Chapter 15 – The Law of Candor
Law: When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive.
According to Ries and Trout, admitting a negative is effective because it is disarming. They say consumers are skeptical when presented with positives in advertising. As an example, the authors point to mouthwash. Scope advertised that it was “good-tasting.” Listerine countered with “the taste you hate twice a day.” It took advantage of a perceived negative and got people to believe that with a taste so bad, it must work well.
Related quotes:
- You have to prove a positive statement to the prospect’s satisfaction. No proof is needed for a negative statement.
- The purpose of candor isn’t to apologize. The purpose of candor is to set up a benefit that will convince your prospect.
Chapter 16 – The Law of Singularity
Law: In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.
Here, the authors discuss how marketers can use military tactics against their competitors. Just as military might seek one stroke to take out its enemy, Ries and Trout advise companies to find one “move” that will deliver significant results.
Coca-Cola had been selling Classic and New Coke and while Classic was regaining lost ground, New Coke was floundering. As of the time of the book’s writing, the authors recommended ceasing sales of New Coke and running a campaign that would take on Pepsi’s “new generation.” Following the Law of Focus, Ries and Trout suggested using the words it owned in the brains of its consumers: The Real Thing. They proposed a message saying Coca-Cola was not going to force the new generation to switch, but that they would be there when they wanted the Real Thing.
A couple of related quotes:
- Most often there is only one place where a competitor is vulnerable. And that place should be the focus of the entire invading force.
- To find that singular idea or concept, marketing managers have to know what’s happening in the marketplace. They have to be down at the front in the mud of the battle. They have to know what’s working and what isn’t. They have to be involved.
Chapter 17 – The Law of Unpredictability
The law: Unless you write your competitors’ plans, you can’t predict the future
The authors believe trying to predict the future can be detrimental to marketing efforts. They say a company can still think long term, however, by determining an angle or word that creates differentiation and allows for a long-term direction. Ries and Trout advise companies to take advantage of trends without over relying on them due to their inherent unpredictability and the limited reliability of market research. For instance, when Xerox researched the feasibility of selling copiers, the research indicated that it was a bad idea. Fortunately, Xerox did not listen. Finally, Ries and Trout emphasize the importance of flexibility. They say, a company must be willing to be “flexible enough to attack itself with a new idea” to sustain relevancy.
Quotes from the chapter:
- When you assume that nothing will change, you are predicting the future just as surely as when you assume that something will change.
- Change isn’t easy, but it’s the only way to cope with an unpredictable future.
Andrew T. Daniel 