The making of a hard-to-beat brand
How challengers become fixtures in their category
This webinar took place on Tuesday 6th October 2026
GUEST
Valerie Evans is a Principal at Five Seasons Ventures, a consumer VC firm that has backed brands including Air Up, Artah, Dash Water and Spacegoods. Valerie began her career advising Fortune 500 retail and consumer companies on M&A transactions, before working for firms investing in growth consumer brands.
SESSION
Building advantages competitors can't replicate.
Turning distinctiveness into dominance.
Knowing what to double down on, and what to ignore.
Much of what makes a consumer brand successful can be copied. What matters is what you can build that competitors will struggle to replicate.
In this live interview, a leading consumer VC will share what separates challenger brands that build lasting competitive strength from those that remain easy to displace.
We'll explore how distinctiveness can lead to category dominance, where it is futile to compete with rival brands, and when reacting to competitors risks weakening your own position.
This session was sponsored by Starlinks Global (Parcel delivery solutions for cross-border trade).