Summary: The 22 immutable laws of marketing Al Ries and Jack Trout

marketing, it’s always more efficient -- even for complicated products -- to focus on one word or benefit, and make that the emphasis of everything the company does.

In finding that word:
The simpler the better.
You can’t focus on any word that doesn’t have proponents for the opposite point of view. (For example, you can’t own the word ‘‘quality’’, because everybody stands for that and nobody

focus on one word or benefit, and make that the emphasis of everything the company does

‘‘Only by studying how perceptions are formed in the mind and focusing your marketing programs on those perceptions can you overcome your basically incorrect marketing instincts.’’

Marketers who don’t understand this law frequently try and get the ‘‘truth’’ on their side -- that is, they look at the product as the hero of the marketing initiative and use factual comparisons to highlight why their product is superior to anything else available

Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products

be first into the market in a new category -- and then promote that category intensely. In essence, you’ll have no competition whatsoever, and your marketing can focus on promoting the reasons why consumers should buy a product in that category -- which by happy coincidence will mean they have to buy from you since you happen to be the only company currently supplying products in that category

Regardless of reality, people perceive the first product into the mind as superior

‘‘The basic issue in marketing is creating a category you can be first in -- not in convincing people you have a better product.’’

A far more productive approach would be to spend more time trying to develop an entirely new category altogether.