22 immutable laws of marketing

22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

22 LAWS

My favorite Guerilla Marketing gurus, Al Ries and Jack Trout, offer The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. Although it was written almost 20 years ago, the innovative rules still provide a solid understanding of how to succeed in the marketplace

#1The Law of LeadershipIt is better to be first than it is to be better.

It’s much easier to get into the mind first than try to convince someone that you have a better product.

#2The Law of CategoryIf you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.

Everyone is interested in what’s new. Few people are interested in what’s better.

#3The Law of the MindIt’s better to be first in the mind than to be first in the market

Being first in mind is everything. Being first in the market is only important in that it allows you to get into the mind first.

#4The Law of PerceptionMarketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions

There is no objective reality. There are no facts. There are no best products. All that exists in the world of marketing are perceptions in the mind of the customer.

#5The Law of FocusThe most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind

You “burn” your way into the mind by narrowing the focus to a single word or concept.

#6The Law of ExclusivityTwo companies cannot own the same word in the prospects mind

When the competitor owns a word or position in the prospects mind, it is futile to attempt to own the same word.

#7The Law of the LadderThe strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.

It might be better to be a small fish in a big pond than a big fish in a small pond.

#8The Law of DualityIn the long run, every market becomes a two horse race

In every new category is a ladder with many rungs. Gradually, the ladder becomes a two-rung affair.

#9The Law of the OppositeIf you’re shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader.

The key for #2 is to leverage an opponents strengths into a weakness.

#10The Law of DivisionOver time, a category will divide and become two or more categories.

As a result of law #2, the marketing arena will always be an ever expanding sea of categories.

#11The Law of PerspectiveMarketing effects take place over an extended period of time

Long term effects are often the exact opposite of the short term effect. Think of the “always a sale” retail mentality training a customer to never buy at full price.

#12The Law of Line ExtensionThere’s an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand

A company tightly focused on a profitable product may quickly find themselves thinly spread over many products and losing a lot of money.

#13The Law of SacrificeYou have to give up something in order to get something.

There are three areas of sacrifice the product line, the target market and constant change. Pick your poison carefully.

#14The Law of AttributesFor every attribute, there is an opposite, effective, attribute.

Rule #6 dictates you must find an attribute to own and that attribute may just be the opposite of the leader. Hint hint.

#15The Law of CandorWhen you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive.

One of the most effective ways to get into a prospects mind is to admit a negative and then twist into a positive.Think Listerine.

#16The Law of SingularityIn each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.

History teaches that the only thing that works in marketing is a committed, single bold stroke that is least expected by the competition.

#17The Law of UnpredictabilityUnless you write your competitor’s plans, you can’t predict the future.

You can not predict the future but you can get a handle on trends and take advantage of change.

#18The Law of SuccessSuccess often leads to arrogance and arrogance to failure.

Those that think they are market leaders tend to substitute what they think for what the market wants.

#19The Law of FailureFailure is to be expected and accepted.

Recognize failure early and cut your losses. Sometimes it is better to drop things and move on rather than ‘reorg’ and try again.

#20The Law of HypeThe situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press.

When things are going well, you do not need hype. When you need hype, it usually means you are in trouble.

#21The Law of AccelerationSuccessful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends.

A fad is a wave in the ocean, a trend is the tide. A fad gets a lot of hype while a trend gets very little.

#22The Law of ResourcesWithout adequate funding, an idea won’t get off the ground.

The unfortunate reality is that a mediocre idea backed by a million dollars will get further than a great idea alone. Sorry.

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