"When you believe in something, you seldom change your mind."
And it's obvious from Al Ries' latest rant in Ad Age that his mind is set in the stone age of mass marketing manipulation. Here are a few excerpts:
"It’s not a better product or service that makes a brand powerful. It’s the brand’s market share. Brands like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Rolex and many other brands are powerful because they dominate their market segments."
"Over time, most brands in a category tend to be quite similar. The consumer, however, notices a difference created by the brand name itself. Perception dictates reality. Starbucks coffee tastes better because the consumer thinks it tastes better."
"When you believe in something, you seldom change your mind. When you believe in something, what you generally do when faced with facts that seem to contradict your beliefs is to fault the execution, not the strategy."
As Maslow once said, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."
Posted September 12, 2005
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acleareye.com Tom Asacker commenting on Al Ries: ...his mind is set in the stone age of mass marketing manipulation. And quoting Maslow: "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."... [Read More]
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@tomasacker
Tom is timely, thought provoking and all about the new brand vision packaged as a Seinfeld stand up. I went to school on his ideas.
Jeff Taylor, Founder, Monster.com and CEO, Eons.
When Tom Asacker writes, I read. Opportunity Screams is the right message for the right time.
Tom Peters
Good point, well made. The old marketing as war metaphor, brute force wins. I find it a bit obnoxious...
Posted by: Johnnie Moore | September 13, 2005 at 06:39 AM