The Law of Exclusivity

It's better to be first in the mind than it is to be first in the marketplace. Marketing is the battle of perception, not the product.

Be first in the mind as people don't like to change their minds. Once the mind is made up, it seldom changes.

The strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.

It is not all over if you fail to be the first in the prospect's mind. There are also strategies to use for No. 2 and No. 3 brands.

Not all products are equal. Your marketing strategy should focus o...

The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press.

The only time you need hype is when you're in trouble. The only revolutions you can predict are the ones that have already started.

The front page won't give you clues to the future. For that, y...

Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends.

• A fad is a wave, but a trend is a tide.
• A fad is very visible and gets lots of publicity, but a trend is almost invisible and powerful in the long run.
• A fad is short-lived, and wh...

It's better to be first than it is to be better.

• In marketing, the fundamental issue is creating a category you can be first in. It's easier to get into the mind first than to try to change someone's mind that you have a better product.
• Not ...

Marketing is not a battle of products but a battle of perception.

There are no best products. It's all an illusion. What exists are perceptions in the minds of the customer.

The logical way to think is that you'll succeed based on the merits of the product. But it i...

When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you the positive.

The most effective way to get into a prospect's mind is to admit a negative, then turn it into a positive.

Honesty works well in the marketing process:

• Candour is very disarming...

You have to give up something in order to get something.

If you want to be successful, you should sacrifice the following:

• Product line. Where is it written that the more you have to sell, the more you sell? If you want to be successful, you h...

In the long run, every market becomes a two-horse race.

A new category may have many rungs in the beginning. But, over time, the ladder has only two.

When you have a long view of marketing, the battle is often the struggle between two major players - the reliable br...

In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.

The only thing that works in marketing is a single, bold stroke, not the sum total of a lot of small efforts.

In marketing, there is only one place where a competitor is vulnerable. And that place sh...

If you're shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader.

Trying to establish a firm foothold on the second rung means you have to study the firm above you. Where is its strength? Can you turn it into a weakness? Discover the essence of the leader, th...

For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute.

It's far better to search for an opposite attribute that will enable you to play off against the leader, instead of being similar to the leader.

Marketing is the battle of ideas. To succeed, you must ha...

If you can't be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.

When you launch a new product, ask what category this product is first in. This is contrary to classic marketing thinking, which is about getting people to prefer your brand. D...

Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories. Categories never combine.

A category starts as a single entity but breaks up into other parts. For example, computers became minicomputers, workstations, laptops, notebooks. Companies may erroneously try ...

Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time.

Marketing moves often show the same phenomenon: Long-term effects are often the direct opposite of short-term ones.

In the short term, a sale increases business, but in the long term, sales educate custom...

The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind.

The word should not be complicated or invented. Simple words are the best. The leader owns the word that stands for the category.

If you're not a leader, your word must...

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. One reason for marketing failure is the failure to forecast competitive reaction.

• A short-term plan is to come u...

Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.

Objectivity is crucial. When organisations become successful, they tend to become less objective and often substitute their judgment for what the market wants.

The ego is helpful as a driving force in build...

Failure is to be expected and accepted. Admitting a mistake and not dealing with it is bad for your career. So instead, recognise failure early and cut your losses.

Too many companies try to save the situation instead of dropping things.

There's an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of a brand.

At one time, a company is deeply focused on a single product that is highly profitable, but the next moment the same company is spread thin over many products and making a loss.

1. Marketing is a batt...