One of the qualities that many Challengers share is the ability to give a sense of the people behind their brand. These brands appeal to us at a more personal level than the market leader because they are making a human-to-human connection, rather than a brand-to-consumer connection, and as a result these brands become not just products or services but compelling characters in our lives. Challenging the facelessness of the category. Think innocent in the UK, or Sam Adams in the US.
Media behaviour: Communicate your ‘most important assets’ (your people) via Owned channels to catalyse the sense that this company is about people. But do it authentically. Start from the inside. Give them a rallying-call and then get them empowered via social media to engage with people. Seek to surprise and delight – and then tell the world about it.
You bring your real personality to work every morning, while others hang theirs at the door. Strong on emotional connection, inside and outside your teams - openness, honesty, and a high touch, handwritten feel characterize your leadership of brands as well as your attitude to life. You challenge facelessness and impersonality in your own organization and those you touch: in your view who you are, and who they are, makes a fundamental difference. To everything.