This seminal piece of work is worth a revisit again and again for the curious marketer. The basic tenant of this book is clear: To be noticed in today’s over-marketed society, a brand must firmly hold a place (position) in a consumer’s mind. Sure, that is relatively easy if you’re the market leader. But, if you’re not there first, look for a `hole’ or a ‘gap’, which is a niche not exploited by the market leader.
In marketing strategy, it is easier to attack a market leader indirectly rather than head on. Dell in its early days focused on a unique delivery mechanism and used the same to dominate the B2B market. Rather than fight HP and Compaq for shelf space in big box electronic retailers, it concentrated on direct sales. That part worked then. » Read more: Revisiting Jack Trout’s Positioning
