Immutable Law of Marketing 3/22: Law of the Mind
These posts are notes from the book: “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries and Jack Trout.
It’s better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.
The world is full of products that launched first but then went on to be overtaken by another product. Surely this means the Law of Leadership is wrong?
Apparently not, because the Law of the Mind modifies the Law of Leadership!
It is better to be first in the prospect’s mind than first in the marketplace.
Being first in the mind is everything in marketing. Being first in the market is important only to the extent it allows you to get in the mind first.
The Law of the Mind follows from the Law of Perception (not yet covered in the book).
If marketing is a battle of perception, not product, then the mind takes precedence over the marketplace.
Would-be entrepreneurs fall foul of this law. They have an idea or concept they believe will revolutionize an industry. It may well have the potential to do so — the problem is getting the idea or concept into the prospect’s mind.
You can’t change a mind once a mind is made up
The single most wasteful thing you can do in marketing is try to change a mind.
People don’t like changing their minds.
If you want to make a big impression on another person, you can’t worm your way into their mind and then slowly build up a favourable opinion over a period of time. Once they perceive you one way, that’s it. You have to be bold when making an impression.
What’s in a Name?
- iPhone 6, Nokia Lumia 635, OnePlus 2
- Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Playstation VR
Which name is the simplest and easiest to remember?
Exercises
- Think of some recent products/services that didn’t launch first, but are first in mind when you think of a product category.
- Come up with a great idea. Try and get more than 10 people to take it up!
- Pick 3 products which you think have bad names. Come up with some better names for them!