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Summary: Concise but Lacking Substance
Review: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout is a concise listing of marketing tenets. It proves to be a valuable read that, in some cases, is a bit too simplistic. Even the appearance of the book with crude illustrations and large print, which I assume is intentional, give it a children's-book appearance. Given its size and detail, a fast reader could cover this text in under two hours.While the book is a worthy read for anyone interested in marketing, the simplistic concepts and dichotomous thinking lead to some erroneous conclusions. In fact, since the book was written in 1993, some of the arguments on specific examples were proven to be incorrect. Like most marketing books, it somewhat neglects the informed consumer who can make buying decisions based on quality and product features. At the same time, it overlooks the effect of product superiority on market prominence. One example in the "The Law of the Line Extension" argued against Microsoft's foray into business graphics, spreadsheet and word processing software because of the market leadership of Harvard Graphics, Lotus and WordPerfect, respectively. It suggests that trying "to be all things to all people, you inevitably wind up in trouble." Of course, what these arguments fail to acknowledge is that the *product* integration and distribution can a profound effect on market penetration. In some cases, it makes the mistake of many marketing books suggesting that poor marketing and not junk products are the cause for the failure of products such as the Cadillac Allante. It would be nice if the authors, or any other authors for that matter, could develop a matrix of examples of bad/good marketing for bad/good products. Perhaps a text such as "How to market junk products to unwitting consumers and make money in the process" would be useful. Of course, any critic can poke holes in an author's work. To its credit, the simplicity gives readers a check list to compare against their exiting marketing initiatives. This text, while being useful, suffers from the same flaw as many marketing books in that it ignores the consumers ability to see through, disregard, and counteract marketing initiatives. In summary, it is worth reading (for free at the bookstore). However, I would suggest that it is a bit too basic to serve as a key reference.
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Summary: first and best book i have read on marketing
Review: from novice to experts - a must read
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Summary: I thought this was a Fantastic Book
Review: Al and Jack have a brisk, quick writing style that pumps their great, fresh ideas into your mind.
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Summary: The best book on Marketing ever published!
Review: This is a great book. Al Ries and Jack Trout have done it again. These are the laws of Marketing - Immutable laws to say the least. I really enjoyed reading this, and highlighting the most important parts that I could use or gain something from. I would like to introduce you to 4 laws that were described, that I found quite interesting. The Law of Mind (Law 3)"Thousands of would-be entrepreneurs are tripped up every year by this law. Someone has an idea or concept he or she will revolutionize an industry, as well it may. The problem is getting the idea or concept into a prospects mind.". The Law of Perception (Law 4)"The perception is the reality. Everything else is an illusion. Marketing is a Manipulation of these perceptions. Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products." The Law of Perspective (Law 11)"Many companies find they need a quartely dose of couponing to keep sales on an even keel. Any sort of couponing, discounts, or sales tends to educate consumers to buy only when they can get a discount. The Law of Acceleration (Law 21)"Successful programs are not built on fads, they're built on trends. But the best, most profitable thing to ride in marketing is a long-term trend. This is a law I will always try to remember. I really enjoyed this Marketing book. Please have a read - it will increase your knowledge of this main area of business in today's global, brand-orientated, complicated market-place. Cheers - Vaughan Allison PS. I'm off to read Marketing WAR-FARE!
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Summary: Whats golden often seems too simple at first
Review: I have had this book for years and often pull it out and leaf through it before writing an ad or thinking through a marketing idea. The book is so good I gave it to a friend who didn't know how to get a handle on marketing his new idea. Now, I want another copy and am buying a replacement today. Sure glad it is still in print. Some readers want a laid out formula, (duh, step one, step two...) which is okay for the un-creative. I prefer Ries and Trout`s approach which invites readers to think in a curious and interesting, but oh so elegantly simple, manner. Thanks Ries and Trout.
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Summary: Has Your Marketing Plan Failed?
Review: If your marketing plan has failed, then the chances are that you have not adhered to several of the 22 laws which are described in the clear and concise wording on 132 pages in this book. Each law or chapter is usually about five pages long, which requires only a short attention span to read it quickly. I do not recommend reading the book in one evening but to read a chapter and then reflect how these laws effect your company or products. I will only list those laws that I found most important for me: Law 3.) The Law of the Mind - It is better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace. Examples of this are the personal computer market with MITS Alistair 800 being the first in the marketplace; Apple was the second in the marketplace but first in the mind of the people. The same example is shown with different companies such as Remington Rand and IBM. Law 4.) The Law of Perception - Marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions. You can have a much better product than your competitor but perception wins out most of the time over product. A great example of this is the battle of the imported japanese car market of Honda, Toyota and Nissan as well as the soft drink war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Law 12.) The Law of Line Extension - There is an irresistable pressure to extend the equity of the brand. One of the best chapters of this book explains how a winning product is turned into a loser by creating a spin-off version of the original product. Marketing managers continue to make this fatal mistake today of taking a successful brank like Coke, then creating Cherry Coke, Coke Classic, Caffine Free Coke etc., Engaging in line extension dilutes the original successful brand and the new version will never recoup the market share lost by the leading product. In the end there is an overall market share drop for the entire brand. Other examples of this is IBM's flirtation with the personal computer market, which was already dominated by the Apples, Commodores and Ataris. The book is very condensed and I am sure a lot of the business scenarios depicted are more complex than they appear. Yes the book is rather old but a lot of these theories still have held true through the internet boom and bust cycle experienced over the last several years. All people in the field of marketing should have these laws chiseled into their crainium somewhere.
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Summary: Disappointing
Review: I absolutely HATED this book. From the first entry I could tell that these were outdated concepts presented in an arrogant and narrow minded manner. Guess I should have known based on the title and the year of publication, but I still feel bitter about having bought this book.
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Summary: It's so dated it's useless
Review: It has nothing to offer anyone now, it's too old.
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Summary: Illogical, Simplistic and Impractical Advice
Review: This collection of anecdotes and contradictory "laws" is probably the worst marketing book I have ever read. The only so-called law that Ries and Trout have provided ample evidence to support is the "law of hype," which says that the more a product is hyped the more likely it is to be a dud. The 17 executives in the front of the book who were somehow cajoled into hyping it certainly supports the theory. The only way they could honestly say this was the "best marketing book" they ever read was if it was the ONLY marketing book they ever read.
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Summary: Their method is what's revolutionary
Review: The content of is book is revolutionary and even shocking at times. A great step forward in the field of marketing. But the real genius of Trout and Reis is their method. They start with the facts and then intregrate them into principles. Reality actually means something to them, unlike most academic and even real-world marketers.
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