Rival Reveals the Behaviors Driving Growth for 50 Challenger Brands

Challenger brands may look different on the surface, but it seems the patterns behind their growth are remarkably consistent.

Growth marketing agency Rival and the Imperial College Business School set out to document these patterns.

The "Rival 50" is an index built to define what separates high-impact challengers from the rest of the market.

The team spent more than 10,000 hours on interviews, analysis, and field investigation to understand how belief systems, culture, leadership, and mission shape brand performance.

Rival and Imperial unveiled the full index on Thursday at Web Summit in Lisbon, with a simultaneous online release.

"If you've heard the saying 'the future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed,' that's how we think about challenger brands," Eric Fulwiler, CEO and co-founder of Rival, told DesignRush.

"We developed the Rival 50 not just to highlight and champion the brands successfully challenging the status quo of marketing, but also to give all marketers ideas and inspiration of what the future of our industry will look like."

The research aims to provide a blueprint for behavior-led growth in a market where cultural relevance increasingly determines competitive strength.

Challenger Brands That Signal Cultural Pull

The Rival 50 places a spotlight on brands whose cultural traction powers their growth.

They illustrate how modern challengers build momentum by shaping brand identity and narrative.

Here are some of the brands that comprise the top 10:

1. Buldak

Buldak’s global momentum comes from its high-intensity flavor profile and the massive traction it earns across creator and mukbang culture.

The brand leans heavily on fan participation, often turning viral challenges into sustained demand.

Its position within the food culture ecosystem stems from both product heat and cultural heat.

2. Liquid Death

Liquid Death built its rise through entertainment-led marketing and a tone that treats water like a cultural product rather than a commodity.

The brand leans on satire, stunts, and creator-driven storytelling to stay top-of-mind, just like its recent collab with Running Man. 

Its challenger identity is rooted in world-building that makes even a simple can of water feel like part of a larger narrative.

3. Owala

Owala has emerged as a hydration challenger by inserting itself directly into cultural moments and offering clear alternatives to category leaders like Stanley and Hydro Flask.

Its design and brand voice emphasize ease, fun, and practical difference rather than prestige.

This approach helps Owala build loyalty quickly in a crowded, trend-driven category.

4. Crocs

Crocs continues its reinvention through bold collaborations and cultural tie-ins that reposition the brand as a lifestyle statement.

Partnerships like the M&M’s collection show how the brand uses playfulness to expand into fashion, music, and fandom communities.

This strategy keeps it culturally relevant and widely imitated.

5. Nothing Phone

Nothing Phone leans on design-led minimalism to stand out in an industry dominated by feature wars.

The brand builds its identity around clarity and transparency, both visually and philosophically.

This belief-driven approach gives it a challenger edge in a category where many devices feel interchangeable.

It shows that challenger growth depends on the belief systems and cultural signals that give people a reason to choose a brand and stay with it.

Behaviors That Drive Category Momentum

The Rival 50 research identifies five principles that shape how challengers build relevance and long-term traction.

• Community as Co-Creation: Treat community as a partner that helps shape products, features, and cultural moments.
• Conviction Over Neutrality: Use clear beliefs to create distinction and build loyalty in an overcrowded market.
• Reassurance Through Clarity: Offer simplicity and direction in a space defined by noise and fatigue.
• World-Building Beyond the Commercial: Build narratives that would actually pique people's interests.
• Media Fluency: Operate like a media brand with content systems that stay active across platforms.

These insights give CMOs a roadmap for differentiation and a practical lens to evaluate whether their brands are earning relevance or just blending into their categories.

"There are so many insights and implications from this research for CMOs and brand marketers. But there are also so many implications for agencies as well (and what CMOs should be looking for in an agency partner).

The future of the agency model is one that enables the key traits of challenger brands (differentiation, talkability, and relevance), as this is what all brands need to do to grow in such crowded and competitive categories," Fulwiler added.

Our Take: Is This the New Benchmark for CMOs?

The Rival 50 arrives as a clear strategic reference point for leaders who want to understand how challenger brands truly operate.

The focus on behavior gives the index substance marketers can actually use, especially if they want to position their brands as challengers.

It also establishes a vocabulary for evaluating belief systems, cultural clarity, and leadership alignment.

These are the traits shaping modern traction, and Rival’s work puts them within reach for brands looking to grow with intention.

Agencies and campaigns making real impact in global marketing can also earn recognition through our DesignRush Awards.

Identity grows stronger with an informed perspective. These top agencies help brands apply behavior-led strategy to build relevance with intent.