Challenging the Status Quo

Top 5 challenger brand marketing case studies of our times

Mini Cooper1

As a challenger brand, Mini lacked the larger budgets of its competitors. To reach its audience, the brand needed to think and act smarter.

In 2010, Mini issued a formal race challenge to Porsche. This was launched via a full page ad in the New York Times...

and a 2-week campaign promoted via social media and viral videos.The brand’s Facebook page was the main engagement platform,

inviting consumers to play along.

The results were phenomenal. Mini generated over 3.3 million impressions to its Facebook page, with over 300,000 people watched the videos.

3.3mimpressions

Avis2

Prior to 1962, Avis spent 13 years in the red. To turn the business around, ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (now DDB) were hired.

The agency embraced the 2nd place status and created the “We Try Harder” ads complimented with bold headlines like “When you’re only no.2, you try harder. Or else”

Within a year of the campaign, Avis went from $3.2m loss to earning $1.2m profit. This was the first time it had been profitable in more than a decade.

1.2mProfit

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Pepsi3

Pepsi is the prototype of a strategic challenger brandIn 1975, when the Pepsi Challenge was launched, the brand literally took the idea of a challenger brand to the public.

Blind taste tests were televised as ads, featuring people sipping two colas and deciding which they liked better. To Coke’s surprise, Pepsi won. It was an embarrassing loss for the cola giant.

That, coupled with declining store sales, contributed to Coke’s market share to slide

(just 23% by 1983). Over the years, Coke had to spend millions to climb back to the top.

Today, the Cola Wars are still well alive between Pepsi and Coke, with Pepsi continuing to challenge the cola giant in its marketing.

Nando’s4

Nando’s is renowned as one of the cheekiest challenger brands worldwide.

With smaller budget, the brand creates cut-through with its humorous, cheeky advertising.

Nando’s advertising also tackles issues of the day in an irreverent, humorous way.

This clever and consistent advertising has allowed the brand grow rapidly worldwide.

Today, Nando’s is considered South Africa’s most famous food export.

Volkswagen5

In the 1950’s, Volkswagen was competing in a market where cars were fashion statements, testosterone boosters, muscles on wheels.

But the Beetle was anything but. It was named after a bug, known for

being slow and manufactured in factories built by Nazis.

So what chance did the brand have?

To breakthrough, the brand remained honest, boldly so.They completely destroyed the status quo for automobile ads by launching the revolutionary “Think Small” campaign.

The campaign was considered exceedingly successful – immediately boosting sales, built a lifetime of brand loyalty, and...

was ranked as the best advertising campaign of the 20th century.

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