Think your brand might be a little tired, somewhat stale, too 2-dimensional? Need a shot of marketing adrenaline, a double brand espresso, some positioning glucuronolactone? Perhaps you need to bring your brand to life. A customized, branded, professional, bigger-than-life mascot might be just the tactic to give your marketing plan an energy boost.

When Michelangelo carved his iconic statue of David, people would ask him how he created such a masterpiece. The Italian Renaissance artist would respond, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Challenger Brands often face a similar dilemma in defining their brand essence, which may not be so superficial and require some unearthing to truly set free.

If you’ve been following Gumas for any amount of time, you are no doubt familiar with our use of the 900 lb. Gorilla as the iconic representation of our clients’ competitors. In our world, the Gorilla has all the money, all the brand awareness, all the distribution power – all the things we want for our own brands, but lack equivalent resources to achieve.

In a recent new business meeting with a prospective client, a classic Challenger Brand, we asked the CEO what were their company’s corporate colors. With a saddened, but resolute look, the CEO earnestly said, “I have no earthly idea.” We responded by saying, “You’ve known us now for about 20-minutes; what are our corporate colors?”“Red and yellow,” he said immediately and somewhat defeatedly.

Blogging is one of the most valuable tools that Challenger Brands have to engage with customers and ultimately build credibility. If you’re not blogging, it’s time to get started.