Rating: 
Summary: General information light reading
Review: I think the book is beneficial, but felt the information was stretched in presentation to warrant a "book." Plenty of blank space on pages for notes or doodles. I expected fresher case studies in higher quantities.
Rating: 
Summary: From the eyes of a marketing student
Review: I thought this book's strengths outnumber its weaknesses in great proportions. It is very easy to read and grabs your attention for a long time. I like the style of writing, because it is not as involving as a college textbook, for example, but is still able to convey meaning by using simple words.
What I found very helpful is how the authors illustrate all their statements with numerous examples. And they do it in a very familiar fashion - about businesses and companies we have all heard about. This makes the examples easy to comprehend and assimilate the message of the authors.
I loved the fact that I could read some advice about business on the Internet and how to position a brand name. It is always useful to know this information, because one never knows what is coming for him in the future.
The choice of wording for the heading of the book striked me at first, but then I figured that those words are very closely related to the content of the book. The authors use the word "immutable", which I did not feel comfortable with in the beginning, but after reading the book, I understood that they were trying to position "the brand" in the minds of the consumers, or readers.
In general, I will remember this book for its great structure and the way the authors lay out their ideas to build up the whole picture. I will definitely remember the fact that a company should strive for its brand name to become a generic name, instead of avoiding it.
I disliked the fact that the authors have stretched some of their ideas into several chapters. It would have been so much easier to combine them into one or a couple. On the other hand, may be they were trying to be as clear as possible and avoid any misunderstandings.
I also did not like the fact that the authors have contradicted themselves in laws 19 (the law of consistency) and 20 (the law of change). It is understandable that every rule has an exception, but it just does not go well with the spirit of the book. Especially when the authors are trying to make a point and defend a certain position, they should be able not to undermine their own statements.
In the part about Internet branding, the authors does not make it clear if the first 22 laws apply to that situation or should a business disregard them. They mention Amazon.com in a favorable manner, but this online retailer clearly violates many of the first 22 laws.
Rating:
Summary: YOU'LL BE "INVOLVED" WITH THIS LITTLE RIES CAMEO
Review: I write reviews on Amazon rather avidly. When I started reading this particular book, I knew it would be a good number to review. So I started marking everything in the book that I disagreed with or that I felt was worth commenting on. That the Ries duo relies on sweeping statements (e.g., "Quality of a product doesn't matter. It's all about brands.") hardly made my intentions any easier. Needless to say, my copy of 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is riddled with lots of ink and copious sidenotes. There is a lot I said "Really?" to while reading. But maybe that's the thing I adore about Ries Inc. Their books are anything but boring manuals on a topical issue so relevant to almost anyone in business. I was "involved" with this book like I have seldom been with a work of non-fiction. I adored and went all retrospective with the "Law of the Name" and the "Law of Globalism". The writing is trippy, semi-provocative and hence absolutely delectable in a piece of work such as this! Do I recommend it? Wholeheartedly. A wonderfully satisfying read. Just keep your discerning senses about you and think twice before wrapping your (brand management) career around all the advice this book proffers. Noteworthy: The whole book is also available in a PDF version, if you are not particularly averse to on-screen reading.
Rating:
Summary: Taking branding seriously
Review: I've been branding for most of my life. It's an intrinsic and essential feature of my profession. I thought I knew pretty much all there was to know - that is, until I saw this book. It claims to cover everything, and I must admit even I would be hard pressed to come up with 22 laws. Personally, I find some of the concepts apparently introduced in this book a bit far-fetched; I can't imagine how an idea like "branding people's minds" could be put into practice, nor, indeed, why you would want to. And as for "branding over the internet", well, to me that's just pure science fiction. Branding is a fairly personal thing, though, and everyone has their own tricks and techniques. I applaud the author for treating it as a serious enough subject to warrant an entire book.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully Pragmatic. Read it and apply it today.
Review: If you want to keep it simple, then this is definitely suggested reading. Branding is probably one of the most nebulus and subjective artifacts of modern marketing. Whether you are a Fortune 1000 VP managing an existing brand or a new graduate, the simple concepts and analogies in this book will help take some mystery out of branding and help every marketer do a more effective job. Even Nike could learn some new ideas, I read today that they are planning to increase ad spending by 46% in 2000, wonder why...?
Rating: 
Summary: Oh, my was this sad...
Review: Just the thought that there could be a set number of "laws", or that those laws are "immutable" is pathetic. The husband and wife team does a wonderful job of making it sound like they have discovered these fundamental truths about branding and the Internet. Any in-depth examination of these over simplified and sometimes-bizarre rules leave you only with an empty sense of their cleverness and no clearer idea on how to approach the challenges of branding. If you thought that you knew nothing about branding, and want some reassurance that there are people out there writing books who know even less, than definitely buy this book. Especially if you want help to try and take advantage of the clueless nature of many naive dot-coms who are susceptible to such mumbo jumbo.
Rating:
Summary: Hot Air, Brouhaha, and Other Polite Euphemisms
Review: Let me begin by saying I completely concur with the other readers who trashed this book. It is a total time-waster, a plate of rhetorical tripe, as are the reviews of those who raved about the book (many obviously paid off to write a nice, tidy review). Most of the 'arguments' in this book could be overturned by your average teenager, and most of the 'laws' are reformulations of the first 'law' cursorily outlined in the first chapter. And just so you don't think I'm some skeptical quack, I happen to work for a large branding consultancy.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening, Thought-Provoking
Review: Marketing guru Al Reis has again teamed with his daughter, Laura, president of their consulting firm, to bring us another book on marketing. This one focuses on branding, an area that has been misunderstood and misused for years-by some impressive companies. It's quite an educational experience to see how marketing giants stubbed their toes by violating one or more of Reis' Laws. Why focus on branding? According to the authors, "Marketing is brand building. The two concepts are so inextricably linked that it's impossible to separate them. Furthermore, since everything a company does can contribute to the brand-building process, marketing is not a function that can be considered in isolation." The branding concept should be of interest, therefore, to every executive and manager. The book itself is unique. It's a slightly different size than the typical 6 X 9 business book. It's a paperback and very lightweight. HarperBusiness has produced a book that's so light, you can tuck it in your briefcase to carry a book with you without it being a burden. And the cover is orange. When's the last time you saw an orange business book? You might expect this book to be a bit contrarian, in your face, and maybe even a little disrespectful of all those marketing giants. You won't be disappointed. It's plainly written, not complicated, and may even appear simplistic at times. The first part of this book presents chapter after chapter, explaining each of the 22 laws and giving examples of how companies have complied with or violated the laws in creating their brands. The authors pull no punches, providing evidence about how brands have won or lost, how they have built or destroyed companies, based on their understanding and application of Ries' Laws. The experiences shared can serve as valuable lessons to any company of any size. The book as it is titled is finished at page 110. At that point, the authors take us on a journey through The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding. This is a bonus you wouldn't expect, since it's not referenced in the title. There is a small-print reference on the cover, but these hints don't do justice the 125 pages of internet-focused content. With more space devoted to the emerging issues of internet branding, you can imagine the depth and challenging commentary you'll find in this half of the book. A comprehensive index completes the book. This book will raise some eyebrows and perhaps embarrass a few anonymous marketing managers who made costly errors. More importantly, readers equipped with the knowledge and insight from this book will have a better chance of doing the right thing with their brand development in the future. Read this book before making any branding decisions and save yourself a lot of grief . . . and money.
Rating:
Summary: Give credit where credit is due
Review: Nearly everything in this book is copied verbatim from the marketing classic "Positioning, the battle for you mind" by Jack Trout; Give credit where it's actually due.
Rating:
Summary: Give credit where credit is due
Review: Nearly everything in this book is copied verbatim from the marketing classic "Positioning, the battle for you mind" by Jack Trout; Give credit where it's actually due.
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