Meet the Top Agency for Challenger Brands
The LOOMIS Agency, a branding agency based in Dallas, TX, has been setting the pace as a top advertising agency for challenger brands in the United States for more than 35 years. The agency’s mission is to help challenger brands win by outthinking, rather than outspending, the competition. The LOOMIS mandate is to help its clients extend the impact of their marketing resources with ideas that create authentic competitive advantages that drive brand distinction.
What are Challenger Brands?
Classically defined, Challenger brands include all the following brands. That is, a challenger brand is any brand that is not the category leader. But LOOMIS expands the definition by building on the work of Eat Big Fish, a consultancy specializing in the unique needs of challenger brands. In his book, The Voice of the Underdog, LOOMIS CEO Mike Sullivan defines challengers based on their State of Market (following brand), State of Mind (aspiration to be the best at something), and State of Readiness (willingness to break with category conventions). Challenger brands are characterized by market position, as well as their ambition to be the best at something important to their customers coupled with a willingness to offer it in a way their competitors won’t or can’t. It’s the combination of these qualities that help challenger brands succeed where others struggle.
Becoming the Agency for Challenger Brands
The LOOMIS Agency started life as a music production studio in 1984 and transitioned into a full-service advertising agency in 2001. In 2009, agency leadership committed to narrowing its focus and concentrating exclusively on the needs of challenger brands. Recognizing that the power of challenger brands lies in what they do rather than what they say, the agency built a unique practice that helps client executives identify opportunities for approaching markets in unique and compelling ways. The agency’s Challenger Brand Workshop sets the tone at the beginning of all client engagements, informing all strategy and creative work.
Why They Love Challenger Brands
The LOOMIS Agency loves challenger brands because they believe in their transformative effect that comes from combining the challenger mindset with an acute focus on building and nurturing a great company culture. In The Voice of the Underdog, the agency authors discuss why they are so driven to help challenger brands succeed. As human beings, something deep inside us is hard-wired to root for the underdog. Smart challenger brands understand the masses are rooting for them to succeed, and they leverage that by giving consumers an emotional reason to connect. In them, people see a little piece of ourselves, and it’s inspiring.
