• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 20, 2010

Kris Zimmerman, a marketing analyst at Under Armour, says the company is trying to refashion its image as an apparel provider for muscled, well-shaped, “sweaty� athletes. And it’s increasingly targeting the “young competitor,� and his or her parents.

“It’s the aspiring athlete … not quite as burly anymore,� she said on a panel at MediaPost’s Email Insider Summit.

Baltimore-based Under Armour has redesigned the look and feel of its emails, partly to advance the new image. Zimmerman said the company began emphasizing email marketing as a customer retention tool about three years ago and recently invested in building new templates for its emails.

“It was getting a little boring and a little stagnant, so we decided to mix it up,� she said.

A new design allows better showcasing of products and cuts down on copy, while allowing a person to forward a message to a Facebook or Twitter page. Also new is a bright header that touts free shipping (Under Armour does not do discounting).

Zimmerman said the company also plans to launch email newsletters in June featuring training tips and nutrition advice from its stable of professional athlete endorsers, such as Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters.

Also, a mobile site is coming since historically its emails have looked unimpressive on BlackBerry devices, she said.