The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing [1] is a book written by Al Ries and Jack Trout, with simple yet powerful tips for Marketing. I had postponed reading the book at least for a year now just because I thought marketing was not an interesting topic for me. Well, I was wrong!

Marketing is a strategic planning based on the predictions we make of future. A well-designed, well-executed, well-financed marketing program need not necessarily work. This book points out the principles that can govern a successful marketing campaign with case studies.

There are the 22 laws specified in the book:

1. The Law of Leadership: It’s better to be first than it is to be better.
2. The Law of the Category: If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.
3. The Law of Mind: It’s better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.
4. The Law of Perception: Marketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions.
5. The Law of Focus: The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind.
6. The Law of Exclusivity: Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect’s mind.
7. The Law of the Ladder: The strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.
8. The Law of Duality: In the long run, every market becomes a two-horse race.
9. The Law of the Opposite: If you’re shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader.
10. The Law of Division: Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories.
11. The Law of Perspective: Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time.
12. The Law of Line Extension: There’s an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand.
13. The Law of Sacrifice: You have to give up something in order to get something.
14. The Law of Attributes: For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute.
15. The Law of Candor: When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive.
16. The Law of Singularity: In each situation,only one move will produce substantial results.
17. The Law of Unpredictability: Unless you write your competitor’s plans, you can’t predict the future.
18. The Law of Success: Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.
19. The Law of Failure: Failure is to be expected and accepted.
20. The Law of Hype: The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press.
21. The Law of Acceleration: Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re build on trends.
22. The Law of Resources: Without adequate funding an idea won’t get off the ground.

Even though this book was first published in 1993, all the principles listed out in this are equally well applicable to today’s marketing field.

[1] The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing on Amazon.in