Book Review - Part I: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Why are we reviewing the 22 immutable laws of marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout? Especially considering it was published in 1993 - and the internet was barely a decade old?!
For starters, at ADage we understand that there are some timeless problems in marketing and sales. We also believe that there’s always the opportunity to innovate but you have to know where you came from. The fact that the book is dedicated to “the elimination of myths and misconception from the marketing process,” was enough of a reason for us to believe that it was worth sharing…but looking at the outcomes of the companies referenced in the book, they seem prophetic.
As they astutely pointed out at the time, “when a company makes a mistake today, footprints quickly show up on its back as competition runs off with its business. To get the business back the company has to wait for others to make mistakes and then figure out how to exploit their situation.” They point out that the way to avoid making mistakes in the first place is easy - make sure your programs are in tune with the fundamental laws of marketing.
Self-admittedly, what makes two ad guys from Connecticut capable of discovering what thousands of others overlooked? Simple, no one else was willing to admit that there are any laws of marketing - much less, and that they were immutable. If there are laws of nature, something wholly unpredictable in most cases, why wouldn’t there be laws of marketing? But as Alchemy points out - a flower is just a weed with an advertising budget.
The rebel-innovators on our team agree that for a damn near 30-year-old book about rules it absolutely packed with actionable insights that can position your brand for the better.
The turning point here is that while Jane will benefit from the activities the community offers and the maintenance-free lifestyle, the event that triggered her search was her husband’s fall and her current isolated living arrangement. These two urgent, base concerns can create overwhelming feelings of insecurity, causing Jane to feel unsafe. With emotional safety needs coming second only to the physical survival needs; humans are programmed to seek safety with all their attention in order to survive. It is only once a person feels safe that they can turn their attention to the other needs further up the hierarchy, such as seeking connection and belonging.
The Laws of The Land
The law of leadership
“It’s better to be first than it is to be better.” Waiting for the market to be *primed* means losing the first-mover advantage AND the opportunity to be TOP of mind for prospects. This law applies across all products, brands and categories. Example: Do you call them adhesive bandages or Band-Aids? Wrap your gifts with cellophane tape or Scotch tape? PRO TIP: You don’t actually have to be first to market, you just have to be the one people perceive as first - it’s a battle of perception, not perfect timing!
The law of category
“If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.” It’s OK if you don’t come up first in a prospect's mind, don’t give up hope. Just find a new category you can be first in - it’s not that hard! This is where you have to let go of logic for a minute. Forget being the leading brand and start thinking in categories… By being willing to be a groundbreaker, you create a landscape that essentially has no competition.
The law of the mind
“It’s better to be first in the mind, than to be first in the marketplace.”
Thankfully, there’s ‘more than one way to skin a cat.’ Being first in the marketplace is only important to the extent that it allows you to get to the mind first. Minds rarely change once they are made up, and if you want to make a memorable impression, disruption is the only way!
The law of perception
“Marketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions.”
There are no facts. There are no “best” products. There is merely the perception in the mind of the prospect. Everything else is an illusion. Marketers' role is to manipulate those perceptions. A perception that exists in the mind is often interpreted as a universal truth. If success is winning a battle of perceptions, then Marketing is a strategic process of dealing with those perceptions.
“Only by studying how perceptions are formed in the mind and focusing your marketing programs on those perceptions can you overcome your basically incorrect Marketing instincts.” Those instincts are the belief in the fallacy that if our product is genuinely better - and we can prove that to the prospect - then we will beat the competition.
Prospects have flawed decision-making frameworks as well! The “everybody knows” principle is when prospects use secondhand information to make their buying decisions based on someone else’s perception of reality. PRO TIP: This is why online reviews matter SO MUCH. Learn More!