Book Review - The 22 Immutable laws of marketing.

Hello all - I love reading - have done since I was a child. I have a preference for business and marketing topics, but also love tech, philosophy and the odd novel (classic and otherwise). I get through a serious amount of books every year! Speaking with Clinton on PM, I asked if he would mind if I posted a few book reviews up here to see what you guys make of them.

So.... here is my first attempt. I'd love your feedback!

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

This book was written in 1993 by two marketing strategists – Al Ries and Jack Trout. Ries was selected as one of the most influential people in the field of public relations in the 20th century by PR Week magazine in 1999.

I had 22 Immutable laws on my Amazon wish list for a few years before I finally pressed the Add to Cart button. In fact, I have forgotten where the initial recommendation to read the book came from; I am a sucker for books and have to admit that I avidly record pretty much all book recommendations that I stumble upon, whether the source is a blog, a web site, or even a conversation overheard by chance on a train. (Yes, I am that person who surreptitiously tries to read your book when I am sat in the seat next to you)!

So, can a book that is almost 20 years old have anything to say about marketing in the 21st century? And, more specifically, can it give us any insights or tips that can help us improve our online marketing activities? Without hesitation, I say the answer is a resounding “Yes”.

Although it’s an easy and fun read (I read it on a beach whilst my son was busy recreating a scene from “The Lord of the Rings” using only a bucket and spade, and my wife was indulging her favourite pastime – looking at shiny things in expensive shops), it contains some timeless nuggets of business wisdom. I found it thought provoking and very applicable to most of my business ventures, both online and offline.

I won’t give you all the laws in this review – you should buy the book for that – but here are a few that set the neurons buzzing:

The Law of Leadership (It’s better to be first than it is to be better)

This is the first law.

Ries and Trout go on to illustrate this with the following questions:

What’s the name of the first person to fly the Atlantic solo?
What’s the name of the second person to fly the Atlantic solo?

The first person was, of course, Charles Lindbergh, but can you name the second?

You get the idea.

Even though the second person to fly the Atlantic was supposedly a better pilot than Lindbergh, not many people have heard of Bert Hinkler.

The point being made is that most companies go the Bert Hinkler route – they wait until a market develops, jump in with a better product, but by then it’s a “me-too” product. The leading brand in any category is almost always the first into the prospect’s mind.

So what can you do if you are not the first in your niche? The solution lies in the answer to this question:

Who was the third person to fly the Atlantic solo?

You might think that, as you didn’t know the name of the second person to do it, you certainly won’t know the name of the third. Well, chances are you do.

It was Amelia Earhart.

Amelia is known as the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo – you’ve got it: if you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category that you can be first in. I remember Dan Kennedy saying that he does this for every one of his clients, and it is the most important strategy that he uses to ensure success.

This forms the basis of the book’s second law:

The Law of the Category (If you can’t be first in a category, set up a category you can be first in).

So you’re not the first online marketer to offer SEO advice to small businesses? How about small businesses in London? Or in South London? Or how about the first to offer CRO services to solicitors? ...You get the idea.

When setting up a new product, the first question you should ask is “What category is this new product first in?” rather than “How is this new product better than the competition?”

Moving on, I particularly liked The Law of Focus (The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind).

Can you think of the words owned by these companies?

• Crest
• BMW
• Volvo

How about:

• Google
• Flippa
• Experienced People?

What word would you like to own in your niche?

I don’t want to spoil the book by going much further into the other laws. I’ll let you discover them for yourselves:The Law of Focus, The Law of Hype, The Law of Sacrifice (used to great effect by Federal Express) and The Law of Success (I like this one as it offers hope to the person who is lagging behind the leader)!

To sum up: I found this book enjoyable and stimulating. It’s an excellent resource if you are evaluating or brainstorming new business ideas, whilst also serving as a great checklist for those of you who are more experienced, but are perhaps in need of revitalising your offerings in the niches you inhabit.

VERDICT: Buy the book - a must for any marketer’s library shelf.