Product Description

Everyone knows that building your product or service into a bona fide brand is the only way to stand out in today's insanely crowded marketplace. The only question is how do you do it? This is the definitive text on branding, distilling complex theories and principles behind this key marketing term into in twenty-two easy-to-read vignettes including: The Law of Contraction A brand becomes stronger when you narrow its focus The Law of the Word A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer The Law of Fellowship In order to build the category, a brand should welcome other brands World-renowned marketing guru Al Ries and his daughter and business partner Laura Ries examine brand-blazing strategies from the world's best, including Coca-Cola, Xerox, BMW, Federal Express and Starbucks, to provide you with the expert insight you need to build a world-class brand.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18078 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
As it becomes increasingly associated with impressive corporate gains realised in recent years by companies ranging from Virgin and Rolex to Daewoo and Volvo, "branding" has developed into one of the marketing world's hottest concepts. And for good reason, contend well- known strategist Al Ries and his daughter Laura Ries in The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding: How to Build a Product or Service into a World-Class Brand.

"Marketing is building a brand in the mind of the prospect," they write. "If you can build a powerful brand you will have a powerful marketing programme. 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." A no-holds-barred look at a diverse collection of successful--and not-so- successful-- branding efforts undertaken by a number of high-profile firms, their book distills the most critical principles involved into a series of clear rules with straightforward titles such as "The Law of Expansion", "The Law of Contraction", "The Law of Consistency", and "The Law of Mortality". While some of their suggestions may at first seem counterintuitive, together they compose a logical blueprint for success in today's ever-more-competitive environment. --Howard Rothman, Amazon.com

From the Author
Branding is the future of business.
Our book shatters the conventional wisdom of brand development. We lay down the laws that can make the difference between success and failure in the marketplace for your brand. We answer questions like: Which is more important Advertising or PR? Should we line extend? How important is quality? What color and shape should our logo be? Do we go global? When do we let a brand die? How often do we change our slogan? Should we block competitors from entering our market? Do we promote the category or our brand? What should we name our brand?

About the Author
Laura Ries is a graduate of Northwestern University and a partner in the marketing strategy firm Ries & Ries. They act as consultants of major corporations, including Alcoa, Frito-Lay, Glaxo Wellcome, Merck and Pillsbury.

Customer Reviews

Simple, not simplistic
This is one of the simplest yet most important books I read on branding. Al and Laura Ries outline 22 short rules for success in branding - or failure, if you go against them.

Some of these rules are very obvious, such as The Law of Credentials and The Law of the Name. Others are not and will you will have to take the odd deep breath and ask yourself if that really was what the authors meant. Once you think it, though, it all makes perfect sense and you're already on the next chapter.

The authors didn't even have to drown the reader with useless, obscure case studies, when examples of brands everyone knows about are so plentiful. The language is simple and relaxed and so very effective.

So, if you're not hoping for a treaty on marketing this is the right book for you. It doesn't matter if you're a student, a seasoned marketer or a consumer who wants to know what some people are doing to consumers' minds: you will find this highly informative, blunt, enlightening and very fun to read.

Good, but please! don't expect nirvana
I can't believe some of these other reviews. Some guy gave it 5 stars and admitted that he hadn't read it yet! I assume that isn't a plant, because it's too stupid to be a plant.

The book is good, thought-provoking, and has some real insights. HOWEVER, it is a little simplistic, and it's written for the brand manager of Coke. For those of us without 80+ years of brand history behind us yet, some of his advice isn't relevant. Also, some of his conclusions are just too simplistic: "Symbols are overrated and don't matter much anyway" (paraphrasing). Come on. You can't tell me the swoosh isn't a powerful asset, and the authors admit it, but they poo-poo the entire concept.

Section on naming is very insightful. And the hard advice on expansion is right on! Overall, good, and worth buying for any marketing person. But, this is definitely NOT the bible. Come on, people!

This is one of my all-time top 5 most re-read business books
Of all the business books I have ever read (quite a few by now) this is probably the one I have recommended to the most people. Despite being a thin book and an easy read to boot, it offers some deceptively deep insight into what does or doesn't work in branding.

I would certainly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in business, whether or not they are directly involved in brand development. For those who are, reading this is an absolute must.