Positioning
The Battle for Your Mind
by Jack Trout & Al Ries
narrated by Bob Askey
Audiobook
Copyright 1989
This book is about advertising and how to jockey a product into the "number one" position.
Since this edition is pre-Internet, it doesn't even address the bombardment of advertisements folks are inundated with today.
The premise in this 1989 edition is that people are overwhelmed with too much information, particularly in advertising. There used to be three TV stations. Now there are 300. There are too many companies and products, too many choices.
It makes everyone scream and no one really hears.
So the idea is to get in the mind of the buyer and figure out how to make him/her want your product.
It was fun to listen to discussions of products that no longer exist (remember Nuprin?) and to better understand how some products have become number one and things one cannot do without.
In one of the last sections the authors talk about how to position yourself in your career. They advise you to "get on a horse and ride it" to success. In other words, find a strong and forward-moving company and become indepensible.
I think I will take a closer look at marketing theory; it is not something I have studied but I think it is something I could benefit from.
I read an article in the Sunday paper today about book banning and how that's the fastest way to place a book on the top seller's list. Ban it and suddenly everyone wants it.. Great marketing. I am certain that this method would not work for many products though.
ReplyDeleteDi
I read that article too and cracked up.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book I should read since we're trying to sell flooring. Of course I like that part about getting on the horse and riding it!
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