The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

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Summary: One of the best marketing books ever written. Timeless.
Review: This book is a fast read. It covers strategic, high-level marketing like no other marketing book, and I'm a Marketing MBA who has read 400+ marketing books. The book shows how "positioning" is critical for any business. And the 22 laws can be reduced to a list that fits on one page. Absolutely Excellent.

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Summary: awesome
Review: I've always been partial to immutable laws. The tape is entertaining, good car listening. The laws are clearly self evident once you've heard them and you wonder why you didn't know all that already and were about to go off and do something stupid. It's cheap, get it.

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Summary: Insightful, but often incorrect
Review: I enjoyed reading this book and understanding the ideas presented in it. However, it is full of predictions and assumptions that have been proven wrong. Does this mean the "laws" are invalid? Perhaps. Does it mean the authors are to blame for making predictions based on these "laws," that for example, Microsoft will fail to unseat the then-dominant Lotus 1-2-3? Likely.

Then again, some events - like the one above - could merely be the exception. Looking at the laws from a broader point of view, they do make sense. That is, applying them to most companies rather than holding the exceptions as proof at the book is invalid and wrong.

Anyway, I'm sure you will like this book, whether or not you're in marketing. Don't be too critical of the laws and you'll walk away with knowledge you did not have before.

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Summary: Good read, but dated
Review: I would heartily recommend the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing to any marketing professional who is looking to get a little insight into how to more effectively market your company. It's got some great points to make and performs that task admirably.

If I had any complaint, it is that the book is really showing its age by 2005. Reading through some of the laws, in which they hold up certain companies as model practitioners, I can't help but be struck by the fact that these companies DON'T EXIST anymore - or if they do, they certainly don't have the same stature that Trout and Ries afford them in the book. I mean, seriously, holding up Commodore as a successful computer company is almost laughable in this day and age. In the same manner, a company like DHL Worldwide is presented as having a firm lock on international overnight shipping that FedEx's own marketing campaign can't break. In 2005, I think I'd rate DHL as a distant third behind both FedEx and UPS.

It's not that the Laws are bad - in fact, I think they are, for the most part, excellent. Just be ready for a few chuckles (unintentional on the author's part, I'm sure) as you read through their examples of companies that utilize their "Immutable Laws" and yet no longer hold any position of dominance in the market...

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Summary: This is my business bible!
Review: For someone who does not have an MBA, and knows very little about business, this was the best book I ever read for giving me the most insight into what I should/should not do in my business. I have recommended this book to every other entrepreneur that I know, and keep it on my desk as one of the "must have references" for my business. While the stories may seem outdated, the principals are still true today. My favorites are "The Law of the Category", "The Law of the Mind", The Law of Duality," and "The Law of Division." I have used some of the "laws" with many a client and gotten them to see that their planned road of marketing was not the right road. You must buy this book!

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Summary: An excellent marketing book
Review: This book again proves that the worth of a book is not by its weight. This short book spells out 22 essential laws of marketing that everyone in business, not just marketing people, should read. This is an essential book for college students and up, especially those that will eventually work in private industry.

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Summary: A MUST HAVE FOR THE MARKETING ENTHUSIAST!!!
Review: Normally when someone things about marketing strategy, they start envisioning how to market their products better than the competition. A marketer begins to focus on the strengths and weakness of the products they represent in contrast to the strengths and weaknesses of the competitor's products. After various marketing research techniques have been administered, the customer's wants and needs are analyzed. Then a marketing strategy is developed, with the consumer's interest in mind, to effectively reach the target market. In this book, Ries and Trout agree with this broad definition of the marketing approach, however, they further amplify the proper "laws" of effective marketing strategy. I will be discussing three of the twenty two important laws for a successful marketing scheme. According to Ries and Trout following these "laws" will enable a corporation to maintain their dominance within their industry while minimizing conflicts that may arise.
STRENGTHS
* "Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time"

* "If your shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader"
* "It is better to be first than it is to be better"
* "Success often leads to arrogance and arrogance leads to failure"
* "You have to give up something in order to get something"
WEAKNESSES

I felt that Ries and Trout did a good job in presenting their laws for an effective marketing strategy. At first I was taken back when I was reading the first chapter because they opened up with it's better to be first and that's all. So I had the impression that there was no room for second. All these companies came to mind that I believed were successful and they were not the first in the industry. After I continued reading however I realized that my perception of what Ries and Trout were saying was incorrect. The only point I have a hard time agreeing with from this book is the very first law, "It's better to be first than better". I agree to a certain extent that the first person to do something will be remembered more frequently then any other individuals to follow. However, our society has advanced tremendously since the last decade. I believe it's just as important to make a product more efficient once it has been introduced. Companies like 3M and DuPont constantly innovate and design products to become more efficient. I believe that it is important to be first in an industry, but one should make sure the product they are bringing to the industry displays a certain level of quality also.
RECOMMENDATION
I felt that this book was very informative. The examples of various companies that took a downfall because of incorrect marketing strategies made this book an easy read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering a career in marketing. This book makes an individual realize the important guidelines to follow while developing an effective marketing strategy. Without proper marketing strategy implementation the future of a company's long term objectives may be at risk.


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Summary: Marketing "laws" that even finance majors would benefit
Review: This is an extremely good marketing book. Having just finished a marketing management class, this book will definitely be in my library! It has examples from actual companies to help reinforce each immutable marketing law. The author's have done an excellent job in making the reader more informed about the marketing process.

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Summary: Great and Easy Book To Read!!!!
Review: I thought that this book was very easy to read and understand. The authors tells you very well about all the laws of marketing which I thought could be a very good guideline for people in the marketing field. It is a very short book so it won't take you too long to finish it!!! Highly recommended for reading!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review:
This little gem of a book is an absolute must read for any serious marketer. 22 clear consice examples of marketing success that household companies have had due in large part to these principles. The best part of this book is the fact that these "laws" apply to all industries and all methods of distribution.

Gary Melnikoff, Partner, Long Term Care Financial Partners.