12 challenger brand examples from small businesses

With  12 million ecommerce sites out on the wild web, small businesses are finding ways to break new ground and rise above the competition. 

Enter the challenger brand: the ecommerce disruptor that refuses to play by the rules. These brands use creativity, community, and bold ideas to take on industry leaders.

In this article, we’ll explore 12 challenger brands that are shaking up their industries — from sustainable fashion to functional wellness. Whether you’re an established DTC brand or just finding your feet, you’ll discover fresh ways to carve out your niche and stand above the competition.

What is a challenger brand?

Challenger brands have one goal in mind: to bring change to their industry. Sure, they might be punching above their weight - but their drive can take them from new kid on the block to category leader (whilst ruffling a few feathers along the way). 📈

Think of the challenger brand as a plucky young upstart. They're not (yet) a market leader in their industry. Instead, they offer an alternative way of thinking, challenge the status quo and use innovative business models that disrupt established markets and larger competitors.

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What's the criteria for a challenger brand?

Being able to define yourself as a challenger brand is more than just switching up your marketing efforts. It's about challenging a mindset. 

We recently spoke with Yang Liu, the founder of Just Wears, a challenger brand that disrupts the traditional underwear industry. For her, a challenger brand embraces the underdog mentality and disrupts the status quo. They also push their product creativity and innovation. 

🎧 You can learn more about Just Wears and how Yang built a successful challenger brand over on our podcast, Ecommerce Marketing 101.

Furthermore, The Challenger Project breaks a challenger brand down into three criteria: 

1. State of market: This is not about being number one in your niche market. Successful challenger brands are determined to create new, innovative approaches to established brand traditions within their industry.  

2. State of mind: Challenger brands have a bold mindset. They question the usual way of doing things and are not afraid to be different. This fearless approach is woven into their culture and becomes the norm for their audience. 

3. Rate of success: For challenger brands, success isn’t just about being popular. It's about being quick on their feet, adapting to changes, and shaking up the industry. It's not just about short-term wins but building lasting connections with customers, keeping them loyal, and staying ahead in a busy market.

Why should small brands consider being a challenger?

It might feel all too easy to copy what the big brands are doing in your industry. After all, they're a popular choice amongst consumers and something has clearly worked for them, right?

But it's going to be near-impossible to follow the exact same path and get the same results. For a start, the likes of Apple and Heniz have huge investor-backed budgets behind them. They've been established in the market for years and they're household brands that are very difficult to compete with.

But here's the thing: 76% of consumers actually trust small businesses more than corporations. As Yang told us, this could be your opportunity to “connect with consumers who are looking for something different.”

So, setting yourself up as a brand that challenges the big corporations is going to work in your favour by setting you apart from your competition. 💪

(And if you want to become a challenger brand, it might be time to consider a rebranding strategy.)

12 types of challenger brands

Not sure you meet the criteria of a challenger brand? Trust us, you might have shades of that rebel spirit without even knowing it. Because there's more than one type of challenger. Take a look at these personality types to find out which ones best suit your brand. We’ve also included examples of successful challenger brands for inspiration. 

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1. The game changer brand

These folks are true innovators and are changing the game for consumers who purchase within their industry. Just look at Just Wears.

This brand was founded by Yang Liu who’s business ambition was to change the underwear fashion industry for good. When shopping for her husband, all she could find was underwear made from uncomfortable materials. And the marketing was often made up of serious messaging along with black and white shots of chiselled torsos. 

Just Wears is a game-changer brand for three reasons:

1. Their products are designed to be more ergonomic for your intimate areas. This means the design is totally different from traditional underwear. 
2. Just Wears pushes sustainability as one of their core values. As Yang told us in our podcast, Ecommerce Marketing 101, most men’s underwear is made from uncomfortable, synthetic materials. She wanted to create something that made less impact on the environment without sacrificing comfort. 
3. They ditch the serious messaging and use colour images and playful copy to capture your attention. I mean… their ‘phallus palace’ is guaranteed to turn heads. 👀

2. The missionary brand

These brands wear their purpose on their sleeves. The business is the mission and the mission is the objective.

Think of Tony’s Chocolonely and its goal of ridding modern slavery from the chocolate industry.

They're not only making sure that farmers and cocoa suppliers are paid what they deserve, but they're educating consumers too. It's a cause that you just can't argue with and one their customers don't mind paying a little extra for. It also shines a light on traditional industry leaders still benefiting from the system. 👀

3. The next-generation brand

Next-generation challenger brands exist to ask the question: “Is the way we’ve always done it still working?” They speak directly to a new wave of consumers who care about health, transparency, and design just as much as product performance.

Take the beverage brand, SULT, for example. The hydration category has been dominated for years by fluorescent sports drinks loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients. SULT flips that script entirely. Their science-backed electrolyte blends contain only what your body actually needs. In other words: you’ll find no sugar, sweeteners or unnecessary filler here.

But what really cements SULT as a next-gen challenger brand is the community they’re building. Their founder-led social channels give audiences a direct line to the people behind the brand. From behind-the-scenes product drops to daily wellness chats, SULT is creating a lifestyle around hydration that feels human, not corporate.

4. The feisty underdog brand

Feisty underdogs don’t wait for permission. Instead, they take on the industry heavyweights head-on. They’re bold, unapologetic, and laser-focused on showing up differently.

That’s exactly what Girlfriend Collective did in the activewear space. When they launched, the market was dominated by the likes of Nike and Lululemon — brands with deep pockets, glossy campaigns, and a narrow view of what ‘fit’ looked like. Girlfriend Collective flipped the script with recycled materials, inclusive sizing (from XXS to 6XL), and un-retouched product imagery that celebrated real people.

Girlfriend Collective doesn’t just sell leggings — they sell a message: everyone deserves to feel strong, seen, and comfortable in their own skin. That’s the true mark of a feisty underdog brand. 💪

5. The dramatic disruptor brand

Dramatic disruptors don’t just shake up their industries — they challenge how people think and behave. These are the brands that make us question our habits and rethink what’s normal.

That’s exactly what Days Brewing Co. has done for the alcohol industry. While the traditional beer market has been built around nights out and hangovers, Days is rewriting the rules with a 0.0% lager that celebrates clarity over chaos.

Their mission is to change the perception of alcohol-free drinking from ‘missing out’ to opting in. Their fresh branding, upbeat tone, and lifestyle-led content make going alcohol-free feel aspirational, not restrictive. And with a founder-led social presence that’s refreshingly human, they’ve built a loyal online community. Just take a look at their Strava community page that encourages health and connection (not hangovers).

6. The local hero brand

These are brands that champion the importance of local needs, local culture and local people. They're all about cultivating a strong sense of community. Ue Coffee Roasters is an independent coffee roaster based in Oxfordshire, UK. As well as their cafe - where they've built a social hub for locals - they also have an online store that they use to give back to the local community.

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Whenever you buy from them online, you can round up your purchase to an amount of your choice. Any extra money you pay goes towards the homeless charity, Homeless Oxfordshire. Their humble mission to give back where they can is just one of the reasons people grab a coffee from Ue over other chain coffee shops. 

7. The irreverent maverick brand

Maverick brands poke fun at the industry to try and change entrenched ways of thinking. In Overthrow II's words: “The Irreverent Maverick uses wit and humour to challenge complacency and apparent comfort found in the bland.”

Think of the Australian toilet paper brand, Who Gives A Crap.

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From their brightly-coloured paper wrappings to their toilet humour, they’re unashamedly irreverent. They also use their profits to build toilets in communities that need them most.

8. The real and human brand

These brands challenge the faceless drones of the corporations. 🤖 They're created by real people, for real people. The founders of Happi, for example, have a compelling narrative from the founders that's integral to their business's mission.

Real and human challenger brands don’t hide behind polished campaigns or corporate jargon. Instead they lead with heart, honesty, and purpose. They’re founded by real people solving real problems, and that authenticity shines through everything they do.

That’s exactly what Partake Foods represents. The brand was founded by Denise Woodard, a mum on a mission to create safe snacks for her daughter’s food allergies. Partake grew from a home kitchen into a nationwide brand stocked in major retailers… but it never lost its soul. 

From the start, Denise built her ecommerce presence around empathy and inclusion. Every cookie, cracker, and baking mix is top-eight-allergen-free, vegan, and made for families who’ve been left out by traditional snack brands. Their challenger narrative is refreshingly human and you’ll find Denise herself front and centre on social media.

9. The people’s champion brand

These brands make it their mission to stand up for their customers. Take the fitness brand, Soul Cap.

Founders, Michael and Toks, identified a huge problem in the world of swimming: most swimwear wasn't accessible for a lot of people—especially people of colour. So they created a new, extra-large swim cap designed for people with voluminous hair. Their challenger strategy is all about giving people the confidence to get out in the water—the mark of a true people's champion. 🏊

10. The enlightened zagger brand

This one's all about bucking the trends. If there's a chance to create an alternative movement, this challenger will take it.

For example, take a look at the washable rug brand, Ruggable.

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This (almost unbelievable) product goes against anything you've ever believed about rugs, which are notoriously tricky to clean and definitely don't sit well with the washing machine. But, low and behold, you really can wash the ones from Ruggable. Sign me up!

11. The democratiser brand

Born to challenge elitism and privilege, the democratiser is all about championing diversity and accessibility.

Take Universal Standard, the brand that makes clothing that ‘f*cking fits.’

They make garments for regular-sized people - i.e not supermodels. Their clothes are size, race, and gender-inclusive. And they use models from all walks of life, body sizes and abilities. It really should be the standard across the industry.

12. The equaliser brand

Equaliser brands bridge the gap between luxury and accessibility. They take something traditionally exclusive and reimagine it for modern consumers who care about craft, ethics, and experience - not just a designer label.

Enter Ffern, the Somerset-based fragrance brand turning the perfume and beauty industry on its head. For decades, high-end fragrance has been dominated by glossy advertising, celebrity endorsements, and inflated price tags. Ffern flips that script with a simple idea: perfume, made seasonal and personal.

Each quarter, Ffern releases a new, small-batch fragrance crafted from natural ingredients. There’s no warehouse full of excess stock. Instead, customers join a waitlist and get sent their bottle when it's ready. 

Their direct-to-consumer model and pared-back design make artisan fragrance feel both luxurious and grounded in sustainability.

By rejecting the over-commercialised side of luxury perfumery, Ffern has created a brand built on integrity and intimacy. 

How to build your challenger brand strategy

Ready to build your own challenger brand strategy? Whether you're an established ecommerce player or just starting out, this is your moment to channel your inner rebel and take on the category leaders. 🤘

[fs-toc-omit] 1. Get obsessed with what your customers actually care about

Ecommerce moves fast, and so do your customers’ priorities. To build a challenger brand, you need a deep understanding of not just what they buy, but why.

Economic uncertainty, sustainability, and authenticity are shaping today’s shopping behaviour. That’s probably why 79% of Gen Z consumers say it’s more important than ever to trust the brands they buy from. 

Ask yourself:

• What’s stressing out my audience right now?
• What do they wish brands would do differently?
• Where are they being let down?

Use audience tools like SparkToro, Similarweb, or Google Trends to dig into their interests and frustrations. Then create content and products that help them feel seen. When customers believe you ‘get’ them, they’ll back you over the big players every time.

[fs-toc-omit] 2. Find your gap and own it

You don’t need to take on the entire industry. You just need to find one gap and fill it better than anyone else.

Look at what the dominant brands in your category are doing — and where they’re falling short. Are they ignoring certain audiences? Are they slow to innovate? Do they rely on outdated values or boring messaging?

Challenger brands win by spotting friction and turning it into opportunity. Think of:

• Ffern redefining luxury fragrance through small-batch craftsmanship.
• SULT simplifying hydration with clean ingredients and founder-led storytelling.
• Days Brewing making alcohol-free drinking aspirational instead of restrictive.

They’re not trying to outspend their competitors. They're just outsmarting them. 😏

[fs-toc-omit] 3. Build a bold, consistent brand identity

Your visuals and tone of voice are your frontline. To stand out in the crowded ecommerce space, your brand needs to feel instantly recognisable.

Take a leaf from the challenger playbook:

• Be bold, not loud: Strong branding isn’t about shouting — it’s about clarity, attitude, and purpose.
• Keep everything on-brand: Store all your imagery, logos, and campaign assets in one central place — and make sure everyone’s using the latest version. That’s where Dash comes in. It’s our brand asset management tool that helps ecommerce teams stay perfectly in sync. With Dash, your team, partners, and retailers can easily find and share the most up-to-date visuals, so everyone’s working from the same playbook (and your brand always looks its best).
• Audit your assets often: Ask yourself whether your branding still reflects your mission. Could your imagery be fresher, your tone braver, your message sharper?

Consistent branding builds trust and brave branding builds buzz. You need both.

[fs-toc-omit] 4. Move fast — and stay flexible

Challenger brands thrive because they can pivot quickly. While bigger competitors get tangled in red tape, you can test, learn, and iterate in real time.

Don’t wait for perfection. Instead, launch campaigns fast, gather data, and tweak based on what resonates. Try new channels, experiment with creators, and keep your community involved in your evolution. The faster you learn, the stronger your position becomes.

[fs-toc-omit]  5. Stick to your guns (even when it’s tough)

Disruption doesn’t happen overnight. There will be moments when things move slower than you hoped — but that’s when your challenger spirit matters most.

Stay committed to your vision, keep listening to your customers, and don’t be afraid to double down on what makes you different. The brands that stick it out through uncertainty are the ones that end up rewriting the rules.

Ready to launch your challenger brand?

If you’re serious about growing your ecommerce brand, you need a system that helps you move fast and stay consistent. That’s why you need Dash. 

Dash gives you one home for all your visual assets — so you can quickly find, share, and reuse the content that makes your brand stand out. No more endless searching through shared drives. Just fast, creative, on-brand marketing that scales with your business.

👉 Take Dash for a free 14-day spin and start building your challenger brand from the inside out.