[Developing a sustainable brand takes much more than the efforts of a single visionary. It takes a team of visionaries. To paraphrase author Jim Collins (Good to Great) it’s not only about putting the right people on the bus with you but ensuring they’re also in the right seats.
In light of our beloved San Francisco Giants first SF world series victory, we prefer the corresponding baseball analogy – don’t ask your MVP catcher to play shortstop. Challenger Brands know they have to field the right team filling the positions for which they are best suited if the brand is to really challenge.
Challenger Brands also recognize they don’t necessarily have to field a team of all-stars. Just having dedicated people in the right positions who share the vision will usually produce greater results than a team of potential prima donnas. But once they have assembled the best team possible, Challenger Brands realize they have to empower that team to become stewards of the brand within their respective areas of responsibility. And Challenger Brands also realize that once the team is assembled it is important to get out of the way and trust the team players to do what they do best. Then, in the immortal words of the late President, Ronald Reagan, leaders of Challenger Brands need to simply continue to “trust but verify.” Are you a Challenger Brand?
