Synopses & Reviews
How can IBM have $65 billion in revenues and still lose money? Although PepsiCo has nearly twice the sales and assets of Coca-Cola, Coke's stock is worth more than twice as much. Again and again, the financial pages report similar stories. In plain and effective language, internationally known marketing expert and bestselling author Al Ries explains why IBM, PepsiCo and other revenue-rich companies often fail to perform on the balance sheet. His common-sense approach to business management focuses on keeping a business doing what it does best, eschewing the temptation to diversify into unrelated enterprises.
Using real-world examples, Ries shows that in industry after industry, it is the companies that resist diversification, and focus instead on owning a category in consumers'minds, that dominate their markets. He offers solid guidance to get companies back on target, explaining how to get focused and how to stay focused. His no-nonsense advice lays out a workable blueprint for any company's evolution that can increase market share and shareholder value while keeping an eye squarely on the future.
About the Author
Al Ries is perhaps the world's best-known marketing strategist. He is the coauthor of such international bestsellers as The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind and the author of Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It. His daughter Laura Ries is a graduate of Northwestern University and a partner in their marketing strategy firm, Ries &Ries in Roswell, Georgia. She is the coauthor of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. Together they speak and consult with major companies around the globe.