The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
By Al Ries and Laura Ries

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; 1st edition (September 17, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060007737

It had been many years since I first read this book, so I thought I would pull it off the shelf, dust it off, and see if it had stood up to a few years of scrutiny. As with so many books that promise fool-proof plans, it did well in some areas, but could use some significant help in others.

The first thing that needs to be said about this book is that it is focused exclusively on consumer brands, and primarily consumer packaged goods at that. There is not a single mention of a B2B brand anywhere in the book, unless you count Xerox, which, given their broad market penetration, I really don’t. Perhaps the authors simply chose to limit their examples to ones that all of their readers would know. If so, it is a shame, as it leaves the reader with the distinct impression that these rules are only for consumer brands. With so many marketers working in the B2B world, it seems unfortunate to leave them out entirely.

Leaving that aside, the core of the Ries’s argument is quite simple. They assert that the key to branding is to discover the unique value proposition of your product (or service), focus exclusively on that, and never deviate for an instant. If you want a product that will do something else, you need to create an entirely new brand. The rest of the book is devoted to expanding on ways for marketers to do a better job of focusing on the brand’s core attributes—and the harm that comes from ignoring their so-called laws.

The major argument against the Ries’s thesis is that brands are constantly cashing in on their brand equity by releasing subbrands and undergoing line extensions. It happens all the time and companies make lots of money doing it. If these things are so bad for brands, how are these companies still around? The Rieses answer that question in two ways: first, they argue that, since everyone violates the rules, no one suffers too badly. If, the Rieses say, any brand were to be more focused, it would clean up, because its competition is so weak from unfocused branding. Second, the authors argue that while subbrands and line extensions may be profitable in the short run, they are deadly in the bigger picture.

Overall, the book bears reading. Its biggest flaw is the universality of its authors “laws”. To be fair, however, the Rieses admit that their title is, itself, a product of branding, not a genuine claim. “[T]o make it in the book business you need a shocking title. The 22 Generally Accepted Laws of Branding is just not going to go anywhere at Barnes & Noble, Borders or Amazon.com.” Maybe so, but it would be nice if the book had a few more in depth examples of exceptions to the rules, if for no other reason than to defend why the rules are generally accepted. Nonetheless, the Rieses have put together a solid, if quick, read that will leave you thinking about your own approach to branding.

One final note, though, on chapter 16, “The Law of the Shape”. In this chapter the Rieses get completely out of their field and try to opine on the subject of logos and graphic design. Feel free to ignore this chapter completely, as they pretty have no clue what they’re talking about. They should follow their own advice and stick to their strengths.