Synopsis
In today’s supercompetitive marketplace, all it takes is one mistake to hand your business over to your competitors. And once it’s gone, your chances of getting it back are very slim. What’s worse is that there are not one or two but an entire army of competitors out there to take advantage of your misstep. It wasn’t long ago when Levi’s, AT&T, Crest, Xerox, and Firestone were all at the top of their game, dominating the market with hardly a threat in sight. What happened to undermine their standing, as well as those of other superbrands?
In this important and controversial new book, the "king of positioning" Jack Trout reveals the disastrous marketing and strategy blunders that led to the trouble at some of the most recognized superbrands. And he provides candid analyses as to how those mistakes could have been avoided. Scrutinizing many of the world’s most renowned companies under the microscope, Big Brands, Big Trouble provides in-depth case studies that chronicle the events leading up to the fall from grace of such mega-names as Xerox, Levi’s, Miller Brewing, Digital Equipment, Burger King, and many others.
This page-turner also presents a set of expert guidelines on how to build, protect, manage, and expand your company’s brand while avoiding some of the most common brand-killing blunders that can hurl you from the pinnacle of success to a scramble to stay afloat. Writing in his signature straight-from-the-hip style, Trout reveals some of the most common misconceptions about carving a niche for yourself in the consumers’ minds, including why benchmarking doesn’t really work (Pepsi’s SierraMist); marketing research can be misleading (Xerox); line extension just makes your message increasingly fuzzy (A1-Poultry Sauce); shooting for profits rather than market share will get you in trouble (General Motors); and many others.
Trout will also reveal the most prevalent blunders in today’s hypercompetitive world, such as:
- The "What are you selling?" mistake: The importance of defining the product category in a simple, understandable way.
- The "Truth will out" mistake: In the minds of consumers, perception is reality. Truth has no bearing on the subject.
- The "We’re very successful" mistake: Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.
- The "Everything for everybody" mistake: When you try to be all things to all people, you inevitably wind up becoming nothing.
By outlining the all-too-common marketing and strategy pitfalls, Big Brands, Big Trouble clearly demonstrates what can commonly go wrong and how to learn from the mistakes of others.
Publishers Weekly
Trout (Differentiate or Die) does the obvious in his latest book, rehashing the demise of well-known failures such as Xerox and Miller Brewing, and his redundant preaching of unoriginal strategies may irritate. But readers will find salvation in his straightforward, engaging prose and the constant hammering home of lessons (GM failed because it lost touch with the market, and AT&T tanked when it lost its focus). The book's first part is an excellent reminder of what managers should and should not do with a brand, making this a primer for the uninitiated. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.