Al Ries
Al Ries
Al Ries is a marketing professional and author. He is also the co-founder and chairman of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Ries & Ries with his partner and daughter, Laura Ries. Along with Jack Trout, Ries is crediting with coining the term "positioning", as related to the field of marketing, and authored Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind, an industry standard on the subject...
mistake successful simple
When a really new product comes along, it's almost always a mistake to hang a well-known name on it. The reason is obvious. A well-known name got well-known because it stood for something. It occupies a position in the prospect's mind. A really well-known name sits on the top rung of a sharply defined ladder. The new product, if it's going to be successful, is going to require a new name. New ladder, new name. It's as simple as that.
war marketing similarity
War and marketing have many similarities.
business mind firsts
It's better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.
enough-time needs forget
It normally takes decades to build a brand... It's the forgetting of the old truth that allows a person to accept a new truth. You need to allow enough time for this forgetting to take place
ivory-tower mud towers
Strategy should evolve out of the mud of the marketplace, not in the antiseptic environment of an ivory tower.
names mind use
Only brand names register in the mind... What you should generally do is take a regular word and use it out of context to connote the primary attribute of your brand.
ingredients authenticity claims
The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity.
buying internet brands
The Internet is the ultimate in brand-centered buying.
law names generic-name
THE LAW OF THE GENERIC: One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand a generic name.
powerful marketing world
If you can build a powerful brand, you will have a powerful marketing program. If you CAN'T then all the advertising, fancy packaging, sales promotion and public relations in the world won't help you achieve your objective.
change trying aircraft-carriers
Changing the direction of a large company is like trying to turn an aircraft carrier. It takes a mile before anything happens. And if it was a wrong turn, getting back on course takes even longer.
real gray-matter mind
The real barrier (to building a brand) is the human mind. It normally takes decades to build a brand because it takes decades to penetrate the gray matter in between your ears.
powerful marketing mind
The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospects mind.
cancer light focus
A laser is a weak source of energy. A laser takes [only] a few watts of energy and focuses them in a coherent stream of light. But with a laser, you can drill a hole in a diamond or wipe out cancer.