How Creator-Led and Challenger Brands Want to Shake Up Categories

What a creator brand must prove beyond the hype

Creator economy here, creator economy there. It’s hard to find a platform where the term doesn’t come up seemingly every 60 seconds. Grand promises are made: Products that will turn entire categories on their heads. The reality? Skyrocketing launches are often followed by a nosedive in year two. Many ideas have been tried, but few have become the top choice, whether BraTee or DirTea – two iced tea brands, both launched in the German-speaking market by chart-topping rap artists. Only a minority of products manage to make the leap from fad to real success.

But the few exceptions prove that it is possible. Gönrgy is now in its third year and already holds third place in Germany’s energy drinks market. Lanch, the German food tech company behind influencer-backed brands Happy Slices and Loco Chicken, is working its way up the ranks to become a credible market player. Proof that creator-led brands can become established, but it’s not an easy path.

Securing relevance beyond their own communities remains the biggest test for creator-led brands. To maintain their place on supermarket shelves, these brands must be able to hold their own, independently of their creator’s next post. High initial sales figures only have value if they’re maintained. How can creator-led brands overcome their dependence on their creators’ famous faces?

Conventional challenger brands have a structural advantage here. They don’t rely on major creator-generated spectacles, instead focusing right from the outset on product innovation to justify their presence on the shelf. Two paths, one goal: long-term relevance.

In our conversation with nonakanal, founder of Rioca, and Nicolas Hartmann, co-founder of vly, we explore these two approaches in detail. When does hype give way to staying power? And what can the brands learn from each other?

#1: How to crack market entry

Both brands have focused on social media and community, but using different levers.

Rioca, with nonakanal as founder: “My first idea was risky, but ingenious. I didn’t want the product launch to be boring. No advertising, no conventional promotional campaign. Instead, I sent white boxes with question marks on them to 20 of the top influencers. No one knew who was behind the deliveries. The approach resulted in viral taste tests, rumors and a TikTok account that started with zero followers but whose videos got millions of views almost immediately. This campaign effectively cost us nothing.” Outcome: story mechanics plus the founder’s voice. Zero media budget, maximum curiosity.

vly: “Our High Protein variant was the most successful launch in the milk alternatives market in 2024, and it was an entirely community-driven product. The community provided the input: They wanted the best nutritional value and they iterated the product – we always print the version number on the back of our packaging.” Approach: product performance and social validation in the product itself. Earned mentions and selective OOH and events help to sustain the brand’s place on retail shelves.

#2: Pricing strategy – premium vs. brazenly cheap

Price is part of the brand story and often determines which product a consumer picks up from the shelf first. The two brands have consciously chosen different positioning strategies.

vly: “Our products are a little more expensive. I believe that, as a start-up, you always have to have the best product. Otherwise, you won’t succeed in the retail environment. We simply don’t have a large sales team, and our marketing budget is smaller.” Despite aggressive promotions by the big players – there are offers on Oatly and Alpro every few weeks – vly is sticking to its strategy. “I think of it like playing sports – it’s part of the game.” The price premium tells the story that price equals quality, and it’s based on nutritional value and product performance rather than battles over promotions.

Rioca: “The average cost of a matcha in a coffee shop is around €7, so our price of €2.49 is almost brazenly cheap. Our customers say the same thing – and they’re very happy with it.” Low-barrier access combined with compelling design and storytelling, value and desire ensure a high trial rate and strong retail pull.

#3: Long-term vision – category change vs. product scaling

In addition to gaining market share, vly wants to bring about a system change: “We want to transform our food system. Food should make us stronger, not harm us. We don’t see factory farming as a concept that’s fit for the future.” The brand raises fundamental questions about the milk category and links its product with its mission and social stance.

Rioca has its sights set on maximum product scaling: “We’re getting inquiries from countries where nobody knows me, because the product and CI are compelling. But our focus remains on the DACH region for now.” Consolidate the brand’s position in Germany, Austria and Switzerland first, then target other countries. Rioca aims to expand its product innovation as far as possible.

#4: Tips for founders and product perfection vs. the power of story

vly is clear about its focus. “It’s all about passion for the product. I firmly believe that only the best product will be successful in the long term. That’s why I think it’s essential for every brand to have an extremely good product.” Attitude and ethos are also key: “Be approachable, close to the end consumer, allow people to see your vulnerabilities and be authentic at the same time. You don’t have to get involved in every silly fad – just stick to what you believe in.” And take note of this important lesson: “Marketing is also really important. We see ourselves as a product-first company and spent the first one and a half years focusing solely on our product. But marketing is the other side of the coin.”

Rioca and the creator playbook: “The most important advice I can give is to tell your story. People are less interested in your perfect product than in the journey you took to get there. The process is the story, and understanding that is the key to building a brand that has soul.” It takes discipline, too: “Social media is ruthless. If you’re not present every day, you become invisible. The algorithm loves activity – but it loves quality even more.” And resilience is vital: “Tastes vary, and that’s a good thing. The trick is to learn from fair feedback and ignore the rest. Constructive criticism leads to growth.”

Conclusion: Creator Brand and Challenger Brand as a perspective

Rather than being polar opposites, challenger and creator brands simply take two distinct approaches to the same task. Rioca shows how a strong story and a clear founder’s voice can spark organic demand. vly demonstrates how product performance, co-creation and visible iteration build trust on the shelf. By combining both strategies, brands can start with curiosity and develop that initial interest to achieve staying power. And that’s exactly what it takes to move beyond short-term disruption and redefine categories permanently.