Rating: 
Summary: great
Review:
Once again, the point is clear: the brand naming process is critical for a co.'s bottom line. Easy read, a must for those interested in communication (most of you I would presume).
Rating: 
Summary: Best book ever written on marketing
Review:
Al Ries writes the what marketing is, like a poem of Edgar Allan Poe. In a very simple, easy to read way, very short, but includes a lot of thinking. This book does include more marketing insight than Kotler's thousand pages. I recommend every new starter in marketing department in our company, to firstly read that book, and discuss with me after reading.
(and after 2 years of time, when the company makes the person blind)
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting subject, unchallenging presentation
Review: "Positioning" is a book written to appeal to the then burgeoning "marketing professional" a job description that I do not believe was well separated from advertising as of yet. Therefore, "positioning" caters to people who are involved in the selling of products and services, but that do not necessarily have any formal training in psychology. Although some of the bases of the theory of perception and memory are inherent in the concept presented as "positioning", the theoretical underpinning are not explored at all, and the authors either do not know about them, or make no effort to demonstrate they do, which in a way undermines the effectiveness of the contents of the book. This happens because, due to the lack of any theoretical basis for the concepts the authors claim to be effective, the book becomes a series of anecdotes that have not withheld the passing of time very well. This would not matter if there was some theoretical backing for the arguments presented, but leaving the whole support of the ideas to anecdotes from "successful" companies that have (in most cases unconsciously) applied the concept of positioning makes the book very weak after 20 years."Positioning" also falls for the logical trap of presenting all ideas as directives, and then copping out by establishing that, if it doesn't work, it must be the marketing practitioner's fault. The last chapter mentions that "To be successful at positioning, you have to have the right mental attitude... This requires patience, courage, and strength of character". Therefore, if the "positioning" strategy fails, it is your fault, not the concepts. Also, the examples that are not success stories are presented ambiguously enough to leave unclear whether the "directions" should be followed or not, but there are enough straightforward instructions to make you feel like the concept is foolproof, and that any failures in applying the techniques marked as "winners" are through the marketing manager's fault, not that the concept might be incomplete. The book is not without merit, since it does approach the subject quite clearly and concisely, and does give an approximation to a concept that is well known and well researched by now. It is a shame that an interesting subject and an interesting topic is presented in such an unrewarding and unchallenging manner.
Rating:
Summary: A must read, but little practical examples
Review: A classic in marketing how-tos, the authors explain the importance of offering something for sale that appeals to the buyer, not to the seller, creator, or manufacturer. The product is positioned relative to the consumer, and her needs and viewpoints of value. The basic theory is that you get into the mind of your consumer, and position your product accordingly. And on that point, almost anyone would have to agree. You will not find the gory details in this book that you'll need to execute a marketing plan, though, but the general theme is examined, as well as various positioning examples (everything from Kleenex to Heinz Ketchup - or was that pickles?). I was particularly disappointed about a lack of methodology to reach a positioning statement, other than some fairly broad "rules", lightly applied throughout the book. There were six questions at the end that were helpful, but did not constitute a rigorous method - well, any method really - to create a "position". If anything, I would have wished for the method that could be used to create positioning for a product, or to test a company's current positioning, rather than have as many examples of positioning failures. Some of the author's examples seemed contradictory, and especially when the authors claimed that brand extension amounts to a virtual see-saw - one product steals the brand identity from another (Heinz Ketchup vs. Heinz Pickles - who is Heinz!?). From hindsight, it can be seen that some brand extensions have been extremely successful, while others aren't. It should shock no one that people don't want to use baking soda as anti-perspirant, for instance, and therefore completely explaining why we use Arm & Hammer to cook and deodorize the refrigerator, but do not think of it as a personal hygiene brand. I can't think of anything that I would remove from the refrigerator and rub under my arms. In any case, this remains a quick, good read with short chapters. The examples illustrate the concepts, but you'll need to follow this up with other positioning and marketing examples in order to position your product within your industry.
Rating: 
Summary: Good anecdotes, points could have been summarized better
Review: A lot of interesting anecdotes and good points made by the authors. Definitely useful to help one market their product, service, and company -- and themselves. At one point a situation is being discussed and it is written that doing such and such would violate the number one rule of positioning theory. What are these rules, I don't see a list in this book. There are a lot of thought-provoking examples, which is great, but would have liked it all pulled together and summarized better.
Rating:
Summary: A Winner !!
Review: A must read for the student or practitioner of marketing communication or advertising. Ries and Trout offer "street wise" advice along with real world experience in a witty, sometimes cocky manner. The book is easy to read, and importantly, entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: A "Business Classic"
Review: Although it has been many years since this book was first published (1993), it remains relevant to the contemporary business world and is probably more valuable now than ever before. It is truly a "classic" in company with Levitt's The Marketing Imagination and few others. The basic concept is that whatever you and your associates may think of what you sell, how it is perceived by those who are asked to buy is really what determines whether or not it will be purchased. Literally, the marketplace's perceptions (including those of competitors) are the decisive realities. To position a given product or service effectively, therefore, is to have it perceived to be superior to (or at least more desirable than) other purchase options. In an age when almost every product and service has become a commodity, "customer service" and "brand equity" have necessarily been re-defined but the principles affirmed by Ries and Trout remain unchanged. The challenge to marketers now is to differentiate with a more complicated multiple of components which include perceived value (rather than cost), perceived quality, perceived reliability (hence product or service credibility as well as credibility of seller), and perceived ease and convenience of doing business with the seller. There is one other component which should also be included: the pleasure of the purchase experience which Schmitt's explains brilliantly in Experiential Marketing as do Pine and Gilmore in The Experience Economy and Wolf in The Entertainment Economy. When Ries and Trout wrote this book almost a decade ago, the positioning strategies they recommended were in response to a competitive marketplace quite different from the one they and we now survey. Nonetheless, the urgency of effective positioning remains...indeed is even greater today. This is one of the very few books on marketing which should be re-read at least every 3-6 months. (Ditto Levitt's book.) One final point: There is a direct correlation between customer expectations and their perceptions. As the former become higher (sometimes unrealistic), the latter change accordingly. Whatever you offer for sale, make certain that you fully understand customer expectations first before deciding how to manage customer perceptions. Those perceptions are within a frame-of-reference which constantly changes. Positioning is not a location; rather, a strategic imperative.
Rating:
Summary: A must
Review: Are you in the ad buzz?...if so, you must read this (in the case you haven't yet done it!) Nowadays getting to understand how is that brand/product perceived in each consumer mind is the key to succeed. Here's explained not just the concept, but the ways to achieve the goals. Positioning is everything in marketing. This book will be helpful for students or proffesionals that need to be up to date.
Rating:
Summary: The Battle for your Mind
Review: As a psychologist, I like the authors' subtitle. The concept of "Positioning" applies to this book itself, too -- there are a lot of competing books about advertising today. But the sophisticated marketing approach in this book makes it a true stand out. My advice: Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: i do believe this is the way marketing (still) works
Review: at this point in time. some shifts in terms of brand disenchantment have been noted, but this is, in my opinion, still the way the marketing (customer's mind) works and how markete should go about putting their products in the market.
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