This document discusses several "laws of leadership" as they relate to marketing and being first in a customer's mind. It discusses that it is better to be first than better, and that people perceive the first product or brand in a category as superior. It also discusses setting up a new category to be first in if not the overall first. Additionally, it states that being first in a customer's mind is more important than being first in the marketplace, and that marketing is really a battle of perception rather than products. It provides examples of owning words in a customer's mind that represent categories.

1. Part 1 of the 3 part
series

2. THE LAW OF LEADERSHIP
It’s better to be first than it is to be better

3. WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO REACH THE
SOUTH POLE?

4. It’s better to be first than it is to be better
The law of leadership applies to any product, any brand and any category
Regardless of reality, people perceive the first product into the mind as superior

5. If you’re second into the prospect’s mind, are you doomed to languish forever with
Scott Adams, HP, Canon, some unknown medical kit or Dispirin?

6. THE LAW OF THE CATEGORY
If you can’t be first in a category,
set up a new category you can be first in

7. When you launch a new product, the first question to ask yourself is not
“How is this new product better than the competition?”
But what category is this new product first in?
First in the category of cheap washing powder
First in the category of tooth paste with mouth
wash
First in the category of customisation
First in the category that catered to the youth
Or create your own category

8. THE LAW OF THE MIND
It’s better to be first in the mind
than it is to be first in the marketplace

9. The Law of leadership suggests that
Duryea
So is there something wrong with first law?
No, but the law of the mind modifies it
Being first in the mind is everything in marketing
Marketplace is important only to the extent that it allows you to get in the mind first

10. THE LAW OF PERCEPTION
Marketing is not a battle of products,
it’s a battle of perception

11. Which is better?
Marketing people are preoccupied with doing research and “getting the facts”…
Taste like phenyl!
Ooh! The burning feeling
Interface is better and cooler!
 There is no objective reality
 There are no facts
 There are no best products
 All that exists in the world of marketing are perceptions in the minds of the
customer
 That perception is the reality
 Everything else is an illusion

12. THE LAW OF FOCUS
The most powerful concept in marketing
is owning a word in the prospect’s mind

13. The leader owns the word that stands for the category
Breakfast
Search
Cold
If you’re not a leader, then your word has to have a narrow focus
Engineering
Vegetarian
Ayurveda

14. THE LAW OF EXCLUSIVITY
Two companies cannot own
the same word in the prospect’s mind.

15. When a competitor owns a word or position in the prospect’s mind, it is futile to
attempt to own the same word.
Safety
Worldwide
Long-lasting
Deliver
y
Service
/Mileag
e

16. THE LAW OF THE LADDER
The strategy to use depends on
which rung you occupy on the ladder.

17. Your marketing strategy should depend on how soon you get into the mind and
consequently which rung of the ladder you occupy.
 The mind is selective
 Prospects use their ladders in deciding which information
to accept and which information to reject

18. End of part one..