Marketing whizz and 'father of positioning' Al Ries dies at 95
Ries along with his partner Jack Trout had authored a few books on
Legendary American marketing profession Al Ries passed away at the age of 95 on October 7. Ries, who was known as the 'father of positioning' was the cofounder and chairman of Atlanta-based consulting firm Ries & Ries.
He is also one half of the Ries and Trout duo who championed the concept of positioning in marketing. He and his partner Jack Trout has written five books on the topic, the most well-known one being Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind in 1981.
Ries graduated from DePauw University as a math major in 1950 and went on to work in the advertising department of General Electric. Soon, he founded his own ad agency, Ries Cappiello Colwell, in 1961. Trout joined in 1967, and the two went on to popularise the concept of positioning.
Ries and Trout defined positioning as a mental device used by consumers to simplify information and store new information in a logical place. They believed that the concept is important from the point of view of marketing because consumers should be introduced to brands at the right place at the right time and under the right circumstances for recall to happen. Otherwise, the consumers may get overwhelmed by excessive and unwanted advertisements, making them forget the brand.
By positioning themselves correctly, brands can not only differentiate themselves from others but also gain a place in the consumer's mind.
