A “challenger CEO” is an against-the-grain leader that prefers out-of-the-box thinking and problem solving, and is not afraid to make waves and disrupt an entire industry in order to claim their stake in the market share. In this article, we will explain how you can position yourself as a challenger CEO, and align your personal branding & brand identity with your business goals by leveraging press & media contacts, platform precision marketing, and audience engagement + incentivization.
What is a “Challenger CEO”?
By our own definition, a challenger CEO is a leader that is not afraid of adversity and won’t be deterred by those who’d otherwise seek to silence their voice. Challenger CEO’s are entrepreneurs, coaches, gurus, trainers, business owners, and leaders who stray off of the beaten path and prefer to create their own traditions rather than copy the processes of their predecessors.
They are not followers, but leaders.
This is an important distinction because as a challenger CEO, you will often find yourself in the minority. And while this can be difficult, it’s also what makes the journey so exhilarating and rewarding.
Example: Elon Musk | Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink
Elon Musk is a challenger CEO who’s not new to the game. He’s the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, and he’s made a name for himself by being an industry disruptor in a multitude of sectors, including industrial manufacturing, robotics, aerospace, intelligence, data, and transportation.
Musk’s companies are all built around a central theme: innovation. And this is what makes him a challenger CEO; he’s not afraid to challenge the status quo, even if it means going up against some of the biggest names in business.
Example: Tina Sharkey | Brandless, PBS
Tina Sharkey is another great example of a challenger CEO. As the founder of Brandless, and an instrumental board member for PBS, she’s been instrumental in shaping the way we view branding, e-commerce, and digital media.
What separates Sharkey from other leaders in her field is her willingness to experiment and take risks. She’s not afraid to try new things, even if that means disrupting a traditionally stale industry.
What makes a Challenger Brand?
Challenger brands are brands that go against the grain, disrupt the status quo, and make waves. They are not afraid to make waves or take risks, and this is what sets them apart from the competition.
Importantly, challenger brands always have a point of view. They don’t just follow the pack – they lead it. And they do this in a number of unique ways, including leveraging bold press releases, trending influencer marketing campaigns, and audience engagement and incentivization. Challenger brands are not afraid to explore new platforms and channels, and always make room for experimentation in order to find new and better ways to reach their target market.
Example: Dollar Shave Club.
The Dollar Shave Club is a perfect example of a challenger brand. When they first launched in 2011, their goal was to disrupt the shaving industry by offering high-quality razors at a fraction of the cost of traditional brands, which at the time was dominated by Gillette.
Dollar Shave Club was successful in doing this, and not only did they change the way people shave, but they also changed the way people think about shaving products – and marketing. They showed that it’s possible to create a challenger brand that can compete with the “big boys”, and in doing so, they set the standard for other challenger brands to follow.
Their messaging is bold (i.e. “f*cking great blades”), their advertising strategy is unique and still copied to this day. They’ve made this list because they made a lasting mark on brand strategy that sets a perfect example of what similar eCommerce brands should strive to emulate.
How to align your personal brand with your business goals.
When you’re a challenger CEO, it’s important that your personal brand & brand identity are aligned with your business goals. This will help you to attract the right customers, partners, and investors, and give you the credibility you need to succeed. In business, credibility is key.
At Revved Digital, we recommend selecting 1-2 platforms for starters and hitting them hard & fast. Here’s how to do that:
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Selecting the channels that align most with your brand.
Think about what kind of person you are. Are you bold? Do you like to speak in front of a camera, or are you more comfortable behind the scenes? Do you drive a sports car to work every morning, or are working from home in your pajamas 4x a week?
Now, think about your business. Who is your ideal buyer? Where are they spending their time, and how? What type of product or service are you providing – a necessity, a commodity, a luxury?
These are all questions you need to ask yourself before you can identify channels that are most in line with your challenger brand.
Podcasts: Getting the most out of your voice.
Podcasts have been around for over a decade, and they’re not going away any time soon. In fact, they’re growing in popularity at an alarming rate, and for good reason – they’re a great way to connect with potential customers and partners.
According to a recent survey by Edison Research, 43% of Americans over the age of 12 have listened to a podcast in the last month. Consider that more than 38% of people who listen to podcasts state that they’ve purchased a product or service recommended during that podcast, and that the average household income of 45% of U.S. podcast listeners is above $250,000 per year, and you have yourself a pretty ripe audience to market to.
Instagram:
Unlike podcasts, Instagram is a visual platform. This means that the content you post should be high-quality and eye-catching, as it will be competing with a lot of other noise.
That said, Instagram is a great way to connect with potential customers and partners who are already active on the platform. According to Statista, there are over 1 billion active monthly users on Instagram.
Right now, Instagram’s “reels” is dominating both B2B and B2C organic reach by an incredible margin, and it’s not difficult to see why. Ever since TikTok took off, and before them, Vine, video content has seen an uptick in popularity. There’s plenty of speculation as to why that is, with a popular theory being the decreasing attention span of the average adult, but regardless of the reason, it’s something you should be taking advantage of.
Twitter:
Twitter is often overlooked as a “meme” platform, where things move too fast to be effective. However, Twitter can be a great way to connect with potential customers and partners who are looking for breaking news and insights.
According to Twitter, there are over 330 million active monthly users on the platform. That’s a lot of potential eyes and ears that you could be reaching out to.
Community building efforts on Twitter should be two-fold: first, you should be sharing your content and insights; secondly, you should be engaging with others in your industry. This will help to build relationships and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
TikTok:
Like Instagram’s “reels” content type, TikTok is dominated by video content. However, the app is geared more towards younger Gen Z users, with the average user being around 18 years old.
That said, TikTok can be a great way to connect with potential customers and partners who are looking for something different. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, there are over 1 billion active monthly users on TikTok.
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn has seen somewhat of a decline in popularity recently (mostly due to cold outreach automations and bots), with Statista reporting that the platform has lost around 13 million users in the past two years. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time.
LinkedIn is still a great way to connect with potential B2B customers, investors, and partners who are looking for business insights and news.
Facebook:
Facebook pages are no longer the cash crop they once were, but there’s a new mayor in town: Facebook Groups.
According to Facebook, there are over two billion active monthly users on the platform, and of those users, over a billion are active in groups. That’s a lot of potential customers and partners that you could be reaching out to. Building a community of engaged followers on Facebook by creating and marketing to a group on the platform is a great way to create an echo chamber of dedicated followers.
Directories & Forums:
Finally, directories and forums like Reddit, Product Hunt, and Growth Hackers can be a great way to connect with potential customers and partners who are looking for insights and advice.
Each of these platforms have their own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to tailor your content and approach accordingly. However, if you’re willing to put in the effort, each of them can be an incredibly valuable resource.
Have a good PR and marketing plan in place from day one.
Knowing all of this information is one thing, but implementing it is a completely different monster. As a challenger CEO, you need to have a good PR and marketing plan in place from day one.
Your PR and marketing efforts should be two-fold: first, you should be reaching out to traditional media outlets and building relationships with journalists; secondly, you should be creating content that is geared towards your target audience. Your content marketing needs to be high quality and engaging if you want to stand out from the noise.
Don’t be a deer in headlights – take action immediately.
At Revved Digital, we specialize in analyzing and improving personal and business brands, developing a niche takeover campaign, and then executing that strategy over 10, 12, and 18+ month campaigns. Unless you have an insourced PR and marketing team with the same experience and expertise we do, you’ll likely need help.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry – you’re not alone. If becoming a niche celebrity/household brand/thought leader was easy, then you & all of your friends would already have 200k+ followers on Instagram and be TEDx speakers.
But don’t be a deer in headlights – take action immediately.
Reach out to us and we’ll be happy to chat about how we can help you develop and execute a successful PR and marketing campaign.
