Ten Commandments of Challenger Brands L: Redefine the Category Make a Powerful Statement Assume Thought Leadership Powerful Symbols & Metaphors Big Bang News Sacrifices & Choices Out Maneuver High Media Presence Idea Centered Mischievous Disruptions Author: Anisha Motwani

1. Challenger Brands
Disrupting Champions

2. Genesis
• Champions : Convention Driven
• No. 1 brands of the category
• Challengers : Disruption Driven
• Aim to dislodge the No.1

3. Children : Giant Killers
• David vs Goliath , Krishna vs Kamsa
• Ask : Why Not ?

4. Difference
• Champion : Change Averse
• Resting : Comfort Zone
• Challenger : Change Catalysts
• Restlessness : Courage Zone
• It’s not about Survival. It’s all about Thriving.

5. Challenger Brands
Classics

6. Oral Care
• Champion : Colgate
• White, chalk based toothpaste
• Family health brand : Strong Teeth
• Challenger : Close-Up
• Red, gel with mouthwash
• Young at heart consumers : Fresh breath &
white teeth

7. Colas
• Champion : Coca Cola
• Consumed by everyone in the world
• Conservative & Authoritative
• Challenger : Pepsi
• Choice of the New Generation
• Casual & Fun

8. Jeans
• Champion : Levis
• Denim Jeans
• Casual clothes
• Challenger : Diesel
• Colored Jeans
• Fashion clothing

9. Watches
• Champion : Japanese Watches
• Perfect Timekeeper
• Formal : Chrome & Glass
• Challenger : Swatch
• Fashion Accessory
• Informal : Cool & Chic

10. Lingerie
• Champion : Victoria Secret
• Conservative, Discreet, Hidden
• Coy Femininity
• Challenger : Wonder Bra
• Outspoken, Brash, Attitude
• Brazen Femininity

11. Computers
• Champion : IBM
• The Big Blue : Think
• Authoritarian, Unidimensional
• Challenger : Apple
• Lateral : Think Different
• Friendly, Simple, Versatile

12. Car Rentals
• Champion : Hertz
• Unanimous choice
• Monolith : Slow
• Challenger : Avis
• We’re No.2. We try harder.
• Small : Nimble

13. Cars
• Champion : Big 3
• Large & Ostentatious
• Fuel Guzzlers
• Challenger : Volkswagen
• Simple & Ugly
• Fast & Economical

14. Airlines
• Champion : British Airways
• Establishment : Stiff Upper Lip
• Boring & Stoic Flights
• Challenger : Virgin
• Anti-Establishment : Irreverent Brit Humor
• Inflight Entertainment

15. Channels
• Champion : Zee
• Varied Entertainment
• Predictable : Boring Soaps
• Challenger : Star Plus
• Interactive Programming : Big Names
• KBC, KGGK, KKSBKBT : Family

16. Cricket
• Champion : Test Matches
• Full Day for Five Days, No Result
• Gentlemen in Whites
• Challenger : One Dayers/20-20
• Result Oriented, Day & Night
• Colored Clothing

17. Bollywood
• Champion : Rajesh Khanna
• Prince of Romance & Emotion
• Archetypal : Good, Kind, Happy
• Challenger : Amitabh Bachchan
• Angry Young Man
• Unpredictable : Volatile & Unpretentious

18. Learning
Challengers : Disruption
• Change the conventions of the category
• Own a unique high-ground

19. Challenger Brand
The Ten Commandments

20. 1
• Redefine the Category
• Create a parallel exciting world

21. Redefine
Swatch
• From Timekeeping to Fashion
Virgin Atlantic
• From Boring Flights to In-Flight Entertainment
One Day Cricket
• From a Languorous Five Day Event to an Pulsating Day
& Night Match

22. 2
• Make a Powerful Statement
• Anchored in a passionate philosophy

23. Statement
Virgin
• Debunker of Establishment
Body Shop
• Love & Respect Nature
Wonderbra
• Brazen Femininity

24. 3
• Assume Thought Leadership
• Become the reference brand in the
category

25. Thought Leadership
Avis
• We’re No.2 . We try harder
Close-Up
• Not dad’s brand
Diesel
• Fashionable Jeans

26. 4
• Powerful Symbols & Metaphors
• Visually Striking

27. Symbols
Apple
The Hammer Girl
vs
IBM
The Stoic Big Blue
Apple
The Hammer Girl
vs
IBM
The Stoic Big Blue
Night Cricket
The Colorful Pajama Day
vs
Test Match
The Gentleman’s Game in
Stark Whites
Night Cricket
The Colorful Pajama Day
vs
Test Match
The Gentleman’s Game in
Stark Whites
Close-Up
exciting world of
opposite sexes
vs
Colgate’s
therapeutic world of
incisors, canines, molars
Close-Up
exciting world of
opposite sexes
vs
Colgate’s
therapeutic world of
incisors, canines, molars

28. 5
• Big Bang News
• Shock & Surprise the World

29. Big News
Swatch Replica : Commerzbank
Wonderbra Hoarding : Thames River
Apple 1984 : Superbowl
Pepsi : Choice of the New Generation
Amitabh Bachchan : Zanjeer
Star Plus : KBC
Swatch Replica : Commerzbank
Wonderbra Hoarding : Thames River
Apple 1984 : Superbowl
Pepsi : Choice of the New Generation
Amitabh Bachchan : Zanjeer
Star Plus : KBC

30. 6
• Sacrifice & Choices
• Focus & not dissipate resources

31. Choices
Absolut
Only Press
Absolut
Only Press
Southwestern
Airlines
Limited coverage
Southwestern
Airlines
Limited coverage
Saturn
Only 60 seconds
Saturn
Only 60 seconds

32. 7
• Out Maneuver
• Think like a Grandmaster

33. Out Maneuver
Coke
Official Sponsors of World Cup Cricket
Pepsi
Nothing Official About It
Coke
Official Sponsors of World Cup Cricket
Pepsi
Nothing Official About It
British Raj
Violent Aggression
Gandhi
Assertive Non Violence
British Raj
Violent Aggression
Gandhi
Assertive Non Violence

34. 8
• High Media Presence
• Advertising / Publicity : High Leverage
Asset

35. Memorable Campaigns
Apple : 1984
Volkswagen : Lemon
Avis : No. 2
Wonderbra : Hello Boys
Pepsi : NOAI
Star Plus : KBC
Apple : 1984
Volkswagen : Lemon
Avis : No. 2
Wonderbra : Hello Boys
Pepsi : NOAI
Star Plus : KBC

36. PR
Richard Branson
Transatlantic Flight : Bravado & Anti-Establishment
Absolut
Commissioning Artists : Helmut Newton’s Exhibition
Apple
1984 : Free Airing across networks
Body Shop
Just WOM : Animal Rights, African Culture, Women / Child Abuse
Richard Branson
Transatlantic Flight : Bravado & Anti-Establishment
Absolut
Commissioning Artists : Helmut Newton’s Exhibition
Apple
1984 : Free Airing across networks
Body Shop
Just WOM : Animal Rights, African Culture, Women / Child Abuse

37. 9
• Become Idea Centered, Not Consumer
Centered
• Delight & Surprise : Not Research Driven

38. Ideas
Virgin Airlines
Bar in the upper class
Apple
Trash can for rejects
Kerry Packer
Result oriented one-dayers
Star Plus
Crack a quiz & win a Crore
Virgin Airlines
Bar in the upper class
Apple
Trash can for rejects
Kerry Packer
Result oriented one-dayers
Star Plus
Crack a quiz & win a Crore

39. 10
• Mischievous Disruptions
• Never let the Champion Rest

40. Mischievous
Apple
The Hammer Girl
Pepsi
Nothing Official About It
Wonderbra
Hello Boys !

41. Ten Commandments
• Redefine the Category
• Make a Powerful Statement
• Assume Thought Leadership
• Powerful Symbols & Metaphors
• Big Bang News
• Sacrifices & Choices
• Out Maneuver
• High Media Presence
• Idea Centered
• Mischievous Disruptions

42. Some Principles outlined
Offensive marketing
• Find a weakness in the leaders’ strength and attack at that point.
• Launch the attack on as narrow a front as possible
Flanking marketing
• Make a move into an uncontested area
• Tactical surprise ought to be part of the plan
• The pursuit is as important as the attack itself
• Flanking can be done with low price/high price/small pack/large
pack/new distribution/new product form
• Guerrilla marketing

43. • Key to all these efforts are to redefine/create a new
paradigm in
– Audience
– Proposition- distinction in product offering
– Personality
– Price (the most common)
– Or a combination of these