Silver tongued and fleet of foot, these agile scamps typify all that is great and good about the modern age of digital, commerce and quite often, digital commerce. Whilst many of our household names have been relegated to the role of the Fisher King, unwilling or unable to react to a changing environment, challenger brands fight day in and day out to avoid this same cruel fate.
Because challenger brands are without the crutch of historical success unto which they can lean, they must work just that little bit harder. It is this creed that is often the deciding factor in endearing them to their customers - and rightly so.
The challenger brands of today do just that, they challenge. They go a lot further than just answering a simple human need. This offers the customer a welcome break from feeling ever so slightly empty inside after making a routine purchase from a capacious market leader.
Challenger brands take differentiation, add credibility and then make it relevant.
The good news is that challenger brands, in their various forms, are abundant right here in the UK.
Take for example, the good folk at Brewdog – they are driving a craft beer revolution and grabbing some of the industry Behemoth’s by the horns. Yeah, Brewdog do shake it up a bit (the drinks industry, not the beer) but this can ultimately only mean good things, both for those who imbibe and for those that abstain. It means that the same tried, mediocre offering that market leaders have been spoon feeding customers for years is no longer matching expectation.
Long may the challenger brands grow, multiply and inspire.
Long may the challenger brands provide us with amazing content, the real content that resonates and includes. Long may the challenger brands be at the forefront of every digital advance and be rewarded for both their agility and guile.
And for goodness sake, let there be a day when using a drumming gorilla to flog chocolate is treated with the respect it deserves, precious little.
