OK, so Challenger Brands are working to bring their companies to the forefront, pushing aside the big guys and promoting their own brands to steal the market and grow profits. Right? In the case of Tappening, the answer is an unqualified sort of.

Tappening, rather than promoting a specific brand, was created to increase market share in a rather mundane, typically unbranded product: “Tap water is the ultimate Challenger Brand,” states Mark DiMassimo, co-founder of Tappening. “It seemed to us that bottled water had a good business model, and tap water had a lousy business model, and as a result, people were over-consuming bottled water. So, we adopted tap water.”

Tappening’s strategy is unique. While some advertisers develop but deny deceptive strategies, efforts to promote use of tap water include creating deliberate lies about bottled water on a site created for that purpose, http://www.startalie.com/. Tappening’s ads claim that bottled water includes “98% polar ice caps and 2% polar bear tears,” “makes acid rain fall on playgrounds,” “causes blindness in puppies,” and is the “primary cause of restless leg syndrome.” Posters with these slogans can be downloaded and sent to friends via e-mail, twitter or Facebook, or visitors can start and disseminate their own lies on the website.

Behind its deliberate lies, Tappening is one selfless organization:

• The only products Tappening sells are a few BPA-free plastic and stainless steel water bottles, asking users to “Think Global. Drink Local.”
• The entire undertaking is funded by several ad executives who want to put their skills to work for the greater good

Tappening is concerned about the lack of disclosure by bottled water companies. Although labels picture pristine streams and dazzling waterfalls, the source of the water is not as clear as the graphics indicate. Often, laboratory analysis shows that the product is no better than, or even not as good as, what comes out of the kitchen sink. 

The effort’s founders believe that, with the money wasted on bottled water, the US could provide health insurance to every child in the US. Tappening’s goal, rather than profitability, is to contribute to a societal shift by spearheading an anti-bottled water movement. “Our measures of success were not just marketing and business goals,” explains Di Massimo. “We had movement goals, to increase the amount of tap water consumed.” 

Although Tappening’s objectives and tactics may be a bit unconventional, their thinking can be applied to any Challenger Brand. “You can’t challenge by imitating,” says DiMassimo. “Know who you’re taking the market from – identify the enemy and go after them.” This is a company whose battles are fought not with grenades and rockets, but with high-powered water guns – filled right from the tap.