The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al and Laura Ries

September 20, 2004 | 6 Comments

Summary: Book review. In general I thought this book was a nice introduction to branding with a few minor flaws.

If you are interested in learning about branding and enjoy easy to follow, yet somewhat shallow books, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is right up your alley.

As someone who is new to the strategic part of branding I found this book to be a very solid introduction. It’s excellent in that it breaks some of the key themes about branding down into small, easily digestible chunks—just right for someone with little time. It’s written with plain language, is full of examples and is fairly comprehensive if a bit lacking in detailed info.

The book is organized into (big surprise) 22 chapters on general branding, and 11 bonus chapters on Web branding. So you actually get 33 laws. Each chapter covers a particular branding law, such as “The Law of Contraction” or “The Law of Expansion.”

The chapters are short and to the point. The authors speak with authority and do a pretty good job of showing real world examples of their “immutable laws” in action. Much of what is taught here is common sense, and I found myself thinking “well duh” quite often. Still, there is enough in there to teach someone like me a thing or three, and more importantly, to really get you thinking.

Which makes you question much of what the authors lay down as “law.”

I considered this a plus, even though I found myself disagreeing with the authors on certain aspects of they reasoning quite often. Especially when I got to the “11 Laws of Internet Branding.” One of the best ways to learn is to question the teacher. This book gives quite a bit off opportunity to do just that.

Overall I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in branding. It’s a quick, easy, and thought-provoking read. Just be careful not to buy wholesale into everything you read here.

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Comments

1. Delon said:

I haven’ read The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding but I am reading a book also written by Al and Laura called The origin of brands. The book uses the analogy of mans evolutions to describe the way that branding is heading these days.

It�€™s a decent book and I enjoy their writing style, quick paced and to the point. About your comment on questioning the teacher, I like that and I think that it is the best way to learn and eventually master your craft.

Posted on September 20, 2004 10:25 AM | #

2. Scott said:

I’ll have to check that out Keith :) I am interested in branding.

Posted on September 20, 2004 11:32 AM | #

3. Donnie said:

Hey Keith, may I ask how much the book costs?

Posted on September 20, 2004 05:02 PM | #

4. Keith said:

Donnie – It’s cheap. Less than $20. Amazon has it listed for $14.

Posted on September 20, 2004 05:30 PM | #

5. Nick Finck said:

One of the designers at work owns a copy of this book, I am having her bring it in. She said she thinks it a very handy book to have around, and says serveral people she knows have already grabbed a copy for themselves. Maybe I’ll do a mini-book review on it… when I find time ;)

Posted on September 20, 2004 07:38 PM | #