Challenger brands are, by their nature, kicking against something
Usually placing consumer needs at the heart of their product to disrupt a market. Yet, what does a challenger brand even mean anymore, when huge organisations dominate the tech market? When plunging living standards and violent unrest in the UK create complex consumer needs? And what tech platforms are thinking bigger than where the next eyeball is?
In other times, ‘differently’ might mean a killer use of new technology or an ethos that disrupts an industry. Frankly right now, I think it means something a lot more grounded. I think that differently means useful. UK consumers have been pulled in many different directions over the last few years, many of them negative. More than 1 in 5 people in the UK were in poverty in 2021/22 according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and even for those not in dire need, expendable income is falling. This is a marketing article, not a charity one, but these figures are relevant when we think about the role that brands need to play in people’s lives.
So, this article went from being about innovation to being about empathy. Just as brands from John Lewis to Burberry stepped up during the pandemic, we need brands to consider the knotty problems facing people right now and put their needs first. The world needs brands, and right now, brands need to be doing things the world needs. I believe that starts with listening. Useful brands are an antidote to smug sustainability campaigns, and unlike purpose campaigns, they lead with the solution, not a marketing cry for attention. Boasts about how much carbon you’ve saved are not going to cut it when your consumers are struggling to pay the bills. A slick advert backed up with no action will jar when those consumers are doing without, making the extra effort to budget or scrimp on helpful services to get by.
Useful brands solve problems: not just the mundane of today, but also the bigger ones of tomorrow. They help us to understand change, and they understand that consumer trust is a two-way street. They’re loyal to existing customers as well as trying to attract new ones. Not afraid to invest in their communities, when it’s clear that there’s a real need. Above all, useful brands are building bridges, changing narratives, and creating a sense that change is possible.
So, here are a few that I think are getting it right.
Creating jobs fit for the future
Energy brands have to get ahead of the useful brands trend. They’re at the forefront of a new energy transition which will involve people changing the technologies they use to heat their homes, see wind turbines and pylons appear, and which will ultimately change the way we power the UK for the good. This is all against a backdrop of scepticism and misinformation in some cases. However, brands such as Conscious Advertising Network member SSE are going the extra mile. They’re investing in the transformation and shouting about all the good it’s going to bring people and customers — new jobs being one of the benefits front and centre.
They’re using YouTube and podcasts to break down these big issues for people from investors to customers, and, by taking the CAN manifestos into account when they buy media, they’re ensuring they invest in quality reporting on important topics, as well as avoiding advertising in places which are fraudulent, or peddling misinformation.
Supporting arts and culture, and showcasing new talent
Arts and culture funding has been slashed, to the point where many people are excluded from even considering it as a life choice. Supermalt is a brand that’s community-driven. It exists to fuel the Afro-Caribbean culture, spirit, and joy for life. The brand has gone from loved home staple, to culturally relevant in 2024 through investing in its customer base. For example, for London Fashion Week, the brand created Supermalt Fashion Showcase at Blackall Studios in East London featuring local African influenced and Caribbean designers, and the brand champion Black British creativity and events through their media and sponsorships.
For true useful brand status, I’d like to see them reporting on the impact those investments are making.
Making social media more personal
Recent events have shown us in sharp relief what happens if social media platforms don’t get a handle on hate and misinformation. Snapchat is not perfect, but its decentralised model means that they’re a platform that facilitates small, personal social networks, as opposed to being beholden to large influencers and attention at scale. Their focus on privacy and their willingness to adapt their policies and enforcement quickly when issues arise is in contrast to others, and shows us that the social media platforms of the future don’t need to be competing in an outrage economy.
None of these brands are traditional ‘challenger brands’, but all of them are choosing to be useful. Investing in people and showing up for their customer base when it matters. Building their brands in times of crisis by creating the kind of connections that last. It’s time for brands to start listening to people.
Right now, people don’t need telling to boil their kettles at 80 degrees. Or that AI can solve climate change, or that they can recycle their can of sugar water after use. They have real problems, that require real attention. The brands that lean into supporting their customers and create genuine solutions will be the ones with cultural significance for a long time.
Featured image: Supermalt.com