Differentiate or Die

A revision of the handbook that taught marketers to differentiate in order to dominate the competition

Since Differentiate or Die was published seven years ago, competition for mindshare in a world of look-alike products and services has only intensified. The message of the book is more important than ever: that companies often fail to recognize their own most powerful and unique attribute and fail to implement a strategy that emphasizes and supports that attribute. Differentiation is not branding, but the essence of what branding is about. Trout demonstrates successful differentiation through examples from around the world, using core ideas like heritage, market leadership, and "being first" to rationalize consumers' unconscious emotions so that managers can bind them to products. This revised Second Edition includes new and updated examples, new research, fresh case studies, a deeper discussion of specialization, and an in-depth explanation of the ways line-extension can undermine differentiation.

Jack Trout (Greenwich, CT) is President of Trout Partners, one of the most prestigious marketing firms in the United States with offices in 13 countries. He is the author of several marketing classics, including Big Brands Big Trouble (978-0-471-41432-2). Steve Rivkin (Glen Rock, NJ) is President of Rivkin & Associates, a marketing and communication consultancy.