are you a challenger brand?

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Are You a Challenger Brand?

How to Tell if Your Brand is Readyto Take on the Market

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How to Tell if You’re a Challenger Brand

Do any of these characteristics fit you or your organization? Aggressive/Determined Possessed with Intensity/Confidence Maverick/Risk-Takers/Bold Intrusive & Unapologetic Self-Aware Thought Leader In a Hurry Evokes Emotions Keen to Fund Marketing and Public Relations Efforts to Move Your Brand

Ahead

Source: Eating the Big Fish, Adam Morgan, 2009

If you’ve checked offat least 50% of this list,

chances are you are(or work for)

a Challenger Brand!

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Describing the Challenger Brand Mentality• Challenger Brands share these attributes:– State of Market: They’re not the #1 brand and not a niche

player– State of Mind: They have ambitions that exceed their

conventional marketing resources– Rate of Success: They are succeeding, not merely ambitious or

arrogant• Challenger Brands understand that:– The market leader is already top of mind.– They can’t outspend the leader. The best chance they have to

gain share is by being the mindshare leader.– To win mindshare takes thought leadership.


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The 8 Credos of Successful Challenger Brands

1. Intelligent Naivety2. Lighthouse Identity3. Thought Leadership4. Symbols of Re-Evaluation5. Sacrifice6. Over commitment7. Communications, Publicity and Social Culture8. Become Idea-Centered, Not Consumer-Centered


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#1 – Intelligent Naivety • Challenger Brands intentionally divorce themselves from

their assumptions about the category in which they compete• It is imperative for Challenger Brands to find a new

criterion for defining value in the category


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#1 – Intelligent Naivety (cont.)• Challenger brands typically reject:– Some fundamental dimension or driver of the category– Some aspect of the way the consumer shops for or experiences

their product– The culture surrounding their category– Some broader aspect of contemporary culture– Some dimension or quality of the Market Leader


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#2 – Lighthouse Identity• Challenger Brands develop a very clear sense of who they

are and what they stand for…and then project that identity so intensely that the consumer is forced to notice them• These “Lighthouse” brands proudly tell consumers where

they stand in strong, emotional terms• Challenger Brands over-engineer their products, offering

the consumer dramatically superior performance on some dimension (e.g. price, durability)• A Lighthouse Identity defines not only the brand but also

what business the brand is really in


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#3 – Thought Leadership• Thought leaders challenge one of the conventions that

surround their category:

• They must educate consumers to think that there is a whole new criterion for choice in the market other than those established by the Market Leader


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#4 – Symbols of Re-Evaluation• Challenger Brands are in a hurry! They must act swiftly

and powerfully to puncture the consumer’s autopilot and create re-apprasial of themselves.• Bold, impactful acts or marketing ideas

capture the indifferent consumer’simagination and bring about rapidre-evaluation of their role in theconsumer’s life• Startling juxtapositions that prompt consumers to sit up

and rethink some of their assumptions


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#5 - Sacrifice• Challenger Brands make sacrifices that stand out because

they are single-minded• All secondary and tertiary targets are sacrificed in favor of

their one strategy; these actions or behaviors will often leave other challengers behind


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#6 – Over commitment• Challenger Brands over commit because they have to.• Their decision to sacrifice makes success in their one

chose area imperative.• Challenger Brands think about barriers and actively

remove them before they occur.


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#7 – Communications, Publicity & Social Culture

• Challenger Brands leverage communication, bold advertising and publicity to appeal to consumers’ broader social needs.• Challengers enjoy strong folklore— either

at an iconic level through the brand’sadvertising & marketing, or as a referencein popular culture and word of mouth.• Social salience allows a Challenger Brand

to punch above its media weight.


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#8 – Become Idea-Centered, Not Consumer-Centered

• Challengers maintain momentum because it returns sales and revenues and gives the perception the Challenger is making a run in the category• Challenger Brands can never afford to be static!


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What’s Next?

Do you think you’re a Challenger Brand?

Hire the experienced digital agencythat understands your unique position.

Call us at (410) 942-0488,or email [email protected]

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are you a challenger brand?

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