The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding: How to Build a Product or Service into a World-Class Brand

How can a book which has almost no pictures be the ultimate introduction to branding? I was highly sceptical, and only added it onto to my list of branding books to buy because it was cheap. How wrong I was. In 172 readable, small-paperback pages, Al Ries and his daughter Laura unveil the fundamentals of branding, stripping away the most powerful myths and demonstrating with a mixture of brand successes, failures, falls and rises, that they know what they are talking about. What's more, what they say made sense of many things I have been dimly feeling towards in my 20 years as a communications professional. I suspect that this book oversells itself slightly. The title made me suspicious, and the definitiveness of statements which go against what you find in other books makes you wonder, at points, if what it's saying is really this cut and dried. I probably would have disregarded this book if I'd read it ten years ago: but practical industry experience convinces me that what it is saying is right, and the other books, which focus on choosing your name and redesigning the logo, are the ones which only understand a part of the picture. It took me about an hour and a half to read this book, and I will never see branding the same way again. That's good value for you. On the other hand, I probably won't be reading and re-reading it avidly. It makes its points, which can be quickly revised from the chapter headings. Now it's time to move on. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who wants (or needs) to learn about branding. I can't imagine a better introduction to the subject for someone who already has enough industry experience to recognise what it is talking about. I wouldn't recommend anyone to _only_ read this book: it is an extremely sound beginning, not an encyclopaedia. In terms of what this book is trying to be, I don't think there could be any higher recommendation than that. Superb.

Okay, this book is not going to change your life: it sets out to do a simple task in a consistent and intelligent way and does so successfully, so 5 stars. Other books I have read recently have had the ability to help you change and re-focus your business; this book is a good product to keep beside them, to fill in the odd gap and to reitterate the point without having to delve into chapters of information. It is short and you could read it through in less than an hour and a half, but it is worth savouring and making a few notes along the way. This is the second book on branding I have purchased recently; the other longer and in more depth, but both books coincide to a remarkable extent which, to my mind, endorses this volume as a reliable textbook on the subject of branding. I value books such as these on what it teaches me and the extent to which it stimulates thought and generates ideas and/or knowledge. Branding is not something in which I am expert: I know a lot more about it as a result of reading this book and it has proved helpful. I am glad I bought it.

This is a no nonsense guide explaining how to build a brand for your business which attracts customers and increases sales and profits. There is a big business branding issue that small companies shouldn't copy. I hate much of the advertising done by big businesses and the way that encourage small businesses to waste their money doing stuff which doesn't have a chance of working. How often have you watched TV adverts and wondered what it was all about and then struggled to remember the name, let alone any reason to buy that product instead of a competitor's. Brand based advertising is too expensive for the majority of small businesses. However branding is one way a business can differentiate itself from competitors so I can't ignore the concept all together. There are two aspects of branding: 1 - Brand awareness - how many people know the name. 2 - What the brand stands for. Look at Ford. You know the name but what does it stand for other than "motor cars"? What image (if any) pops into your head when you hear the name? Its brand is spread too widely. This book is all about the second issue, what your brand stands for. Name recognition isn't enough, except in extreme picking situations where you buy because you can't see any difference in the products but at least you know one name. The real aim of branding is to create a strong emotional connection with the customers so your brand means something to them. This book, long considered a marketing classic, sends out a very clear message and is written in a way that's easy to read and simple to understand. Its age may be a problem for you. This book was published well before we had Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the social media websites that have helped to increase the customer power of what a brand really means. It won't tell you in detail how to create your own strong brand. You need another book for that. It will make it very clear what you're trying to do and what you must not do if your are going to create a brand which differentiates your business in a crowded marketplace. About my book reviews - My goal is to help you to find the best business advice. I aim to be a tough reviewer because the main cost of a book is not the money to buy it but the time needed to read it and absorb the key messages. 4 stars means this is a good to very good book. Paul Simister, a business coach who helps business owners who are stuck, get unstuck.

I bought this book quite a few years ago and lost my copy so bought it again a few weeks ago. It is a great book on the essentials of branding and the authors take a simple, yet really informative look at what makes up a brand in short chapters that you can read on their own. As a marketeer I recommend this book to my clients as you can learn a lot about branding in a very short space of time. It is suitable for everyone and even my husband who is an engineer and usually doesn't have time for marketing "fluff" as he calls it, said he found it quite engaging and now believes himself a branding expert:-)

its ok but cant knock the book just a little to old.

The 22 laws are very interesting, simple and immediately useable whatever it is you’re branding. I lead a popular love band and reading this I can see where we have done well, what we should continue and what could be improved Cheers!

Me parece un libro muy interesante, fácil y rápido de leer, con muchos ejemplos útiles, aunque se repite un poco habiendo leído antes "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" del mismo autor.

Well worth reading, and although written a number of years ago, I still find it useful in getting the all-important topic of branding right. This book is useful whether you are a big company or a one-man show. The most useful theme for me is the need to focus in terms of products or services. They give great examples of mega famous companies who got it right - and who got it wrong and lost their focus. Their initial predictions on convergence held true for many years, although these days where media and channels are in fact merging may mean that that is open to debate, however their immutable laws still seem to hold. Highly accessible and readable with plenty of practical suggestions.

Have completed a few chapters so far and I find it really informative. Lot of tips n tricks we can understand from each chapter.

I’ve completed reading "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding" and "Positioning". Both books are among the most thought-provoking works I’ve encountered on brand strategy. While reading "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding", I found the chapter on the Law of Divergence to be somewhat disconnected from modern branding realities. According to the book, categories tend to diverge as markets evolve, and convergence often results in brand dilution or failure. Yet, Amazon and the iPhone are two of the most successful brands today — both of which appear to contradict that claim. After some reflection, I believe the real issue isn’t about convergence versus divergence. Instead, it’s about branding strategy. My Conclusion: If a brand already holds a dominant position in one market, it can successfully expand into an adjacent or broader market — even one that appears to be a convergence or line extension — by creating and owning a new category in the prospect’s mind, especially when no dominant player yet exists in that space. Case in Point: iPhone The iPhone merged multiple functions — music player, video player, phone, social media, browser etc. — which on the surface seems to violate the Law of Divergence. But Apple didn’t market it as a mash-up of old categories. Instead, it positioned the iPhone as a breakthrough product in a new category: smartphones. At the time, there was no dominant smartphone brand in the minds of consumers. Apple claimed that space and won. Case in Point: Amazon Amazon began with a focused, divergent position as the world’s largest online bookstore. Over time, it expanded to sell electronics, clothing, groceries, and more. According to a strict interpretation of divergence theory, this kind of expansion under a single brand should have weakened its identity. But it didn’t — because no other brand had claimed leadership in e-commerce. Amazon filled that gap and successfully repositioned itself as “the everything store,” leading a new category: online commerce. Final Thought: So, the key isn’t convergence or divergence alone. It’s about category creation, brand leadership, and timing. When a brand can reposition itself into a new category and occupy a leadership position in the customer’s mind — even if it combines previously separate functions — it can still win. Great books! These books transformed me into a new addict of positioning and branding.

Great/must addition to your knowledge bag