The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

"Once you open your mind to the possibility that there are laws of marketing, it’s easy to see what they are. In truth, they are obvious."

1. The Law of Leadership - It's better to be first than it is to be better.

"The leading brand in any category is almost always the first brand into the prospect's mind."

2. The Law of the Category - If you can't be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.

"If you didn't get into the prospect's mind first, don't give up hope. Find a new category you can be first in. It's not as difficult as you might think."

3. The Law of the Mind - It's better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.

"If you want to make a big impression on another person, you cannot worm your way into their mind and then slowly build up a favorable opinion over a period of time. The mind doesn't work that way. You have to blast your way into the mind."

4. The Law of Perception - Marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions.

"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."

5. The Law of Focus - The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind.

"A company can become incredibly successful if it can find a way to own a word in the mind of the prospect. Not a complicated word. Not an invented one. The simple words are best."

6. The Law of Exclusivity - Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect's mind.

"When a competitor owns a word or position in the prospect's mind, it is futile to attempt to own the same word."

7. The Law of the Ladder - The strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.

"There's a hierarchy in the mind that prospects use in making decisions."

8. The Law of Duality - In the long run, every market becomes a two-horse race.

"When you take the long view of marketing, you find the battle usually winds up as a titanic struggle between two major players - usually the old reliable brand and the startup."

9. The Law of the Opposite - If you are shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader.

"Much like a wrestler uses his opponent's strength against him, a company should leverage the leader's strength into a weakness."

10. The Law of Division - Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories.

"Categories are dividing, not combining."

11. The Law of Perspective - Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time.

"The long-term effects are often the exact opposite of the short-term effects."

12. The Law of Line Extension - There's an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand.

"One day a company is tightly focused on a single product that is highly profitable. The next day the same company is spread thin over many products and is losing money."

13. The Law of Sacrifice - You have to give up something in order to get something.

"There are three things to sacrifice: product line, target market, and constant change."

14. The Law of Attributes - For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute.

"Marketing is a battle of ideas. So if you are to succeed, you must have an idea or attribute of your own to focus your efforts around. Without one, you had better have a low price. A very low price."

15. The Law of Candor - When you admit negative, the prospect will give you a positive.

"The purpose of candor isn't to apologize. The purpose of candor is to set up a benefit that will convince your prospect."

16. The Law of Singularity - In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.

"Successful generals study the battleground and look for that one bold stroke that is least expected by the enemy."

17. The Law of Unpredictability - Unless you write your competitor's plans, you can't predict the future.

"Marketing plans based on what will happen in the future are usually wrong."

18. The Law of Success - Success often leads to arrogance and arrogance to failure.

"Ego is the enemy of successful marketing."

19. The Law of Failure - Failure is to be expected and accepted.

"Too many companies try to fix things rather than drop things."

20. The Law of Hype - The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press.

"Capturing the imagination of the public is not the same as revolutionizing a market."

21. The Law of Acceleration - Successful programs are not built on fads, they're built on trends.

"A fad is a wave in the ocean, and a trend is the tide."

22. The Law of Resources - Without adequate funding an idea won't get off the ground.

"First get the idea, then go get the money to exploit it."