University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Book

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

Al Ries and Jack Trout
Profile Books, 1994
First Edition: 1993
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Well Structured
  • For Beginners

Recommendation

Using actual examples and sharp analysis, Al Ries and Jack Trout offer 22 “laws” that amount to a basic, concise distillation of their marketing experience and wisdom. Their examples are pithy enough to keep the most jaded marketing person engaged. And their lessons are embedded verities that would be hard to dispute. The only drawback is that this classic may be a bit dated, so it is interesting to see how surprisingly well some of their original observations have fared over the years. getAbstract recommends this classic to anyone seriously interested in marketing. After all, you can’t ignore the law.

Summary

The Basic Rules of Marketing

Even the best and brightest marketers at the largest corporations make huge marketing mistakes. Size does not assure error-free marketing. Big companies make as many mistakes as small firms, because the same factors cause costly mistakes at both: bad assumptions, lack of understanding and the need for more research. Companies make the wrong moves when they violate the following 22 laws of marketing. These rules are like laws because they don’t change and because you get in trouble if you don’t obey them. They were developed after 25 years of studying the reasons behind major marketing mistakes and successes. So, listen up; here’s the law:

  1. “The Law of Leadership: It’s better to be first than it is to be better” – Being first makes you the leader and gives you a chance to make a great initial impression. Followers have to expend more energy to convince customers that their product is better. This law applies to any product. Consumers know the names of the first products in popular categories: the first Japanese luxury car (Acura), the first four-wheel drive car (Jeep), the first mainframe (IBM) and the first minivan (...

About the Authors

Al Ries and Jack Trout are experienced marketers, and the authors of best-selling books, including Positioning, Marketing Warfare, Bottom-Up Marketing and Focus.

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