- PR
Winning Attention: What Challenger Brands Needs To Know
When it comes to earning column inches, challenger brands can sometimes feel they are competing for attention in a crowded FMCG landscape. Established FMCG businesses benefit from scale, long-standing media relationships and wide distribution, while smaller brands may still be building awareness or working towards their first major listings.
But with the right media strategy, challenger brands can stand shoulder to shoulder with much larger players. In fact, being a challenger brings several distinct advantages when it comes to securing coverage.
Here are three reasons why being a David can be a real strength in the FMCG industry.
- Agility can help win media attention
Challenger brands have lean teams and fewer layers of sign-off, they can respond quickly when news breaks. That agility is hugely valuable to journalists working to tight deadlines.
Whether it’s offering a same-day comment on a government announcement or suggesting a timely opinion piece for the next issue, speed matters. Being available, informed and decisive helps build trust with journalists – and positions your brand as a go-to source.
- Innovation can drive extensive media engagement
Many of the biggest FMCG trends start with smaller, entrepreneurial businesses. Challenger brands are often the first to experiment, test new ideas and bring emerging concepts to shelf.
For journalists looking to identify what’s next, that makes challengers incredibly compelling. Explaining the thinking behind your innovation – whether it’s inspired by international markets, consumer insight or category data – can unlock valuable opportunities, particularly in trend-led features and category reports such as The Grocer’s Focus On pages.
- Clear communication builds credibility
Challenger brands have an opportunity to communicate with clarity and personality. That openness resonates with journalists, who value sources that are thoughtful, honest and easy to work with. It’s not about courting controversy – it’s about offering a balanced, credible view of the market and contributing meaningfully to the wider debate.
This approach is reflected in our work with Meatless Farm, where we drove sustained momentum for the brand through a consistent drumbeat of well-crafted commentary, insight-led opinion and timely media engagement. By positioning the business as a credible, informed voice within the plant-based conversation, we helped strengthen its reputation and ensure it was part of the wider dialogue shaping the category.
Challenger brands that combine responsiveness, innovation and openness quickly establish themselves as trusted voices for editorial teams. They may be smaller in scale, but with a smart communications approach, their impact can be anything but. If you’d like to explore how we can help your challenger brand maximise its media presence – get in touch with our team.
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