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Drowning in Omnichannel? Why Challenger Brands Don’t Need to Be Everywhere

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September 17, 2025
Editorial
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thedca.co/drowning-in-omnichannel-why-challenger-brands-dont-need-to-be-everywhere

The modern customer journey is a dizzying maze. With an ever-expanding list of touchpoints—from retail stores and mobile apps to social commerce and AR-enabled shopping—the pressure for brands to be omnipresent is immense. For challenger brands, start-ups, and scale-ups with limited resources, this pressure can feel less like an opportunity and more like a recipe for burnout. The prevailing wisdom seems to be "be present everywhere, and the sales will follow." But what if that’s wrong?

The reality is, you don’t need a massive budget or a presence on every conceivable platform to achieve meaningful growth. In fact, the data tells a different story. Research from Analytic Partners' ROI Genome reveals that while return on investment does increase with the number of channels used, the most significant leap in ROI comes when brands move from three to five channels.

The lesson is clear: for a challenger brand, the path to success isn't about being everywhere; it's about being brilliant in the places that matter most. It’s about choosing your battleground wisely and executing flawlessly. This strategic focus is built on three foundational pillars, or our "Omni-Tenets," that can guide your brand to cut through the noise and build lasting connections.

Article content

Tenet I: Know Thy Shopper, Lest Thou Lose Them

When you can only afford to be in a handful of places, guessing where your customers are is a luxury you don’t have. A deep, almost obsessive, understanding of your target audience is non-negotiable. This goes beyond basic demographics. You need to uncover:

  • Where they truly spend their time.
  • In which environments they are most open to trying new things.
  • Who and what genuinely influences their purchasing decisions.
  • How your product can seamlessly fit into their daily lives.

Case in Point: TRIP Drinks The rapidly growing soft drinks brand TRIP is a masterclass in this principle. By identifying the burgeoning influence of TikTok on their target consumers, they made a strategic decision to dive headfirst into TikTok Shop and live shopping. This wasn't a random bet; it was a calculated move based on sharp customer insight. The result? By January 2025, they became the #1 drinks brand on the platform in the UK, showcasing the immense power of meeting your customers where they are.

Ask yourself, what do you know about your customer that could help you reach them on a budget?

Tenet II: Maketh Thy Channels as One

Once you've identified your core five channels, the next crucial step is to ensure they operate in perfect harmony. Customers don’t think in terms of "marketing channels"; they think in experiences, and they expect those experiences to be fluid and cohesive.

This is amplified by the "Halo Effect," where we see performance in one channel significantly impact another. Digital ads can drive foot traffic to a physical store, and a great in-store experience can lead to online advocacy and sales. Your channels must work together, creating a seamless journey that allows shoppers to move between their online and offline worlds without friction.

Case in Point: Glossier The beauty brand Glossier, which was born online, provides a stunning example of translating a digital-first identity into the physical realm. Their retail stores are not just shops; they are a physical manifestation of their clean, user-friendly, and community-centric online presence. The in-store and digital experiences mirror each other perfectly, creating a powerful, cohesive brand world that feels both intuitive and immersive to their customers.

Ask yourself, how can you ensure your channels work together, rather than fighting each other for attention?

Tenet III: Know Thy Difference, and Set Thyself Apart

With a focused presence in just five channels, your brand message cannot afford to be a whisper; it must be a roar. In a world where most purchases are driven by habit, your primary job is to disrupt that habit. To do this, you must identify the single most compelling thing that sets you apart and make it impossible for consumers to ignore.

Being forgettable is a death sentence for a challenger brand. You need to find your unique selling proposition and amplify it with radical focus.

Case in Point: Halo Top Remember when Halo Top exploded onto the ice cream scene? They did it by flipping the entire narrative of indulgence. While other brands spoke of creamy textures and rich flavours, Halo Top zeroed in on one game-changing benefit: the calorie count for the whole tub. They placed this number front and centre on their packaging, making their key differentiator unmissable. This sharp, unapologetic focus on a single benefit not only set them apart but fundamentally shifted the entire category, forcing competitors to follow suit.

Ask yourself, which aspect of your brand would you radically emphasise to stand out from the competition?

For challenger brands, the path forward in our complex retail landscape is not about breadth, but about depth. Stop trying to be everywhere. Instead, find your five, know your customer, integrate your experience, and shout your difference from the rooftops. That is how you’ll thrive.

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