Buy new:
-28% $17.90
Delivery Thursday, October 17
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: MOTIF CAFE
$17.90 with 28 percent savings
List Price: $24.95
The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
FREE International Returns
No Import Fees Deposit & $12.97 Shipping to Austria Details

Shipping & Fee Details

Price $17.90
AmazonGlobal Shipping $12.97
Estimated Import Fees Deposit $0.00
Total $30.87

Delivery Thursday, October 17. Order within 12 hrs 46 mins
Or fastest delivery Tuesday, October 8
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$17.90 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$17.90
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
MOTIF CAFE
Sold by
MOTIF CAFE
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$11.34
FREE International Returns
Delivery Wednesday, October 16. Order within 14 hrs 31 mins
Or fastest delivery Tuesday, October 8
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$17.90 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$17.90
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Other sellers on Amazon
New & Used (20) from   $4.99
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Al Ries
Follow
Laura Ries
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Origin of Brands: Discover the Natural Laws of Product Innovation and Business Survival Hardcover – May 11, 2004

by Al Ries (Author), Laura Ries (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 119 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$17.90","priceAmount":17.90,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"90","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"shiV2KffiKqIMUhMOorCpRddVCeWhygC8t5rfwPWQEbliPfTY0tzrjO1Xv9pvg2Ad8QEcegN0WY9zBOa9zWMsQJq3ptnCnCWmwAFFA2tmWB8DYj0xUWbEfKNhNlj5D%2BDT98MLCUdp0aobpqDrCMIsxqUvj1ER6Bf99arwzAQCgGWvMC%2Fjxp3lD7WIyFsuN7G","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.34","priceAmount":11.34,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"34","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"shiV2KffiKqIMUhMOorCpRddVCeWhygCZ7GQ8uK8ozeoe7rgBO0JVZhVpQrk%2BeCoad1shqVi6oKEaW5il21I3CGLiv5s080sOgjQ%2B5uQm2z4d8qNyfz8Q2eihEKjxUfNGBxquQOhEUYoDqJZoJhD6Y0lWDbkY4LvwtLydYOP%2B%2BwBA2sTqfYk3QfBwLo51%2BR9","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

What Charles Darwin did for biology, Al and Laura Ries do for branding.

In their exciting new book, The Origin of Brands, the Rieses take Darwin's revolutionary idea of evolution and apply it to the branding process. What results is a new and strikingly effective strategy for creating innovative products, building a successful brand, and, in turn, achieving business success.Here, the Rieses explain how changing conditions in the marketplace create endless opportunities to build new brands and accumulate riches. But these opportunities cannot be found where most people and most companies look. That is, in the convergence of existing categories like television and the computer, the cellphone and the Internet.

Instead, opportunity lies in the opposite direction—in divergence. By following Darwin's brilliant deduction that new species arise from divergence of an existing species, the Rieses outline an effective strategy for creating and taking to market an effective brand. In The Origin of Brands, you will learn how to:

  • Divide and conquer
  • Exploit divergence
  • Use the theories of survival of the firstest and survival of the secondest
  • Harness the power of pruning

Using insightful studies of failed convergence products and engaging success stories of products that have achieved worldwide success through divergence, the Rieses have written the definitive book on branding. The Origin of Brands will show you in depth how to build a great brand and will lead you to success in the high-stakes world of branding.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Business
  4. Publication date
    May 11, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.05 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0060570148
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0060570149
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details

Frequently bought together

The Origin of Brands: Discover the Natural Laws of Product Innovation and Business Survival
This item: The Origin of Brands: Discover the Natural Laws of Product Innovation and Business Survival
$17.90
Get it as soon as Thursday, Oct 17
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by MOTIF CAFE and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
$10.99
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Battlecry: Winning the battle for the mind with a slogan that kills.
$9.99
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This father-daughter marketing team, authors of The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, believes that evolution is a useful analogy for marketers. Throughout the book, readers are encouraged to think of Darwin's tree of life. For example, the television tree used to consist solely of the three networks, but now comprises an array of cable and satellite offerings. The "phone" tree includes cellular, picture, computer, digital and other varieties. Using many examples, the authors explore this notion: "Competition between individuals (brands) improves the species. Competition between species (categories) drives the categories further and further apart." To survive in today's competitive market where technology makes innovations much faster than in the past, companies must continue to introduce new computers, cars, phones, food, etc. However, the drawbacks of expansion and innovation mean that some products and some corporations won't be profitable. Burger King keeps trying to launch new menus, essentially to compete with McDonald's. While McDonald's has had its own fiscal troubles, it continues to dominate the fast food market because it was first and has so many outlets. Along with their entertaining perspective on advertising and marketing, the authors offer specific advice including devising a new category rather than a brand. Innovative marketers will have a triumphant product if they create a category and launch with a clever name as well, such as Starbucks did for the high-end coffee-shop category. While the book is primarily directed at readers working in marketing, advertising and related fields, managers and executives at both large and small businesses will benefit from it as well.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Illuminating examples and wry humor combine for a delightful read.” — Harvard Business Review

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Business; 1st edition (May 11, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060570148
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060570149
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.05 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 119 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Al Ries

    Al Ries

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Al Ries is a legendary branding strategist, bestselling author and originator of the concept of Positioning.

    In 1972, Al co-authored the now infamous three-part series of articles declaring the arrival of the Positioning Era in Advertising Age magazine. The concept of positioning revolutionized how people viewed advertising and marketing. Marketing was traditionally thought of as communications, but successful brands are those that find an open hole in the mind and then become the first to fill the hole with their brand name.

    Since 1994, Al has run Ries & Ries, a consulting firm with his partner and media darling daughter Laura Ries. Together they consult with Fortune 500 companies on brand strategy and are the authors of five books which have been bestsellers around the world. They have traveled to over 60 countries from Chile to China and India to Indonesia teaching the fundamental principles of marketing.

    When Advertising Age magazine choose the 75 most important ad moments of the last 75 years celebrating the publication's 75th anniversary. The emergence of positioning came in at number #56. Ad Age commented on how the concept remains just as relevant in today's environment, "The positioning era doesn't end. What became a part of the marketing lexicon in the early '70's holds its own in the textbooks of today."

    Al currently writes a monthly marketing column for AdAge.com and appears on the RiesReport.com. Al's favorite activities include snorkeling, horseback riding and driving with the top down. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Mary Lou.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Laura Ries

    Laura Ries

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Laura Ries is a leading branding and marketing strategist, bestselling author and television personality.

    For two decades, Laura has run Ries & Ries, a consulting firm with her partner, father and legendary Positioning pioneer Al Ries.

    Together they consult with companies around the world on marketing strategy and are the authors of five books which have been international bestsellers. They have traveled to over 60 countries from Chile to China and India to Indonesia teaching the fundamental principles of brand building.

    Laura is a frequent marketing analyst on major news programs from the O'Reilly Factor to Squawk Box. She regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, CNN, Headline News ABC, CBS, PBS and is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Advertising Age and others.

    In 2009, the readers of Advertising Age voted Al's book Positioning as the best marketing book of all time with The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al & Laura Ries coming in close behind in the number three spot.

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
119 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Winston Kotzan
5.0 out of 5 stars Not-so-revolutionary strategies that go unnoticed
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2004
Verified Purchase
Before reading, I expected this book to list historical examples of successful brand names and how they developed - Coca-Cola, Kleenex, GAP, etc. But after reading, I was delighted to find that this book had much more. "The Origin of Brands" is one of the most practical business strategy books I have ever read.
The book finds a niche by paralleling Darwin's book "The Origin of Species." The authors give a refresher in high school biology by showing the development of a product is analogous to evolution. Just as how the canine species evolved into many different breeds of dogs - Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Terriers; a product like the television can diverge into new categories - plasma, projection, LCD, DLP, etc. It is through this divergence in innovation that new products can be created and new brand names can come into existence.
Contrary to the belief that entrepreneurs must find unfulfilled markets and seize a business opportunity, Al & Laura Ries say that success can be found through creating new markets. Before the introduction of light beer, there was neither a market nor a demand for light beer. But a new market was created with Bud Lite as the dominating brand. The recently popular Red Bull drink found its success by creating a new market known as "energy drinks."
The book also gives good advice on battling with your brand. If you are competing with the #1 brand in a market, the book suggests you do the opposite of the leader. Target provides fierce competition with Wal-Mart by providing the opposite - clean, neat-looking displays and wide isles. Home Depot and Lowe's have a similar relationship. It is through uniqueness that business must compete - not by following a trend.
Near the end, the book somewhat reverts to basic marketing tactics - giving your brand an identity in the consumer's mind. Cadillac is able to keep a prestigious name by associating itself with the basic idea of "expensive American car." Products like Zima beer, introduced by the Coors company, are unsuccessful because do not identify with a simple basic image in the consumer's minds.
While I can't necessarily agree that the author's thinking applies to all business cases, this book definitely brings out some obvious truths in product development and marketing. It even points out psychological thinking on the customer's end. Unlike many other business books, this one supports itself with hundreds of real-world examples of successful and unsuccessful products. I enjoyed reading it because it was able to answer "why" to almost everything stated.
I recommend this for anyone in marketing, entrepreneurship, and even managers interested in making their business better. "The Origin of Brands" will provide you with ideas helpful in selling any product - no matter how large or how small. Best of all, it is enjoyable as much as it is informative.
10 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best marketing/value proposition books
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2012
Verified Purchase
I missed this book when it was first published but glad I found it later. Too many businesses launch their products or services either as "me too" or failing to describe what they are, and end up with slow or no sales. This book lays out a wonderful formula to ensure the product hits its mark and is distinctive.
While reading, take some of the "Apple is doomed" narrative with a grain of salt, because we now know Apple succeeded. The missing update chapter pertains to how Apple's success since its bleek period came from following the advice of this book.
This is a must-read for marketers, product engineers, and start-up executives.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars This book is the key to success
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
If you are looking to not only start a business, but start one that people will take notice of, this book has the answers.
Helpful
 Report
Colin Myles
5.0 out of 5 stars Divergence is the key
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
Great read.A practical book on branding and what it takes to survive. Time to forget survival of the fittest and think divergence. A must for start up's and older companies. The use of real life examples is truly helpful.
Helpful
 Report
Chris
2.0 out of 5 stars Too full of personal opinion and ranting
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2012
Verified Purchase
Before I tear it apart, you should know that there is some useful information in this book and an easy to read discussion of the history of brands. Ries uses an extended analogy of Darwin's Origin of Species to explain how new brands diverge from the old like tree limbs and branches from a tree trunk. This analogy is especially useful when he explains how old-fashioned department stores have lost ground to competitors in each of their individual departments. For example, Abercrombie & Fitch versus the Sears Young Adult/Teen clothing section or Best Buy versus the electronics department.

This concept leads Ries into a chapters long rant against the theory of convergence, which argues that different technologies and brands will combine into a limited number of brands or products over time. Ries argues in favor of divergence, which states that new brands will emerge by way of creating new markets and products to serve those markets. Red Bull is a great example of how Ries' argument does hold water in many circumstances.

The premise of the book begins to break down when he continues to ramp up the insults against executives who have predicted convergence at some point in the past. The wheels really fall off the argument when he begins predicting the failure of brands and technologies because they are adopting convergence strategies rather than divergence. The almighty seer Ries peeks into the grim future of smartphones, a convergence technology, with this gem: "And how smart is it to combine a cellphone with a video-game machine and an MP3 player, as Nokia's new N-Gage does? How many teenage gamers can pay $300 for the phone plus $25 a month for a voice plan, $10 a month to play online games, $30 to $50 for each new game, and $50 for a multimedia card so they can listen to MP3 tunes?" You're right Al, no one will ever buy smartphones. What was Apple thinking? Then he follows by asserting that the $100 Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP, the smartphone's divergent competitor, is "selling like hotcakes." No...it's not actually. The smartphone is eating the handheld video game market's lunch. This is one of several examples where Ries is either entirely wrong or just lies to make an example fit his theory.

If he would have gotten off his soapbox and quit trying to make every aspect of branding fit into his theory of divergence, this would have been a much better read. Don't get me wrong, I wholeheartedly agree that anyone trying to establish a new brand should pursue divergence, not convergence, and try to create a new market as Ries suggests. The rewards are great if you accomplish this, as the first entrant into a new market is generally rewarded with long-lasting leadership (think Red Bull vs Monster and Rockstar). I just found it exceedingly annoying that he insisted on making every one of the numerous examples fit the theory of divergence. He actually goes on a rampage against the clock radio at one point, claiming it's the source of modern convergence thinking. He also tells a story about his engineer friend who unplugs the clock radio from the wall the minute he steps into his hotel room because it's too complicated. Really? I've never had a problem with one. They're easy to use and convenient. It's like the Bed of Procrustes with this guy. If the example doesn't fit his theory, he just alters the facts or observations. Is it so hard to believe that sometimes convergence does work?

I think $3 would have been a fair price for this book because roughly 30% of the information was useful to anyone trying to establish a brand.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Joseph T. Cunningham
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for anyone in marketing. The Ries's can ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
A must-read for anyone in marketing. The Ries's can be a bit redundant in their use of examples and statistics, but it's an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Condition & Prompt deliver
Reviewed in India on February 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
Excellent Condition & Prompt deliver
Report
Charles
5.0 out of 5 stars Passionnant !!!
Reviewed in France on July 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
lire par tous les étudiants en commerce ...
Report
J. P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful words of marketing wisdom
Reviewed in Canada on October 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
Excellent marketing words of wisdom. This is the sixth book I've read by the Al & Laura Ries team and it did not disappoint. The analogy of divergence in the field of marketing and the tree with its divergent branches brought the message home very clearly. The messages in this book were also thought provoking and quite stimulating (turned on the creative juices). Worth every penny and so much more!
Report
Diego Andrade
5.0 out of 5 stars Mais uma bela jogada
Reviewed in Brazil on April 8, 2015
Verified Purchase
Mais uma vez Al Ries surpreende com sua capacidade enorme de percepção de marketing. Sua foto filha Laura Ries segue o mesmo caminho.
Report
Ste
4.0 out of 5 stars Buon Libro, specie la seconda parte
Reviewed in Italy on March 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
La prima parte di questo libro è molto, forse troppo ripetitiva nell'esporre il concetto della "divergenza". Personalmente dopo 70 pagine stavo iniziando a percepirlo come un libro un po' pesantino： gli autori sono americani e gli esempi citati sono sempre aziende che magari in Italia non si conoscono oppure che non hanno una posizione chiara nella mente del consumatore (per il concetto vedi “Positioning”, Al Ries e Jack Trout).
Questo perché l'autore nelle prime 160 pagine ripete in tutte le salse la sua tesi applicata all'evoluzione dei marchi e delle categorie di prodotti. Centinaia e centinaia di esempi più o meno interessanti (a seconda dei gusti). Resistendo però, si arriva alla seconda parte del libro e si assiste ad un cambio di ritmo.
L'ho trovato infatti molto interessante dal capitolo 11 in poi, dove diventa più "manuale" -più studiabile in un certo senso- e dove gli autori dispensano preziosi consigli.
L'inglese di questo libro è veramente accessibile e discorsivo, pertanto la lettura è consigliata e per niente difficoltosa.

Infine, si consiglia di affiancarlo ad altre letture riguardanti il Posizionamento e in generale qualche altro libro dei Ries.
Report