Big Brands Big Trouble

by Jack Trout

• ISBN13: 9780471414322
• ISBN10: 0471414328
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-10-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

One of the most respected marketing gurus in the world shows why some of today's biggest brands are having trouble and how to avoid repeating their mistakes. It wasn't long ago that Levi-Strauss, Xerox, Crest, AT&T, Firestone, and Digital Equipment dominated their respective markets. What happened to undermine their standings and of those of other superbrands? Are their declines simply the inevitable consequence of change and the birth of new competition? In this important predecessor to the classic Differentiate or Die, "the king of positioning," Jack Trout answers that question with a resounding "No!" Writing in his signature, straight-from-the-hip style he reveals the disastrous marketing and strategy blunders that led to the dissolution of the most recognized superbrands. He clearly shows how those mistakes could have been avoided. With the help of in-depth case studies chronicling the events leading up to the falls from grace of Sears, Miller Brewing, Xerox, Crest, Burger King, and other past market leaders, he identifies the ten most common mistakes that big brands make, and he develops a set of expert guidelines for marketing managers and executives on how to build, protect, manage, and expand their companies' brands and avoid brand-killing blunders.

Author Biography

JACK TROUT is President of Trout & Partners, one of the most prestigious marketing firms in the United States, with offices in twelve countries and a client list that includes AT&T, IBM, Merrill Lynch, Southwest Airlines, and other Fortune 500 companies. Recognized as one of the influential gurus of marketing, Trout was the first to popularize the idea of "positioning" products and ideas in the minds of consumers. A sought-after speaker, he is the author of numerous marketing classics, including the bestselling Differentiate or Die (Wiley), Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, and The Power of Simplicity. Please visit Jack Trout at www.troutandpartners.com

Table of Contents

The Most Popular Mistakes and Their High Cost	1	(16)
General Motors: Forgetting What Made Them Successful	17	(12)
Xerox: Predicting a Future That Never Came	29	(16)
Digital Equipment Corporation: From Number Two to Nowhere	45	(10)
AT&T: From Monopoly to Mess	55	(12)
Levi Strauss: Ignoring Competition Is Bad for Your Business	67	(10)
Crest Toothpaste: Look, Ma, No Leadership	77	(8)
Burger King: Always under New Management	85	(12)
Firestone: Dead Brand Driving	97	(8)
Miller Brewing: A ``Miller'' Too Far	105	(12)
Marks & Spencer: A Bad Case of ``Top-Down'' Thinking	117	(16)
Trouble in the Wind: Brands with Unresolved Problems	133	(14)
An Army of Consultants; But No One to Help	147	(12)
Board of Directors: But No One to Help	159	(10)
Wall Street: Nothing but Trouble	169	(12)
Knowing Your Enemy Can Keep You Out of Trouble	181	(12)
The Bigger They Are, the Harder to Manage	193	(10)
Trouble Begins and Ends with the CEO	203	(10)
Index	213