Marketing is nothing but a manipulation of perception in the mind of the prospect. Marketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perception. However, one way to achieve this is to have a simple brand name that resonates with prospects. In fact, it’s one of the most wasteful things you can do. Once a mind is made up, no matter how much you spend in marketing, it’s going to be difficult to change it. This law modifies the first law, asserting that being first in the market is only important if you can get into the mind of the consumer first. In marketing, being first in the “mind” is critical and precedes being first in the market. Once you’ve made up your mind about something, how difficult is it to change it? It’s better to be first in the mind than it is to be first in the marketplace. Even though Marie Curie was not the first woman scientist, she was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Then, you won’t have to worry about your competition as you’re already first in that category.Įxamples: Although IBM was the first company in computers, Dell was the first to market their computers by phone. The idea is to always be first.Īnd if you’re first in a “new” category, you need to promote that category, and not the product. When launching a new product or service, don’t be focused on how this product is better than what the competition has, but rather what category is this product a “first” in. If the industry you’re in is already saturated and has a lot of competition, you need to start thinking differently. Most people are interested in what’s new in the market, rather than what’s better.

If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in. People always recognize the product that got there first as the leader in the market and the better product - and marketing is a clash of perceptions, not products and services.Įxamples: How many times have you said if you could make a “Xerox” copy? Or get a “Kleenex”? Or buy a “Coke”? Even if the machine is clearly not a Xerox, the tissue paper just a generic brand, and the soda, not Coca-Cola, the brand sticks in your mind as it got there first. The idea is to create a category you can be first in, rather than convincing potential prospects your offering is the better choice. The law of leadership applies to any industry, any product or service or any brand.

If you’re the first one in the market you’re already a step ahead of the rest. It’s better to be first than it is to be better. Let’s look at each of these 22 laws and summarize them for you. In their book, “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing”, Al Ries and Jack Trout, outline each of these laws in distinct detail.

The 22 immutable laws of branding pdf