It’s better to be first than it is to be better. People remember Neil Armstrong; few remember the second person on the moon. In marketing, being the first brand in a new category is the ultimate shortcut to the consumer's mind.
Being first in the marketplace is important, but being first in the mind is everything. If you aren't first in a category, you need to find a way to be first in a specific niche or "ladder" rung within the prospect's head. Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Yo...
This is the one most often violated. When a company is successful with one product (e.g., A1 Steak Sauce), they often try to put that name on everything else (A1 Poultry Sauce). It almost always dilutes the original brand's power. It’s better to be first than it is to be better
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout is essentially the "gravity" of the business world—you don't have to believe in them, but you’ll certainly feel the impact when you fall. Being first in the marketplace is important, but
Are you looking to to a specific brand you're working on, or do you want to dive into some modern-day examples of brands that broke them?
The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a single word in the prospect’s mind. Volvo owns "Safety." FedEx owns "Overnight." If you try to own everything, you end up owning nothing.