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b'\\u201cA challenger brand is defined by an ethos \\u2014 a mindset. They have ambitions that outweigh their internal marketing resources. They have to outthink. They can\\u2019t outspend.\\u201d So how do you punch above your weight class? We talked about this with Door Number 3\\u2019s Prentice Howe, author of\\xa0The Empowered Challenger Playbook.\\nAbout Prentice Howe\\nPrentice Howe\\xa0has always believed in underdogs. Now, as Owner and Chief Creative Officer of Door Number 3, a full-service advertising agency based in Austin, Texas, he\\u2019s helping brands embrace their challenger-ability and topple their giants.\\nSpecializing in challenger brands\\u2014rising brands that may not have the resources of the top dogs in their industries but do have the bold ambition to go toe-to-toe with them and steal market share\\u2014Door Number 3 is changing the face of marketing and advertising. With features in The New York Times, AdWeek, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Communication Arts, as well as recognition from shows like Cannes Lion and the Webby Awards, Prentice has written the book on the challenger space. Literally. An Amazon best-seller, The Empowered Challenger Playbook: How Brands Can Change the Game, Steal Market Share, and Topple Giants describes his strategies in detail and backs them up with case studies.\\nIt helps that Prentice practices what he preaches. He has fire-walked on hot coals at a Tony Robbins event, for one, a feat he credits for shaping his mind-over-matter outlook. In 2015, he made another bold move when he bought Door Number 3 from its founder, and his friend, MP Mueller. Having spent seven years as its Executive Creative Director earlier in his career, he knew the agency inside and out. As a creative person buying the company from a friend, he knew the risks, too. In fact, Door Number 3 is now one of the few agencies in the country owned solely by a creative.\\nEpisode Highlights\\nWhat is a challenger brand? It\\u2019s not just defined by budget.\\xa0\\u201cIt\\u2019s an ethos. A mindset. They can\\u2019t spend as much as the category leader so they have to do something different.\\u201d That can come down to positioning or something innovative with culture or customer service.\\nWho are Prenctice\\u2019s favorite challenger brands?\\xa0He first pointed to brands like VRBO, Uber, and Tesla. Though they\\u2019ve grown they started with the challenger mindset. However, a favorite example of a current upstart is Thinx period panties.\\nEric gets it.\\xa0Prentice told the story of a writer he works with, Eric, who often asks, \\u201cWhat\\u2019s safe worth?\\u201d In an age of so much digital clutter, standing out is harder than ever. Especially for an upstart. Safe is not an option.\\nTransfarency.\\xa0How do you continue to keep your brand and your messaging up to date? As Prentice notes you have to know what your brand is about in \\u201c12 words or less.\\u201d He then pointed to Southwest Airlines new Transfarency campaign. \\u201cIt\\u2019s a smart way to talk about what\\u2019s going on in the industry.\\u201d\\nWhat brand has made Prentice smile recently?\\xa0\\u201cI love Birddogs.com \\u2014 the men\\u2019s gym shorts. They\\u2019re fostering rejection.\\u201d This brought us full circle. Birddogs is doing more than just playing it safe. They\\u2019re being bold.\\nTo learn more,\\xa0go to\\xa0DN3austin.com.\\n\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'