What is a Challenger Brand?
Challenger is not defined by a state of market. Simply being 2nd, 3rd or 25th in a category does not make a brand a Challenger. At eatbigfish, we believe that Challenger is a mindset. A Challenger Brand (and the team behind it) has business ambitions bigger than its conventional resources and is prepared to do something bold, often challenging the existing conventions or codes of the category, to overcome that gap and enjoy significant and sustained growth.
Challengers challenger (the clue is in the name). However, while historically, the most common narrative associated with the Challenger Brand is that of the underdog fighting the market leader, this is no longer the most prevalent or successful Challenger strategy. Today, the most compelling Challengers understand and clearly communicate what they are challenging (about the category or the customer experience, for instance), rather than who they are challenging. Think of Warby Parker challenging overpriced designer eyewear, for example, or Ella’s Kitchen in the UK challenging childhood obesity.
The ability to act as a Challenger is not restricted to new, small or niche brands. We know that brands of all sizes – whatever their category, competition, heritage or personality – can benefit from adopting a Challenger Mindset to drive more ambitious growth, progress the category and make the impact they desire. For those who want to break free from the habits and baggage of incumbency, the key is to continuously question the unspoken assumptions of the business, brand, and category, and embrace the opportunity in a distinctly different strategic approach.