Why 2026 Should Be the Year Challengers Claim OOH
Challenger brands don’t win by shouting louder - they win by being seen in the right places. And in 2026, visibility will drive credibility.
At this time of year, many of us - individually and corporately - start thinking about change. What am I going to do differently in 2026? What steps are we going to take to ensure we are more successful this year? So we’ll set ourselves challenges for the next 12 months.
Which is highly appropriate, as one of the biggest accelerants of change is what challenger brands do. They’re often the pressure system that provides the catalyst for course corrections amongst all brands in a sector. They force market leaders to revise their approach, not through their scale, but through their intent and energy. Challengers move faster, speak more clearly, and act with the conviction that big brands often struggle to access.
But this isn’t easy. Bigger brands have bigger budgets. Challengers must be smarter and work harder to get their messages noticed. Which is why 2026 should see them leaning more into OOH.
Dr Karen Nelson-Field’s recent work showed that OOH ads command greater attention than ads online, and her conclusion was that “Smaller brands should invest in higher‑attention formats like OOH to maximise their impact”. So, challengers should use OOH to punch above their weight.
And when budgets are smaller, every pound spent needs to work harder. it’s just as well a variety of studies have shown that OOH consistently delivers ROI over and above that provided by other channels.
But, perhaps most importantly, challengers need credibility. Consumers need to trust their claims and be willing to take a chance on something new. OOH provides this cultural legitimacy. “The Moment for Trust” research, carried out by JCDecaux and Clear Channel back in 2021 provides hard evidence that OOH conveys real world credibility for brand messaging.
In a year likely to be defined by change, challengers will be the ones setting the pace. And they’ll need consumer belief. This belief is built in the real world, in the places people live, move, and decide. That’s why OOH remains the clearest signal a challenger can send: we’re here, we’re serious, and we’re ready to lead.
