Why challenger brands win (even against giants)

This newsletter comes from the hosts of The Marketing Architects, a research-first show answering your biggest marketing questions. Find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts!

 

This week, we're exploring how to market like a challenger brand with Chuck Hengel, founder of Marketing Architects. Not every brand is a category leader, but any brand can outperform competitors by adopting challenger principles. 

—Elena  

 

Challenger brands generate growth through bold moves that build long-term value.    

Peter Field's research shows challenger thinking isn't a niche strategy—it's how brands grow. His analysis reveals that successful challenger brands build emotional connections and focus beyond quick wins to create lasting market momentum. 

 

Challenger thinking drives growth.            

Our conversation with Chuck revealed several key principles behind challenger brand success, drawing on his experience developing and selling one-of-a-kind products, the HurryCane and Stuffies. 

1. Collaborate across departments. When marketing works alongside product development, customer service, and finance, breakthroughs happen. The HurryCane’s ability to stand alone came from marketing insight that transformed product design.
2. Talk to real customers. Chuck learned early that few marketers actually speak directly with customers. Both the HurryCane and Stuffies succeeded because the team understood emotional needs beyond functional benefits. 
3. Broaden your audience reach. The HurryCane struggled initially when targeting only seniors. Success exploded when they realized buying a cane involves a family conversation. Similarly, Stuffies found unexpected success with grandparents rather than just targeting children. 
4. Create distinctive brand assets. From jingles to product features, challenger brands need immediately recognizable elements. Chuck calls this "smashable branding"—like how you'd recognize a Coke bottle even from a small fragment. 
5. Prioritize mental and physical availability. The HurryCane created demand through TV advertising when digital channels struggled. And Stuffies secured prime retail placement to ensure products were easy to find once awareness grew.

Listen in on our discussion.

 

“Challenger thinking is how brands drive growth: Peter Field on 20 years of challenger brands”   

Peter Field's research reveals challenger strategies aren't just for underdogs—they're the foundation of all brand growth. The article challenges short-term metrics and explains why emotional connections drive sustainable success. 

Read the article. 

 

 

Marketing is everyone’s job.          

“Marketing is not a department, it's the whole business seen from the customer's point of view." 

— Peter Drucker, management consultant and author