A Classic Concept in Marketing

Transcription

1 A Classic Concept in Marketing To be successful today, you must touch base with reality. And the only reality that counts is what s already in the prospect s minds (Ries & Trout, 1981, p. 5). It is this idea that sets the stage for positioning the groundbreaking marketing concept illustrated and explained by Al Ries and Jack Trout in their world-renown book and my second reading choice of the semester, Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind. Although written over 30 years ago, Positioning still proves relevant to the industry of advertising as it exists today. In the book s mere 200 pages, Ries and Trout thoroughly examine the societal issue of overcommunication and explain how their concept of positioning can act as a cure for the common clutter by strategically securing a unique position in the mind of the consumer (Wyld, 2010). These two literally wrote the book on positioning. And who better to do so considering that this notion was the brainchild conceived by Ries and Trout themselves. While the term positioning has become a common buzzword in strategic communications, it was Jack Trout who first introduced the concept in an article he wrote back in The idea of positioning was then popularized in a series by Ries and Trout titled The Positioning Era published in Advertising Age in the years following ("Quick mba," n.d.). Ries and Trout are two men who have truly established their expertise in the field of marketing communications and are therefore seen as credible sources of information and insight by those in the industry. Trout currently serves as the president of the prestigious Trout & Partners and has made many other notable contributions to the field of marketing, including his theory of marketing warfare, which is outlined in his second bestselling book under the same name ("Premiere speakers bureau," 2012).

2 Ries continues to work today as the chairman of his successful agency, Ries & Ries. He has been named as one of PR Week s 100 Most Influential Public Relations People of the 20 th Century and is regarded by many as a leading PR and marketing authority ("Celebrity speakers," 2012). Both men are seen as rock stars of the marketing industry and are paid as such to appear as speakers before an always-eager audience ("Premiere speakers bureau," 2012). Positioning was truly a revolutionary perspective at the time that the book was first published in However, I feel that in the years since then, the preaching of positioning by professors and professionals has become somewhat of a case of beating a dead horse. In this I mean that every idea presented in this book has been rewritten in countless class lectures and restated by numerous speakers to the point that I almost feel as if in reading this book, I did not particularly learn anything new. Instead, it was almost like going back and listening to an original version of a song after first hearing the cover. It is because of this that I had to regard this book much like I do The Beatles while it is absolutely genius, to really appreciate it, one must view it in the context of its time. And when it first appeared on the scene, Positioning was undoubtedly a hit. This book went against many of the practices that were then considered to be the most effective in marketing and advertising. However, today this idea is anything but new, and this is mostly attributed to the fact that any present-day marketer with half a brain has already adopted this theory of positioning as truth. And they should. While the specific examples illustrated in Positioning definitely date the book, the general ideas still prove valuable as applied to 21 st century marketing and advertising. Some of the key takeaways from this book are as follows: Regardless of what you think your brand stands for, it is all about the consumer s perception (Ries & Trout, p. 24).

3 We live in an over communicated society. While we continue to put out more and more messages, the return is diminishing (Ries & Trout, p. 6). Messages should be oversimplified. Less is more (Ries & Trout, p. 7-9). It is hard to change someone s mind. Most people only accept information as it applies to them; therefore, one should present messages that take the current mindset into consideration and build upon it (Ries & Trout, p ). You have to be #1 or at the very least #2. Brands should choose to compete in a category in which they can win. In order to be successful, you must seek a hole in the consumer market and fill it (Ries & Trout, p ). Names are important. They often have a significant impact on perceptions (Ries & Trout, p ). I found myself agreeing with almost every point Ries and Trout made, but I also suspect that this could be because it is what I have been told throughout my education to be the right way. Regardless, the authors make a valid case for each aspect of their positioning theory. The accompanying anecdotes may be more classic than current, but they still effectively get the point across. The authors present their information in a comprehensible manner and write in a way that is simple and cuts through the clutter which is practicing precisely what they preach. Many in the industry endorse Positioning as a must read for marketers and advertisers. In a review featured on Bookstove.com, David C. Wyld of Southeastern Louisiana University praised the efforts of Ries and Trout as many others do: Considering that this book was written in the 70 s I truly believe it was ahead of its time. Positioning today has become one of the most powerful marketing tools there is and that the importance of it has only increased over the years. I believe that what makes this book so unique is that it can still be applied and used even thirty years after it was published. In my opinion I think positioning has become even more

4 important today, compared to when the book was written, than ever before because of the high competition in today s business world. (2010) I also enjoyed this book, but I almost wish I had read it sooner preferably before I had heard everyone else s rehashing of the concept. An updated version would be really nice with more contemporary examples and references to new media but this book still did an excellent job of covering the basics. I recommend this book to anyone involved in the field of marketing or strategic communications, because in these industries, understanding positioning is a position in which you want to be.

5 References [APA Style] Celebrity speakers. (2012). Retrieved from Premiere speakers bureau. (2012). Retrieved from Quick mba. (n.d.). Retrieved from Ries, A., & Trout, J. (1981). Positioning: The battle for your mind. New York, NY: McGraw- Hill. Wyld, D. C. (2010, April 02). Summary and review of positioning: The battle for your mind by al ries and jack trout [Web log message]. Retrieved from