Publisher Description

A newly revised and expanded edition of the revolutionary business classic, Differentiate or Die, Second Edition shows you how to differentiate your products, services, and business in order to dominate the competition. Veteran marketing guru Jack Trout uses real-world examples and his own unique insight to show you how to bind customers to your products for long-term success and loyalty. This edition includes new case studies, new research, and updated examples from around the world.

Back Cover

Consumers today have an endless number of choices among products that are virtually identical. Short of slashing your prices and wrecking your margins, differentiating is the only way to gain market share and win. Since its original publication, Differentiate or Die has become the bible for marketers who must find a way to separate their products and brands from the competition. Meanwhile, competition among similar products and services has only intensified--making differentiation even more important. In this fully updated edition of Differentiate or Die , Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin bring the book in line with all the newest ideas and recent changes in marketing. Trout doesn't pull any punches, taking marketers to task for going the easy route too often--using high-tech razzle-dazzle or advertising sleight of hand to woo customers. The only way to truly differentiate yourself is by marketing the product's uniquely valuable qualities. Full of practical case studies that show great differentiation in action, including new case studies from Russia and China, Differentiate or Die, Second Edition , shows you how to tap into core differentiating ideas like heritage, market leadership, and being first to emotionally connect customers to your products. In addition, this revision includes new research on brand commoditization, new insight on using buzz to your advantage, a new chapter on differentiating absolutely anything, and a detailed look at the perils of line extension in today's marketplace. These are only a few of the valuable, proven differentiation strategies included in the book, giving you unparalleled insight into one of marketing's most intractable problems. From the classic "unique selling proposition" approach to the ins and outs of product positioning, this book contains all the best, most effective strategies for differentiating your product from the competition in tight quarters.

Flap

Consumers today have an endless number of choices among products that are virtually identical. Short of slashing your prices and wrecking your margins, differentiating is the only way to gain market share and win. Since its original publication, Differentiate or Die has become the bible for marketers who must find a way to separate their products and brands from the competition. Meanwhile, competition among similar products and services has only intensified--making differentiation even more important. In this fully updated edition of Differentiate or Die, Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin bring the book in line with all the newest ideas and recent changes in marketing. Trout doesn't pull any punches, taking marketers to task for going the easy route too often--using high-tech razzle-dazzle or advertising sleight of hand to woo customers. The only way to truly differentiate yourself is by marketing the product's uniquely valuable qualities. Full of practical case studies that show great differentiation in action, including new case studies from Russia and China, Differentiate or Die, Second Edition, shows you how to tap into core differentiating ideas like heritage, market leadership, and being first to emotionally connect customers to your products. In addition, this revision includes new research on brand commoditization, new insight on using buzz to your advantage, a new chapter on differentiating absolutely anything, and a detailed look at the perils of line extension in today's marketplace. These are only a few of the valuable, proven differentiation strategies included in the book, giving you unparalleled insight into one of marketing's most intractable problems. From theclassic "unique selling proposition" approach to the ins and outs of product positioning, this book contains all the best, most effective strategies for differentiating your product from the competition in tight quarters. Jack Trout is President of Trout & Partners Ltd. , one of the nation's most prestigious marketing firms with offices in twenty-two countries. He is recognized as a top marketing guru and is the creator of the revolutionary concept of positioning. He is also the coauthor of the bestselling classic Positioning, among many other titles. Steve Rivkin is founder of Rivkin & Associates LLC , a marketing and communication consultancy. He is coauthor of five books on marketing and communication strategy and is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences around the world.

Author Biography

JACK TROUT is President of Trout & Partners Ltd. , one of the nation's most prestigious marketing firms with offices in twenty-two countries. He is recognized as a top marketing guru and is the creator of the revolutionary concept of positioning. He is also the coauthor of the bestselling classic Positioning, among many other titles. STEVE RIVKIN is founder of Rivkin & Associates LLC , a marketing and communication consultancy. He is coauthor of five books on marketing and communication strategy and is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences around the world.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. The Tyranny of Choice 1 Chapter 2. The Creeping Commoditization of Categories 11 Chapter 3. Whatever Happened to the Unique Selling Proposition? 19 Chapter 4. Reinventing the Unique Selling Proposition 27 Chapter 5. Quality and Customer Orientation Are Rarely Differentiating Ideas 35 Chapter 6. Creativity Is Not a Differentiating Idea 45 Chapter 7. Price Is Rarely a Differentiating Idea 55 Chapter 8. Breadth of Line is a Difficult Way to Differentiate 67 Chapter 9. The Steps to Differentiation 75 Chapter 10. Differentiation Takes Place in the Mind 83 Chapter 11. Being First is a Differentiating Idea 93 Chapter 12. Attribute Ownership is a Way to Differentiate 103 Chapter 13. Leadership is a Way to Differentiate 117 Chapter 14. Heritage is a Differentiating Idea 125 Chapter 15. Market Specialty is a Differentiating Idea 137 Chapter 16. Preference is a Differentiating Idea 145 Chapter 17. How A Product is Made can be a Differentiating Idea 155 Chapter 18. Being the Latest can be a Differentiating Idea 165 Chapter 19. Hotness is a Way to Differentiate 175 Chapter 20. Growth Can Destroy Differentiation 181 Chapter 21. Differentiation Often Requires Sacrifice 191 Chapter 22. Being Different In Different Places 199 Chapter 23. Maintaining Your Difference 207 Chapter 24. Differentiation in the New World of Buzz 217 Chapter 25. You Can Differentiate Anything 225 Chapter 26. Who is in Charge of Differentiation? 235 Epilogue 243 Notes 245 Index 251

Long Description

A revision of the handbook that taught marketers to differentiate in order to dominate the competition Since Differentiate or Die was published seven years ago, competition for mindshare in a world of look-alike products and services has only intensified. The message of the book is more important than ever: that companies often fail to recognize their own most powerful and unique attribute and fail to implement a strategy that emphasizes and supports that attribute. Differentiation is not branding, but the essence of what branding is about. Trout demonstrates successful differentiation through examples from around the world, using core ideas like heritage, market leadership, and "being first" to rationalize consumers' unconscious emotions so that managers can bind them to products. This revised Second Edition includes new and updated examples, new research, fresh case studies, a deeper discussion of specialization, and an in-depth explanation of the ways line-extension can undermine differentiation. Jack Trout (Greenwich, CT) is President of Trout Partners, one of the most prestigious marketing firms in the United States with offices in 13 countries. He is the author of several marketing classics, including Big Brands Big Trouble (978-0-471-41432-2). Steve Rivkin (Glen Rock, NJ) is President of Rivkin & Associates, a marketing and communication consultancy.

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