This is not a book review and I am not going to fully endorse this book, nor am I going to say that it\u2019s a waste of your time. This is just a summary of some of the points that the authors cover in the book which I found to be interesting and thought provoking. Maybe you\u2019ll gain a little nugget of information that will help you expand your marketing ideas and techniques online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The premise behind this book is that in order for marketing strategies to work, they must be in tune with some quintessential force in the marketplace. Just as the laws of physics define the workings of the universe, so do successful marketing programs conform to the “22 Laws.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This book presents each law with illustrations of how it works based on actual companies and their marketing strategies. For example, the “Law of Focus” states that the most powerful concept in marketing is “owning” a word in the prospect’s mind, such as Crest’s owning cavities and Nordstrom’s owning service.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes down to it, I don\u2019t entirely agree that any of the \u201claws\u201d in this book are actually immutable. This book was written several decades ago at this point, so take all of this with a grain of salt. But it\u2019s an interested exploration and I thought it would be worthwhile to share a summary of each law. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll come away from this with an important nugget or idea that you can use in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So without further ado, here is my summary of the 22 immutable laws of marketing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Law # 1 is The law of leadership<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s better to be first than it is to be better \u2013 marketing is the battle of perception, not products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law # 2 isThe law of the category<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Promote the category. If you can\u2019t be first in a category just create your own new category. (Examples: Gaming computer, magazine for mature women, Clothes for tall people, etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law # 3 isThe law of the mind<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This law modifies law #1, the law of leadership. Being first in the mind<\/em> is most important when possible. For example: Apple got off the ground with very little money. They had a simple, easy to remember name and a focused, creative ad plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #4 isThe law of perception<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 It\u2019s not a battle of products. Do not focus on the facts, \u201cthe truth\u201d and the features. This is all good, but marketers need to sell the product around what people want and perceive. Your name, slogan, image, message, etc. all need to factor into this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #5 is\u00a0The law of focus<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Own a word in the mind of your prospect. Simpler words or concepts are the best. If you\u2019re not first or a current leader, you need to reduce the scope of your operations and focus. Protect your word and continue to position yourself and focus on the law of the mind. Focus on a single, powerful word if possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #6 is\u00a0The law of exclusivity<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 It\u2019s hard for two competing companies to own the same word in the mind of the consumer.\u00a0Example: The\u00a0caretaker\u00a0Volvo owns the word ‘safety’. Other companies have tried to run campaigns on safety, but only Volvo has succeeded in getting into prospect’s mind with a safety message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #7 is\u00a0The law of the ladder\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Trying to get into the mind first is best but there are strategies to play off your competitors if you\u2019re behind. \u201cThey\u2019re big and we\u2019re small and better\u201d, \u201cThey\u2019re more successful in the market but we try harder\u201d, Sometimes it\u2019s better to be 3rd on a big ladder than first on a small ladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #8 is\u00a0The law of duality<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Gradually over time, the battle becomes a two rung affair \u2014 in the long run, every market becomes a two-horse race.\u00a0Gradually, as the market matures, players disappear and the market settles on exactly two primary players. Examples of this phenomenon are everywhere: Coke and Pepsi are one of the best examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #9 is\u00a0The law of the opposite<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Wherever the leader is strong, there is an opportunity. Turn their strength into the weakness. Don\u2019t try to be better, be different. There are people that want to buy from the leader and there are people that absolutely don\u2019t want to buy from the leader. You are the alternative. A second rung company must go for these people. An example might be to go after a leading fried chicken company like KFC and promote your grilled, healthy options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #10 is\u00a0The law of division<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The market is an ever divided sea of categories. The automobile industry is a perfect example. Find or create a new category and stick with it. Do not try to get into other categories after having success \u2013 history has shown this is a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #11 is\u00a0The law of perspective<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Most of the time, what works in the short term usually doesn\u2019t work in the long term. Trying to get immediate results might cause you trouble years down the road. Focus on your core, long-term goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #12 is\u00a0The law of line extension<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Do not spread yourself too thin and try to be everything for everybody. Development, marketing budget, support, staff, perception, are all affected. Be strong somewhere instead of weak everywhere. Less is more. Narrow your focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #13 is\u00a0The law of sacrifice<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Rule 1 \u2013 Minimize product line (don\u2019t be a dept. store without focus), Rule 2 \u2013 Limit your target market, Rule 3 \u2013 Be consistent. Have a brilliant narrow position and stick with it. DO NOT become all things to all people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #14 is\u00a0The law of attributes<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Do not emulate the leader. Play off against the leader and offer something similar but opposite to differentiate. It doesn\u2019t even have to be completely different, you just need a niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #15 is\u00a0The law of candor<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Consider being honest and admit a negative but twist it into a positive. With a name like Smucker\u2019s it has to be good. We\u2019re smaller and younger but more focused on you. Listerine tastes bad, but something so strong has to kill a lot of germs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #16 is\u00a0The law of singularity<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Focus on several good marketing avenues. Don\u2019t dabble a little in everything. Trying harder, or doing more will not equal success. Consider making a single bold stroke that is least expected by the competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #17 is\u00a0The law of unpredictability<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Do not assume the future. Get a handle on trends not fads. If something can go bad, it will always go bad so prepare for it. Try to build an enormous amount of flexibility into your organization so when things change in your industry you\u2019re ready to deal with it \u2013 and deal with it quickly. Always keep innovating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #18 \u00a0is\u00a0The law of success<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Lose your ego and be more objective. DO NOT substitute your own judgement for what the market truly wants. Do not blind yourself by success. Always think like a prospect, and try to base that on trends and real data. Don\u2019t try to read your prospects mind. Do not oppose your view of the world or the customer. Never lose touch with the front lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #19 \u00a0is\u00a0The law of failure<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Do not try to fix things. Recognize a failure early and change fast. The ready, fire, aim approach \u2013 try new ideas but nobody succeeds every time. Reward new ideas and the resulting success. Do not be afraid to take risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #20 \u00a0is\u00a0The law of hype<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 When your company needs \u201cthe hype\u201d it usually means you\u2019re in trouble or your plan is not strong or failing. New products that are going to \u201crevolutionize the industry\u201d are popular candidates for hype. Real revolutions don\u2019t come down main street with a marching band \u2013 they sneak up on you in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #21 \u00a0is\u00a0The law of acceleration<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Do not focus on fads. Focus on trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Law #22 \u00a0is\u00a0The law of resources<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Even the best idea in the world will not go far without proper funding. Ideas without money are worthless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that\u2019s it! The 22 immutable laws of marketing. What do you think? In my opinion, the book is short, entertaining, thought-provoking, clear and easy-to-understand. The concepts, for the most part, still hold up and should be worth a read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d like to explore more \u201claws\u201d like this for inspiration please check out The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by the same authors. It\u2019s equally thought-provoking and provides many tidbits that you\u2019ll undoubtably find to be valuable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For those of you that are interested in learning about basic marketing principles I\u2019d like to recommend\u00a0The 22 Immutable laws of marketing\u00a0by Al Ries and Jack Trout. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[286],"tags":[],"type-category":[288],"class_list":["post-810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-strategy","type-category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n