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The Law of the Generic: One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand a generic name.

Al Ries

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Al Ries
Age: 98
Born: 1926
Born: November 14
Author
Economist
Atlanta
Georgia
Brand
Brands
Failure
Name
Names
Law
Generic
Giving
Fastest
Routes

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The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity.
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It's the first company to build the mental position that has the upper hand, not the first company to make the product. IBM didn't invent the computer Sperry Rand did. But IBM was the first to build the computer position in the prospect's mind.
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Strategy should evolve out of the mud of the marketplace, not in the antiseptic environment of an ivory tower.
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A branding program should be designed to differentiate your cow from all the other cattle on the range. Even if all the cattle on the range look pretty much alike.
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The Internet is the ultimate in brand-centered buying.
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To get into the consumer's mind, you have to sacrifice. You have to reduce the essence of your brand to a single thought or attribute. An attribute that nobody else already owns in your category.
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Marketing is what a company is in business to do. Marketing is a company's ultimate objective.
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If you can build a powerful brand, you will have a powerful marketing program. If you CAN'T then all the advertising, fancy packaging, sales promotion and public relations in the world won't help you achieve your objective.
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Everyone is interested in what‘s new. Few people are interested in what‘s better.
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A successful branding program is based on the concept of singularity. It creates in the mind of the prospect the perception that there is no product on the market quite like your product.
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Today, communication itself is the problem. We have become the world's first overcommunicated society. Each year we send more and receive less.
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Good things happen when you narrow your focus.
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The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospects mind.
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Marketing is not selling. Marketing is building a brand in the mind of the prospect.
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Positioning is not what you do to a product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect.
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Customers want brands that are narrow in scope and distinguishable by a single word, the shorter the better.
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Changing the direction of a large company is like trying to turn an aircraft carrier. It takes a mile before anything happens. And if it was a wrong turn, getting back on course takes even longer.
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A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.
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What's your brand? If you can't answer that question about your own brand in two or three words, your brand's in trouble.
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What should a brand leader advertise?Brand leadership, of course. Leadership is the single most important motivating factor in consumer behavior.
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