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| View Larger Image | The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk!
by Al Ries, Jack Trout
| | List Price: | $15.95 | | Price: | $10.85 | | You Save: | $5.10 (32%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 16164 | | Studio: | HarperBusiness | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 143 | | Publication Date: | April 27, 1994 | | Publisher: | HarperBusiness |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Two world-renowned marketing consultants and bestselling authors present the definitive rules of marketing. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 115 reviews)
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It's not reliable science but there are a couple of interesting propositions 
It's easy to criticise this book and yet there are still a few interesting hypotheses here.
Ries and Trout say much the same things over and over in all their books, speeches, and videos. So each book then needs a new angle and here they take the slant of presenting their views as natural (i.e. scientific laws). They admirably write "There are laws of nature, so why shouldn't there be laws of marketing ? You can build a great-looking airplane but it isn't going to get off the ground unless it adheres to the laws of physics, especially the law of gravity...So it follows that you can build a brilliant marketing program only to have one of the immutable laws knock you flat if you don't know what they are."
Unfortunately Ries and Trout's understanding of what is a scientific law is pretty patchy, so many of the `laws' they present are more like propositions or suggestions for doing marketing. Even the best of the 22 immutable laws are vague, none are quantified, nowhere are the conditions described where the laws hold and where they do not, and none are based on systematic collection of evidence (just anecdotes). A number are just repeats of each other, while some are tautological statements. In spite of all these weaknesses there is an underlying theoretical proposition that is interesting and worth some discussion and research.
The first, and presumably most important of the 22 `laws' is the "law of leadership - it's better to be first [into a market] than it is to be best. This idea of pioneering advantage has been well researched in the academic literature, with the recent definitive articles showing that the advantage is over-rated (Golder, 1993; Tellis, 1996). Very many brand leaders were not the first into their category, but then Ries and Trout contradict themselves anyway with their third law (the law of the mind) - "it's better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace". And this is really what the book, and their others, are about - that marketing is a battle to gain some mindshare. They argue that this is easier if you are the first to be associated with a category benefit and if you retain this leadership (`laws' 1,2,3,4). Hence they argue for focus on being known for one thing (`laws' 5,6,13,14) so they argue against brand extension (`law' 12). Clearly the `law' isn't absolute, as they used it as basis for previously criticizing Microsoft while praising focused competitors like Lotus and Harvard Graphics (and we all know where these brands are now).
They also argue that categories split, becoming more specialist over time, and that is useful to use this fragmentation (`law' 10). It's for this reason that Al (and daughter Laura) Ries incorrectly predicted the flop of the iPhone. Still it's an interesting proposition that needs considerable research.
Most of their other laws are just quaint platitudes, patronising their readers and padding out this short book with lame advice like "things are unpredictable" (`law' 17), "success can lead to arrogance" (`law' 18), "it's good to learn from your failures" (`law' 19) "things are often different than how they appear in the press" (`law' 20) "it's better to build on a trend than a fad" (`law' 21) and "without adequate funding an idea won't get off the ground" (`law' 22).
September 06, 2008 | |
Light and fluffy 
Reading the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is a lot like eating a Twinkie. It's light and yummy, with no pesky nutrition to slow you down. An enjoyable and easy read, but not much substance. There are some principles presented here that are indeed central to the field of marketing - the Law of the Mind and the Law of Resources to name two. And you wouldn't want to be the marketer who hasn't read Ries and Trout. But this is just a taste of marketing. You'll need to read more to get a full meal.
July 24, 2008 | |
Another Marketing Bible 
Now this is one of the most simple books I've ever read on the subject, but it's chock full of the true rules on marketing.
Some might say it's a slap in the face or without substance but the TRUTH is that these are very simple laws, and if applied correctly will help one be able to market.
I always refer to this book when launching a new clients product. Of course, you can't market without research and many other things, but if you apply these simple laws to your research and creative content, you will do well. So the truth is it's simple. It's not rocket science and it can be done..
March 13, 2008 | |
Essential reading for entrepreneurs and sales people
I am not a marketer, but getting marketing right is critical. If an entrepreneur or sales person reads only one book on marketing, this would be it.
October 20, 2007 | |
Trout and Ries write the laws on marketing 
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. We recommend this classic to anyone seriously interested in marketing. After all, you can't ignore the law.
September 27, 2007 | |
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