What do Apple, HEMA and RouteMobiel have in common? They are not market leaders and nevertheless they are top brands. They are the leading brands in the market segments that they have chosen for themselves. They were rebellious underdogs that successfully challenged the market leaders. They are ‘challenger brands’.

Bolts United challenges strong brands to become challenger brands, to wear down the market leaders, using an unconventional, provocative approach.

To be a successful challenger brand, your organisation must be saturated with a challenger mentality. To begin with, you must differentiate from the market leader with a product that is slightly different, better or smarter. Such as Apple’s iMac, iPhone or iPad.

A successful challenger is an inspiring beacon that stands out inconspicuously. It has a distinctive identity that appeals emotionally to consumers. Saab enthusiasts were moved to tears when the car manufacturer threatened to go bankrupt. And when the company was rescued, they shed tears of joy. That’s how strongly Saab drivers identify with ‘their’ brand.

A challenger runs ahead of established brands. It frequently comes up in conversations, just as HEMA’s acclaimed kettles and iconic sausages are popular small talk topics.

The challenger mentality arouses consumers and rocks their soothing habits. That’s the mentality that fuelled The Body Shop to bring us alternative, animal-friendly cosmetics.

A challenger can be an underdog with modest resources that needs to decide what nót to do and to fully apply itself to what remains to be done. It brings sacrifices and will not be led astray. Route Mobiel challenged the ANWB by vigorously pursuing one simple service. No magazines, no travel agency, no insurances, just straightforward discounted roadside assistance.

Challenger brands communicate rather than advertise. They listen as well as they speak. They have true dialogues with their customers, they encourage and motivate them. They tell stories that want to be heard. They are sensitive to how their audience responds. In 2005, Dell Computers nearly perished because it was deaf and blind to user complaints. It quickened as soon as it took its customers seriously again.

Bolts United applies these principles to its own business while helping their clients to become successful challenger brands. It challenges its clients with refreshing ideas, outside the box. It does so in a team spirit, together wíth the client, with a no cure, no pay agreement. Bolts United helps brands to build a strong personal identity, to stand apart from the market leader, to seize opportunities and circumstances that competitors ignore.

Berend Jan Beugel
Member of Bolts United