brand-positioning-theory

# Brand Positioning Theory Framework

Quick reference for positioning a brand using methodologies from Al Ries, Jack Trout, and Marty Neumeier.

> "Marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions." — Al Ries & Jack Trout

> "When everybody zigs, zag." — Marty Neumeier

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## Ries & Trout's 5 Core Principles

1. **Positioning happens in the mind**: You don't position products; you position perceptions. The only reality that counts is what's already in the prospect's mind.

2. **The mind is limited**: In an "over-communicated society," the mind can only hold a few brands per category. Simplicity wins.

3. **First is powerful**: Being first to get into the prospect's mind is more vital than having a superior product. "It's better to be first than it is to be better."

4. **Own a word**: Successful positioning means associating your brand with a specific word. Volvo owns "safety." FedEx owns "overnight." Crest owns "cavities."

5. **Find the hole (Cherchez le Creneau)**: Look for an unoccupied position in the marketplace. "To find a creneau, you must have the ability to think in reverse, to go against the grain."

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## The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

| # | Law | Core Principle |
|---|-----|----------------|
| 1 | **Leadership** | Better to be first than to be better |
| 2 | **Category** | If you can't be first, create a new category you can be first in |
| 3 | **Mind** | Being first in the mind trumps being first in the marketplace |
| 4 | **Perception** | Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products |
| 5 | **Focus** | Own a word in the prospect's mind |
| 6 | **Exclusivity** | Two companies cannot own the same word |
| 7 | **Ladder** | Strategy depends on which rung you occupy |
| 8 | **Duality** | Every market becomes a two-horse race long-term |
| 9 | **Opposite** | If you're #2, position as the alternative to #1 |
| 10 | **Division** | Categories divide into two or more over time |
| 11 | **Perspective** | Marketing effects take p