By necessity, Challenger Brands are brands in a hurry.

Success — even survival — depends on affecting change fast.

That change hinges on making a visible break with the past and establishing symbols — icons, ads, events, new products, innovative communication strategies — designed specifically to prompt quick re-evaluation by consumers and enhance their view of the brand. The velocity of business — in fact, the velocity of life — demands that brands leverage the power of symbols. Some examples of successful symbols of re-evaluation are the Progressive Insurance Web site listing competitor pricing, Jared’s Subway diet and GKV’s use of celebrities like Dennis Miller to record their own versions of in-flight safety announcements that were played on all Independence Air flights.