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Focus, the Future of Your Company Depends on it
What's the secret to a company's continued growth and prosperity? Internationally known marketing expert Al Ries has the focus. His commonsense approach to business management is founded on the premise that long-lasting success depends on focusing on core products and eschewing the temptation to diversify into unrelated enterprises.Using real-world examples, Ries shows that in industry after industry, it is the companies that resist diversification, and focus instead on owning a category in consumers' minds, that dominate their markets. He offers solid guidance on how to get focused and how to stay focused, laying out a workable blueprint for any company's evolution that will increase market share and shareholder value while ensuring future success.
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First published January 1, 1996
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1626 people want to read
About the author
Al Ries
55 books382 followersAlfred Paul Ries was an American marketing professional and author. He was the cofounder and chairman of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Ries & Ries with his partner and daughter, Laura Ries. Along with Jack Trout, Ries is credited with resurrecting the idea of "positioning" in the field of marketing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 19, 2014
It's funny (not haha) reading books almost twenty years after they are published, which make many references to the economy and companies at the time when the book was written. This is especially so with the pace of change of technology and the volume of information that we have right now.
This book feels like a magazine article that you might lazily read on a Sunday afternoon on the sofa. The author has pretty much one main point, which is to get us to narrow our focus, and he provides a bunch of examples that support that point. The book is not a terrible read in itself but like most magazine articles, it feels like infotainment (sometimes not even that entertaining or informative come to think of it) and has a limited shelf-life.
Unless you are completely new to the subject, I would recommend reading a more current book. I feel that older books are useful if their main value is providing insight, explanation or perspective, whereas this one is too much of its time.
This book feels like a magazine article that you might lazily read on a Sunday afternoon on the sofa. The author has pretty much one main point, which is to get us to narrow our focus, and he provides a bunch of examples that support that point. The book is not a terrible read in itself but like most magazine articles, it feels like infotainment (sometimes not even that entertaining or informative come to think of it) and has a limited shelf-life.
Unless you are completely new to the subject, I would recommend reading a more current book. I feel that older books are useful if their main value is providing insight, explanation or perspective, whereas this one is too much of its time.
March 22, 2018
Focusing is the opposite of diversifying. Why? In the long term, people/companies that are focused are valued much more than their counterparts (they’re clear on where they stand, and trusted with what they can do). Think politicians who stand for something (and only appeal to certain people) vs the wishy-washy ones (that try to appeal to everyone).
March 15, 2019
Repetetive and sometimes unfocused (I know), but still a good book with good observation. I'd go as far as to say a long article in on how not to do line extension would have sufficed.
November 2, 2023
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Как я обычно говорю о книгах Эла Райса и Джека Траута: если вы прочитали основные их произведения, то все остальные можно не читать. Эта книга не стала исключением, ибо всё то, что содержится в этой книге, можно встретить в самых первых (и основных) книгах Эла Райса (за редким исключением). Исходя из этого, можно сделать предположение, что эта книга понравится тем читателям, которые не читали других книг этих двух авторов. Я же считаю, что намного лучше прочитать основные и самые ранние работы Райса и Траута. Если читатель является поклонником этих двух авторов, то тогда можно прочитать и эту книгу, что я собственно сделал.
Главным плюсом этой книги, как не парадоксально это не покажется, является лёгкость текста. Книга очень легко читается и является в этом смысле классической бизнес-литературой. В данной, довольно объёмной, книге Эл Райс пишет о важности фокусировании компании на чём-то одном. Собственно, это главная идея всех книг Райса и Траута. Эта книга фактически полностью состоит из примеров того как компании следовали этому правилу и как не следовали и следовательно, к каким печальным последствиям это привело. В принципе, огромное количество самых разнообразных (а не заезженных типа Кока-Колы, Volvo и IBM) примеров из мира бизнеса могут являться тем положительным фактором, ради которого эту книгу и стоит прочитать. В остальном же каких-то новых идей в книге нет. Честно сказать, я читал (перечитывал) книгу довольно долго, ибо для меня эта темя является очень и очень знакомой (заезженной).
Несмотря на вышенаписанное, в книге есть пару цитат, которые мне особо понравились и идеи которых я раньше никогда не встречал ни в книгах Райса, ни в книгах Джека Траута. Первая цитата: «Чем больше рынок, тем больше на нём специализации. Чем меньше рынок, тем меньше сфокусированность, тем универсальнее компании». Интересное замечание. Т.е. Райс признаёт, что не всегда стратегия сфокусированности является лучшим решением для компании. Если учитывать, что это единственный момент, когда оба авторы это признают, находка заставляет задуматься о многом.
Вторая цитата посвящена тоже интересной идеи, когда компания старается выйти на другие рынки, не решаясь на дальнейший захват своего основного. Как пишет Эл Райс по этому поводу, «Несмотря на весь успех, доля рынка видеопроката, которая принадлежит Blockbuster, равна всего 15%. По логике вещей, гораздо проще заполучить остальные 85%, чем заниматься музыкой, фильмами, развлекательными комплексами, у которых есть собственные сильные и доминирующие конкуренты». И далее, «Со стратегической точки зрения гораздо лучше иметь 50% одного, чем по 10% пяти различных рынков».
Да, мне тоже это всегда казалось странной политикой многих компаний. Такое чувство, что они думают, что на других рынках у них будет больше шансов. А ведь если подумать, то это же очевидно, что оперировать на двух и больших рынках требует больше усилий (временных, людских, логистических и пр.), чем оперирование лишь на одном. Это я молчу про то, что топ-менеджеры должны хорошо разбираться уже не в одном продукте (а также рынке), а в нескольких.
Вот собственно и всё что я отметил для себя интересного. Всё остальное в книге, это, по сути, повторы и примеры из бизнеса. И да, как видно из примера связанного с компанией Blockbuster, книга была впервые издана (на английском языке) в январе 1996 года. Довольно давно, не так ли? Тем не менее, на суть сказанного автором это не влияет. Хотя следует учитывать, что примеры, приведённые в книге, довольно древние.
As I usually say about Al Ries and Jack Trout's books, if you have read their major works, you don't need to read the rest. This book is no exception because everything that is contained in this book can be found in Al Ries's very first (and major) books (with few exceptions). Based on this, one can assume that this book will appeal to those readers who have not read other books by these two authors. I, on the other hand, believe that it is far better to read the major and earliest works of Ries and Trout. If the reader is a fan of these two authors, then one can read this book as well, which I actually did.
The main advantage of this book, as paradoxical as it may seem, is the lightness of the text. The book is very easy to read and is, in this sense, classic business literature. In this lengthy book, Al Ries writes about the importance of focusing a company on one thing at a time. In fact, this is the main idea of all the books by Ries and Trout. This book is actually made up entirely of examples of how companies have followed this rule and how they have not followed it and, therefore, what unfortunate consequences this has led to. In principle, the sheer number of diverse (rather than the hackneyed Coca-Cola, Volvo, and IBM) examples from the business world can be the positive factor that makes this book worth reading. Otherwise, there are no new ideas in the book. I read (reread) the book for quite a long time because, for me, this topic is very familiar (hackneyed).
Despite the above, there are a couple of quotes in the book that I particularly liked and whose ideas I had never seen before in either Al Ries's or Jack Trout's books. The first quote is, "The bigger the market, the more specialization there is in it. The smaller the market, the less focused, the more versatile the companies." That's an interesting observation. That is, Al Ries recognizes that a focused strategy is not always the best solution for a company. Considering that this is the only time both authors recognize this, the finding makes you think about a lot of things.
The second quote deals with an interesting idea where a company tries to enter other markets without deciding to continue capturing its main market. As Al Ries writes, "Despite all its success, Blockbuster's share of the video rental market is only 15%. Logically, it's much easier to get hold of the other 85% than it is to go after music, film, and entertainment complexes that have strong and dominant competitors of their own." And further, "From a strategic point of view, it is much better to have 50% of one market than 10% each of five different markets." I thought it was a strange policy of many companies too. It feels like they think they'll have a better chance in other markets. But if you think about it, it's obvious that operating in two or more markets requires more effort (time, manpower, logistics, etc.) than operating in just one. Not to mention the fact that top managers need to be well versed in more than one product (as well as the market).
That's actually all I found interesting. Everything else in the book is, in fact, repetition and examples from the business world. And yes, as you can see from the Blockbuster example, the book was first published (in English) in January 1996. That's quite a long time ago, isn't it? Nevertheless, it does not affect the essence of what the author said. However, it should be taken into account that the examples given in the book are quite old.
Как я обычно говорю о книгах Эла Райса и Джека Траута: если вы прочитали основные их произведения, то все остальные можно не читать. Эта книга не стала исключением, ибо всё то, что содержится в этой книге, можно встретить в самых первых (и основных) книгах Эла Райса (за редким исключением). Исходя из этого, можно сделать предположение, что эта книга понравится тем читателям, которые не читали других книг этих двух авторов. Я же считаю, что намного лучше прочитать основные и самые ранние работы Райса и Траута. Если читатель является поклонником этих двух авторов, то тогда можно прочитать и эту книгу, что я собственно сделал.
Главным плюсом этой книги, как не парадоксально это не покажется, является лёгкость текста. Книга очень легко читается и является в этом смысле классической бизнес-литературой. В данной, довольно объёмной, книге Эл Райс пишет о важности фокусировании компании на чём-то одном. Собственно, это главная идея всех книг Райса и Траута. Эта книга фактически полностью состоит из примеров того как компании следовали этому правилу и как не следовали и следовательно, к каким печальным последствиям это привело. В принципе, огромное количество самых разнообразных (а не заезженных типа Кока-Колы, Volvo и IBM) примеров из мира бизнеса могут являться тем положительным фактором, ради которого эту книгу и стоит прочитать. В остальном же каких-то новых идей в книге нет. Честно сказать, я читал (перечитывал) книгу довольно долго, ибо для меня эта темя является очень и очень знакомой (заезженной).
Несмотря на вышенаписанное, в книге есть пару цитат, которые мне особо понравились и идеи которых я раньше никогда не встречал ни в книгах Райса, ни в книгах Джека Траута. Первая цитата: «Чем больше рынок, тем больше на нём специализации. Чем меньше рынок, тем меньше сфокусированность, тем универсальнее компании». Интересное замечание. Т.е. Райс признаёт, что не всегда стратегия сфокусированности является лучшим решением для компании. Если учитывать, что это единственный момент, когда оба авторы это признают, находка заставляет задуматься о многом.
Вторая цитата посвящена тоже интересной идеи, когда компания старается выйти на другие рынки, не решаясь на дальнейший захват своего основного. Как пишет Эл Райс по этому поводу, «Несмотря на весь успех, доля рынка видеопроката, которая принадлежит Blockbuster, равна всего 15%. По логике вещей, гораздо проще заполучить остальные 85%, чем заниматься музыкой, фильмами, развлекательными комплексами, у которых есть собственные сильные и доминирующие конкуренты». И далее, «Со стратегической точки зрения гораздо лучше иметь 50% одного, чем по 10% пяти различных рынков».
Да, мне тоже это всегда казалось странной политикой многих компаний. Такое чувство, что они думают, что на других рынках у них будет больше шансов. А ведь если подумать, то это же очевидно, что оперировать на двух и больших рынках требует больше усилий (временных, людских, логистических и пр.), чем оперирование лишь на одном. Это я молчу про то, что топ-менеджеры должны хорошо разбираться уже не в одном продукте (а также рынке), а в нескольких.
Вот собственно и всё что я отметил для себя интересного. Всё остальное в книге, это, по сути, повторы и примеры из бизнеса. И да, как видно из примера связанного с компанией Blockbuster, книга была впервые издана (на английском языке) в январе 1996 года. Довольно давно, не так ли? Тем не менее, на суть сказанного автором это не влияет. Хотя следует учитывать, что примеры, приведённые в книге, довольно древние.
As I usually say about Al Ries and Jack Trout's books, if you have read their major works, you don't need to read the rest. This book is no exception because everything that is contained in this book can be found in Al Ries's very first (and major) books (with few exceptions). Based on this, one can assume that this book will appeal to those readers who have not read other books by these two authors. I, on the other hand, believe that it is far better to read the major and earliest works of Ries and Trout. If the reader is a fan of these two authors, then one can read this book as well, which I actually did.
The main advantage of this book, as paradoxical as it may seem, is the lightness of the text. The book is very easy to read and is, in this sense, classic business literature. In this lengthy book, Al Ries writes about the importance of focusing a company on one thing at a time. In fact, this is the main idea of all the books by Ries and Trout. This book is actually made up entirely of examples of how companies have followed this rule and how they have not followed it and, therefore, what unfortunate consequences this has led to. In principle, the sheer number of diverse (rather than the hackneyed Coca-Cola, Volvo, and IBM) examples from the business world can be the positive factor that makes this book worth reading. Otherwise, there are no new ideas in the book. I read (reread) the book for quite a long time because, for me, this topic is very familiar (hackneyed).
Despite the above, there are a couple of quotes in the book that I particularly liked and whose ideas I had never seen before in either Al Ries's or Jack Trout's books. The first quote is, "The bigger the market, the more specialization there is in it. The smaller the market, the less focused, the more versatile the companies." That's an interesting observation. That is, Al Ries recognizes that a focused strategy is not always the best solution for a company. Considering that this is the only time both authors recognize this, the finding makes you think about a lot of things.
The second quote deals with an interesting idea where a company tries to enter other markets without deciding to continue capturing its main market. As Al Ries writes, "Despite all its success, Blockbuster's share of the video rental market is only 15%. Logically, it's much easier to get hold of the other 85% than it is to go after music, film, and entertainment complexes that have strong and dominant competitors of their own." And further, "From a strategic point of view, it is much better to have 50% of one market than 10% each of five different markets." I thought it was a strange policy of many companies too. It feels like they think they'll have a better chance in other markets. But if you think about it, it's obvious that operating in two or more markets requires more effort (time, manpower, logistics, etc.) than operating in just one. Not to mention the fact that top managers need to be well versed in more than one product (as well as the market).
That's actually all I found interesting. Everything else in the book is, in fact, repetition and examples from the business world. And yes, as you can see from the Blockbuster example, the book was first published (in English) in January 1996. That's quite a long time ago, isn't it? Nevertheless, it does not affect the essence of what the author said. However, it should be taken into account that the examples given in the book are quite old.
August 24, 2012
إن كنت على رأس شركة كبيرة أو لك تأثير على استراتيجيتها أو كنت في طريقك لجعلها كبيرة فهذا الكتاب يوجهك توجيهاً ثمينا نحو النجاح دون أن تتشتت جهودك
نقطة الكتاب الأساسية هي أنه لكي تكون شركتك هي الأولى والانجح والأفضل في السوق عليك أن تجعلها تركز وتتخصص في منتج أو خدمة واحدة بالنسبة للزبون، وتكون معروفاً بهذا التميز والتخصص. أما إذا تفرّعت إلى مجالات جديدة فتأكد أن جهدك في التفرّع لن تعوضه المكاسب الجديدة ، لأنك لا تستطيع أن تكون الأفضل في كل شيء. التخصص في نظر الكاتب هو مفتاح النجاح. فكرة رائعة ولكن نادراً ما نجدها مطبقة
ساق الكاتب العديد والعديد من الأمثلة على الشركات الناجحة والفاشلة ليوضح لنا تأثير التخصص. ولكن هذه الأمثلة قديمة نوعاً ما، وتمنيت لو أضاف الكاتب هوامش في الطبعة الجديدة لإعطاء الموضوع حياة ، فقِدَم الأمثلة وكثرتها (وهي كثيرة جداً) يشكّك ويبعث على الضجر
ولذا نستطيع القول أنه مفيد ولكن للهوامير فقط أما الصغار وإن كان الكتاب في ظني مفيداً لهم إلا أن الكاتب أغفلهم ، فلا توجد أمثلة وتوضيحات كيف تنطبق مبادئه على المشاريع والمؤسسات الصغيرة
الكاتب لديه مكتب عالمي للاستشارات ادارية ولعله يبحث عن عمل
نقطة الكتاب الأساسية هي أنه لكي تكون شركتك هي الأولى والانجح والأفضل في السوق عليك أن تجعلها تركز وتتخصص في منتج أو خدمة واحدة بالنسبة للزبون، وتكون معروفاً بهذا التميز والتخصص. أما إذا تفرّعت إلى مجالات جديدة فتأكد أن جهدك في التفرّع لن تعوضه المكاسب الجديدة ، لأنك لا تستطيع أن تكون الأفضل في كل شيء. التخصص في نظر الكاتب هو مفتاح النجاح. فكرة رائعة ولكن نادراً ما نجدها مطبقة
ساق الكاتب العديد والعديد من الأمثلة على الشركات الناجحة والفاشلة ليوضح لنا تأثير التخصص. ولكن هذه الأمثلة قديمة نوعاً ما، وتمنيت لو أضاف الكاتب هوامش في الطبعة الجديدة لإعطاء الموضوع حياة ، فقِدَم الأمثلة وكثرتها (وهي كثيرة جداً) يشكّك ويبعث على الضجر
ولذا نستطيع القول أنه مفيد ولكن للهوامير فقط أما الصغار وإن كان الكتاب في ظني مفيداً لهم إلا أن الكاتب أغفلهم ، فلا توجد أمثلة وتوضيحات كيف تنطبق مبادئه على المشاريع والمؤسسات الصغيرة
الكاتب لديه مكتب عالمي للاستشارات ادارية ولعله يبحث عن عمل
January 4, 2012
This is a very handy book. It shows the power of focus in a business in terms of improving profitability. Like most business books, it makes its point through repetition and many many examples. You really get the message of the book from the introduction, but the reinforcement definitely helps to make the case and internalize it.
January 3, 2020
Книга написана в середине 90-ых и большинство примеров, которые приводит автор в поддержку своей позиции - из сферы розничной торговли. Тем не менее, мысли автора интересны и заставляют по-другому посмотреть на гонку за экосистемами, в которую вступили. айти-корпорации.
April 25, 2024
Primarily an argument for company specialization. Provides a balancing perspective to the book "Range" (which argues for individual generalization).
Its marketing-related content has a lot of overlap with the book "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath, but is presented less memorably.
Pretty repetitive; would have benefitted from heavy editing down to a booklet or long-form article.
Some ideas that stood out to me:
1. The larger the market, the more specialized the product offerings. Compare retail generalization in a small WY town to the relative specialization in large metro areas (e.g. NYC).
2. The most promising mergers and acquisitions are those that enable the combined company to dominate a market, e.g. Lockheed Martin, the USA's largest defense corporation (at the time)
3. In a declining industry [market], the few survivors can be enormously profitable. ... [they] can develop a semi monopoly. A declining industry attracts almost no new competitors.
4. [Buyers'] perception is reality. Specialization tends to lead to higher perceived quality.
5. Most companies don't lack ideas, they lack judgment.
6. A decentralized company is often an unfocused company.
7. Focus (specialization) is not instantly successful; it typically has short term sacrifices that turn to long-term gains.
Its marketing-related content has a lot of overlap with the book "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath, but is presented less memorably.
Pretty repetitive; would have benefitted from heavy editing down to a booklet or long-form article.
Some ideas that stood out to me:
1. The larger the market, the more specialized the product offerings. Compare retail generalization in a small WY town to the relative specialization in large metro areas (e.g. NYC).
2. The most promising mergers and acquisitions are those that enable the combined company to dominate a market, e.g. Lockheed Martin, the USA's largest defense corporation (at the time)
3. In a declining industry [market], the few survivors can be enormously profitable. ... [they] can develop a semi monopoly. A declining industry attracts almost no new competitors.
4. [Buyers'] perception is reality. Specialization tends to lead to higher perceived quality.
5. Most companies don't lack ideas, they lack judgment.
6. A decentralized company is often an unfocused company.
7. Focus (specialization) is not instantly successful; it typically has short term sacrifices that turn to long-term gains.
March 19, 2020
Đối với tôi đây ko phải là một quyển sách dễ đọc.
Đây là cuốn sách đặc biệt thú vị và hẳn sẽ gây nhiều tranh cãi. Đa dạng hóa hay không đa dạng hóa? Tập trung hay không tập trung? Đó vẫn là những câu hỏi lớn đặt ra cho các nhà lãnh đạo.
Sẽ có rất nhiều trăn trở và quan sát để có được câu trả lời cuối cùng.
Tập Trung Hay Là Chết là cuốn sách chỉ ra cho doanh nghiệp cách thức kinh doanh theo định hướng tập trung. Tại đây, tính thực tiễn của marketing được đặt ra với đầy đủ mục tiêu, cách thức trong thực tế của việc định hướng tập trung trong kinh doanh.
theo đuổi sự tăng trưởng một cách vũ bão hay bền vững đều không ảnh hưởng tới sự thiếu tập trung của các doanh nghiệp. Để hiểu được nội dung trong quyển sách này một cách sâu sắc, chúng ta nên đọc đi đọc lại vài lần để nắm vững những nội dung cốt lõi của quyển sách.
Đây là cuốn sách đặc biệt thú vị và hẳn sẽ gây nhiều tranh cãi. Đa dạng hóa hay không đa dạng hóa? Tập trung hay không tập trung? Đó vẫn là những câu hỏi lớn đặt ra cho các nhà lãnh đạo.
Sẽ có rất nhiều trăn trở và quan sát để có được câu trả lời cuối cùng.
Tập Trung Hay Là Chết là cuốn sách chỉ ra cho doanh nghiệp cách thức kinh doanh theo định hướng tập trung. Tại đây, tính thực tiễn của marketing được đặt ra với đầy đủ mục tiêu, cách thức trong thực tế của việc định hướng tập trung trong kinh doanh.
theo đuổi sự tăng trưởng một cách vũ bão hay bền vững đều không ảnh hưởng tới sự thiếu tập trung của các doanh nghiệp. Để hiểu được nội dung trong quyển sách này một cách sâu sắc, chúng ta nên đọc đi đọc lại vài lần để nắm vững những nội dung cốt lõi của quyển sách.
July 24, 2018
By the book's estimation, Google (Alphabet) is not a winning company because it is "highly diversified", unfocused and "extending the equity of the brand".
The central point is useful, but the anecdotal support felt underwhelming. I guess reading a book decades after it was written can sometimes give a better perspective for comparison. Does this really work? Is the thesis valid? Was it relevant just for a particular generation only?
In the case of the book, I'd probably day it's dated.
The central point is useful, but the anecdotal support felt underwhelming. I guess reading a book decades after it was written can sometimes give a better perspective for comparison. Does this really work? Is the thesis valid? Was it relevant just for a particular generation only?
In the case of the book, I'd probably day it's dated.
March 14, 2023
The book is dated to be sure and the research second to none. Ultimately, it get redundant proving it's main point: Focus in life succeeds. Diversification in business eventually leads to great loss. It is a warning we all need to hear in whatever endeavor God assigns us to. The book helped me become more deliberate hence the three stars, but could have been much shorter and less redundant.
January 10, 2024
Good strategies and points, the book itself jumps around a lot and it's examples get convoluted. Needs to "focus" itself more... Also just keep in mind that since it's outdated, some of the companies mentioned in the examples have changed/are no longer - their products are different. I noticed that some of the companies have actually Focused and are doing better as brands since this was written.
December 7, 2020
In hindsight it is easier to spot mistakes that enterprises might have taken . But those mistakes don’t constitute an actionable insight for other enterprises to avoid them, since context might be (and most probably is) different. So I don’t recognize much value in this book.
May 10, 2023
Súper redundante. Increíble cómo Al Ries y Jack Trout escriben libros y libros diciendo 85% lo mismo. Le pongo 4 de todas formas porque el mensaje es importante. Si tuviera que elegir dos serían este y 22 Inmutable Laws of Marketing.
August 10, 2017
It was ok.
Read
July 9, 2019Definite old timer of a business book!
November 28, 2019
In short: broadening your product or service offerings will result in loss while narrowing your focus will result in greater profit.
January 2, 2020
Cuốn sách rất hay về cách tư duy cho doanh nghiệp !
March 2, 2020
*Ongorulerini yaz
*Ongorulerini destekleyen onlarca ornek ver.
*Sonuca ulaş
Zerre kadar istatistiki bilgi olmadan, fikrini destekleyen şirket haberlerini derlemiş yazar. Gerçekten vakit kaybıydı.
*Ongorulerini destekleyen onlarca ornek ver.
*Sonuca ulaş
Zerre kadar istatistiki bilgi olmadan, fikrini destekleyen şirket haberlerini derlemiş yazar. Gerçekten vakit kaybıydı.
April 19, 2020
Uno dei libri fondamentali per conoscere il Brand Positioning
April 23, 2020
Too many examples to drive a single point. Book size could have been reduced by a minimum of 50 pages if examples were reduced. You'll find IBM in almost every alternate page.
November 25, 2020
A critical book for anyone in leadership of any type of organization. I re-read portions of this often.
December 22, 2020
Great read. Great learning. Focus aka Persistence is everything.
February 12, 2021
Some of the chapters are too dated for current times but others are universal truths. A good refresher for a serious marketing professional
April 26, 2023
I don't know whether these books are simple by default or it's me who reads too much to feel like that.
January 3, 2025
Blinkist
I may not use nor need such knowledge in my life time, but it won't heart to acquire it. As the Arabian saying goes :
"اعرف كل شئ عن شئ ... و شئ عن كل شئ "
I may not use nor need such knowledge in my life time, but it won't heart to acquire it. As the Arabian saying goes :
"اعرف كل شئ عن شئ ... و شئ عن كل شئ "
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2025
Although the author’s views can go a bit extreme at times, the overall learnings is insightful and timeless. There are also plentiful and diverse real-life case sharings to illustrate the point.
July 13, 2019
wow, another great book of Al Ries, and again you can see the same case study but in the views how focus can help you sharp your (future) company.
The first was published at 1996, and you're able to see after 25 years, things just happened exact what he did make that prognose.
There are many case studies, examples to show and confirm what he want to say, which give you an incredible feeling, wow the author is right about this.
During reading this book i've just heard about Deutsche Bank has been fired 18.000 employees and some of another companies, who are making the same thing. Well it might not exactly the same reason but if we don't want expansion like crazy, why this kind of thing should happen?
I don't see things are different like Google, Amazon and another company, but i would like to see how far they could go.
Even if you do not agree with me, but please give sometime to read this book and be surprise!
The first was published at 1996, and you're able to see after 25 years, things just happened exact what he did make that prognose.
There are many case studies, examples to show and confirm what he want to say, which give you an incredible feeling, wow the author is right about this.
During reading this book i've just heard about Deutsche Bank has been fired 18.000 employees and some of another companies, who are making the same thing. Well it might not exactly the same reason but if we don't want expansion like crazy, why this kind of thing should happen?
I don't see things are different like Google, Amazon and another company, but i would like to see how far they could go.
Even if you do not agree with me, but please give sometime to read this book and be surprise!
Read
January 2, 2009A must read if you're a branding or marketing professional at senior management level. There's nothing operational in this book. it's all about marketing strategy and how a single focus can propel a brand to stratospheric heights in the mind of the consumer.
The basic message of the book is that your brand needs to stand for ONE single thing in your consumer's mind. It reiterates that brands are nothing more than groups of attributes in people's minds and that a brand is nothing if it's not in the mind of the prospect.
The basic message of the book is that your brand needs to stand for ONE single thing in your consumer's mind. It reiterates that brands are nothing more than groups of attributes in people's minds and that a brand is nothing if it's not in the mind of the prospect.
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