Sublime

The solution to a positioning problem is usually found in the prospect’s mind, not in the product.

Whom must you outgun?

“In politics,” said John Lindsay, “the perception is the reality.” So, too, in advertising, in business, and in life.

Whether the result of a deliberate program or not, most successful companies (or brands) are the ones that “own a word” in the mind of the prospect.

When you take the long view of marketing, you find the battle usually winds up as a titanic struggle between two major players—usually the old reliable brand and the upstart.

Leaders should use their short-term flexibility to assure themselves of a stable long-term future.

In the positioning era, the single most important marketing decision you can make is what to name the product.

Al Ries and Jack Trout: Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (McGraw-Hill). Ries

A better strategy for IBM’s competitors would be to take advantage of whatever positions they already own in the minds of their prospects and then relate them to a new position in computers.