The scrappiest underdogs?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi, I’m reading a text about corporate blogging and there is this phrase:

What we discovered was that for the majority of our survey sample, (which includes some of today’s biggest corporations and scrappiest underdogs), corporate blogs are living up to all the hype.

Now, I’d like to know whether scrappiest underdogs refers to small insignificant companies or small, insignificant and unprofitable companies or none of both. How would you define a company that belongs to the scrappiest underdogs category?

Merci.
Fabrice

2

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Scrappiest underdogs are the most competitive, most aggressive smaller companies.
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3

Hi Mister Micawber. Thank you for your immediate response. What about the expression to live up to. I gather it means to justify something/to be worth something?

4

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Good morning, TOEIC (catchy moniker).

To live up to = to behave according to.

Here, live up to the hype = perform as well as the blatant advertising or buzz has said they would.