emotional connections:
A Challenger Brand does not succeed — especially in a mature category — by selling quality or experience or even convenience.
Those are rational benefits, usually the territory of the category leader — and they're taken.
Instead, a Challenger Brand succeeds by offering the consumer an emotional reward that the category leader can't match. For example, the Starbucks customer is not just buying coffee; he or she is buying a moment of affirmation, taking part in a cool, culturally approved experience. Similarly, your interpretation of value and style and cultural credibility may well be reaffirmed every time you see a striking new ad for Target. A challenger brand must demonstrate that it "gets it." See gkv's wonderfully weird work for The National Aquarium in Baltimore for a further demonstration of how to emotionally connect with your target audience.