The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Violate Them at Your Own Risk!
The Test of Time
Although written more than 30 years ago, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing presented by Al Ries & Jack Trout do appear to be “mostly” immutable. I say mostly as they did not predict the advent of Social Media. As such, “The Law of Resources: Without adequate funding, an idea won’t get off the ground.” can be argued false as anyone can procure a voice and broadcast it to the world in today’s society. Otherwise, the precepts provided appear to be well grounded in the research and case studies provided throughout the work.
Lessons learned the hard way
Although some of the laws presented are extremely actionable, many are presented in a manner that would claim abstinence as the best practice. For example, “The Law of Line Extension” speaks on the negative consequences of diluting your brand and focus through extending your product line. Although this technique may provide a short term insurgence of sales, the long term effects can be catastrophic.
A Matter of Focus
Inline with messages from recent books like The One Thing, Start With Why or Anything You Want, it is clear that a singular purpose/focus is paramount. Within The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, much emphasis is placed on focusing efforts on owning a word, a category, or an attribute… but only one! As the authors state, “You can’t stand for something if you chase after everything.” These laws in particular shine truer than ever as so many companies violate the Law of Line Extension, pumping out variations upon variations of products. In a sea of variety, you either stand out as “tried and true” or you mix in with the rest of the “gimmick” products designed to capitalize on short-term fads.
Quality is NOT a Valid Focus Point
Probably my favorite quote from the book is, “You can’t narrow the focus with quality or any other idea that doesn’t have proponents for the opposite point of view.” Yes, brands do tout their “high quality”, but in comparison to what? Who is claiming to be the “low quality” product. In other words, you do not set yourself apart from the competition with the claims of high quality as no competitor claims the opposite. If this were applied to politics, it would be like running your campaign on being an “honest” politician. Now, I’m sure that idea alone gets a chuckle, but the truth is, no politician is going to run a campaign on being “dishonest” and so no real merit is gained through such a claim… It's what all politicians should be to begin with! Just like all products should be high quality, it's simply not something you need to point out. In fact, pointing out these “assumed” attributes only leads the prospect to wonder why they are being informed of the "obvious" and to question the validity of the statement.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book!
Everyone is interested in what’s new. Few people are interested in what’s better.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Marketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
All that exists in the world of marketing are perceptions in the minds of the customer or prospect. The perception is the reality. Everything else is an illusion.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Truth is nothing more or less than one expert’s perception. And who is the expert? It’s someone who is perceived to be an expert in the mind of somebody else.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
The essence of marketing is narrowing the focus. You become stronger when you reduce the scope of your operations. You can’t stand for something if you chase after everything.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
You can’t narrow the focus with quality or any other idea that doesn’t have proponents for the opposite point of view.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
You can’t change people’s minds once they are made up. In fact, what you often do is reinforce your competitor’s position by making its concept more important.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
The longer term effects of your actions are often the opposite of the short-term effects.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
You have to give up something in order to get something.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Candor is very disarming. Every negative statement you make about yourself is instantly accepted as truth. Positive statements, on the other hand, are looked at as dubious at best. Especially in an advertisement.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
The purpose of candor isn’t to apologize. The purpose of candor is to set up a benefit that will convince your prospect.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
When you assume that nothing will change, you are predicting the future just as surely as when you assume that something will change.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Like a wave, a fad is very visible, but it goes up and down in a big hurry. Like the tide, a trend is almost invisible, but it’s very powerful over the long term.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
You can’t save your way to success.Al Ries & Jack Trout : The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
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