• Challenges faced as a Brand Protection Director. 
• Advice for budding Brand Protection professionals.

The following is part of the transcript of Heroes of Brand Protection Podcast, Episode 1 featuring a conversation between John Carriero and Daniel Shapiro, Red Points VP of Brand Relationships.

Q stands for questions from Daniel Shapiro.

Q: For those that may not know about your business, can you give a brief overview?

John:

Under Armour sells premier products, we’re number three or number four in the world as far as sports apparel and footwear. We look at ourselves as performance sports gear, and our goal is to empower all athletes at every level. We say at Under Armor we make athletes better, and it’s whatever their better is: faster, stronger, more endurance, jump higher, etc. It’s not just for the professional athletes it’s for every athlete. 

Q: What’s the hardest thing you have to do as a Brand Protection Director?

John:

Being a Brand Protection Director isn’t hard, we just have to be persistent and have a strategy. As far as challenges, it would probably have to be with personel: either hiring the right people or parting ways with people who don’t subscribe to your process or aren’t good for the team. Keeping in mind the team and the dynamics when bringing on new folks is critical. 

Q: What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a career similar to yours?

John:

I’d give the same advice I give myself almost every week: be patient. After that, know what your goal is and don’t give up on it, just continue to pursue it. I was fortunate early on, I knew I wanted to become a Brand Protection Specialist. It’s also important to recognize the opportunities, they’re not always crystal clear. Don’t chase money, pursue opportunities and challenges instead. Once you take the opportunity, be willing to work for it.