How To Build Brands The Big Guys Can't Ignore

Big brands don’t innovate fast enough. So instead, they buy the ones who do

Case in point: Unilever has been rumoured to drop £230 million to acquire Wild.

Why? Because Wild did exactly what challenger brands do best:

🔥 Built a cult following that actually cares

🔥 Made a category feel fresh, desirable & premium

🔥 Owned DTC before stepping into retail

This isn’t just a big buyout but a big signal to challenger brands everywhere!

And it seems like a super hackable blueprint for founders to mimic the success and make sure you’re the next brand the big guys are watching.

How to build a brand that’s ripe for the picking

Win DTC first - retail can wait

Owning your customer relationships and data gives you an edge that big brands just don’t have. Wild didn’t rush into supermarkets. It built a rock-solid DDTC model, dialled in its subscription business, and proved it could scale profitably on its own terms.

Heights followed the same path, perfecting its high-retention, subscription based supplement business before even thinking about wider distribution.

Your move: If your brand went into retail tomorrow, would customers already know (and love) you? If not, focus on building that direct relationship first.

Make your customers your loudest marketing channel

The best brands don’t have customers, they have fans, loyal advocates and brand champions. Wild turned every product into an experience, from unboxing to referrals, so that their customers weren’t just using the product, they were talking about it too!

TALA is another brand who’ve expertly built an engaged, loyal community that feels like an insider club, creating demand before every new drop.

Your move: If your customers aren’t shouting about you yet, work out why.

Is your packaging, experience, or messaging giving them a reason to? If not, that’s something we can help with.

Make your brand aspirational - whatever that means for your audience

A strong brand gives people a reason to choose you over the competition. For Wild, sustainability was their edge, but they didn’t lead with it. Instead, they made their refillable deodorant feel sleek, premium and effortless.

Not all brands have (or need) a sustainability angle. Maybe your edge is expertise, social currency or a premium experience.

Your move: Work out what makes your brand more desirable, memorable, or relevant than the rest of the shelf - and then amplify it - everywhere!

What this means for founders

More big buyouts. The FMCG giants aren’t innovating fast enough, so they’ll keep acquiring brands that do. Are you next?

More power to challengers. The brands that hold their ground and own their positioning will be the ones that get snapped up on their terms.

More opportunities to disrupt. The next Wild is already out there, maybe it’s you.

If you’re scaling, refining your DTC model, or just want to build something too good to ignore, that’s exactly what we help challenger brands do.

Let’s figure out how to get you retail-ready, investment-worthy, or just building something big.

Get in touch to book a discovery call.

And remember, don't keep this content to yourself! Share it far and wide with other bold brand founders!

Cheers,

Rach