Founder connections
- Brian ArmstrongReading-list selectionArmstrong includes this book in his 2016 list of books that changed his thinking and discusses the value of a clear brand focus.Source
Summary
Ries and Trout present twenty-two rules they argue explain marketing success and failure. Drawing on business campaigns, they discuss how companies compete for customers and where their plans go wrong. Examples include being candid about a weakness, limiting the spread of a brand into too many products, and choosing a strategy that fits a company’s place among its rivals.
Why read it Our view
Useful for testing the assumptions behind a marketing plan. Treat the authors’ rules as arguments to examine against your market, then ask how honest messaging, brand scope and competitive position affect your choices.