Positioning
Al Ries · 1981
Marketing
The Battle for Your Mind
Al Ries and Jack Trout revolutionized marketing with a simple but profound insight: the battle for customers isn't won in the marketplace — it's won in the mind. Positioning isn't about what you do to the product; it's about what you do to the prospect's perception. The first brand to own a position in the mind wins.
Context & Background
Written with Jack Trout, Positioning was the first book to deal with the problems of communicating in an overcommunicated society. Ries and Trout argued that the average person is bombarded with so many messages that the only way to cut through is to own a word or concept in the prospect's mind.
Own a word in the mind — Volvo owns "safety," FedEx owns "overnight." The law of the first — it's better to be first in the mind than first in the market. The ladder — consumers rank brands mentally, and you must acknowledge your position on the ladder before trying to change it. Repositioning the competition — sometimes the best strategy is to redefine what your competitor stands for.
Positioning became one of the most influential marketing books of all time. Its concepts are taught in every business school and practiced by every brand strategist. The idea that perception is reality — and that managing perception is the core job of marketing — remains as relevant in the digital age as it was in 1981.
