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Al Ries is Chairman of Ries & Ries, an Atlanta marketing strategy firm. Besides having worked for such notable agencies as DDB Worldwide and Marsteller, Inc., Ries opened his own agency in New York in the 60’s. After 40 years in the Big Apple, Ries headed south to open shop and today works with daughter Laura Ries.Ries & Ries President, Laura, a graduate of Northwestern, also had her hand in advertising, working for TBWA Advertising. Father and daughter co-authored "The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding" (HarperCollins 2000). Al Ries also penned "Positioning The Battle for Your Mind" (McGraw Hill 1980) with former business partner Jack Trout. Besides an impressive resume, the two frequently speak to captive audiences nationwide on the theory and practice of marketing and are often quoted as experts in strategy.
It seems that messaging may, in response to the Sept. 11 events and a sluggish economy, return to traditional values - quality, family... Do you see this happening? What other ways do you think messaging will change?
We certainly do. It's back to basics, which, ironically enough, always happens at some point in history. The new economy, the craziness of the internet entrepreneurs, the sky high stock market were aberrations that just couldn't continue. It wasn't just September 11th that caused the change.We were ready for some change.
How will advertising/marketing change in this decade as compared to last? One thing that hasn't changed is the craziness of the advertising industry. We are still herding cats (EDS), creating the indestructible doll (Lee jeans) and freestyle basketball dribbling (Nike). The advertising industry will also have to get back to basics.
How will clients be looking to spend their money? (What % will go to PR, to advertising? Will more work be kept in-house?) We see a strong trend to reducing advertising spending and increasing PR spending. For example, Dell Computer spends 200 times as much on advertising as PR. This makes no sense at all. It's hard to give a percentage because each client is different. But in general PR will be a big winner in the decades.
How can agencies respond to a more reluctant client and a "wait and see" approach? How can a client spend his/her money wisely? This is one hard and fast rule of thumb. You can't use advertising to change a mind. You can only use advertising to manipulate what's already in the prospect's mind. That's the only strategy that actually works. Take two examples. Coca-Cola says "enjoy" and Pepsi-Cola says "the joy of Pepsi." Do either of these advertising programs make any sense at all to the cola drinker? Definitely not. What does Coca-Cola own in the mind? It's the first cola, it's the original cola, it's the real thing. That’s what Coca-Cola should be advertising, "the real thing." What does Pepsi own in the mind? It's the new kid on the block, the cola that appeals to the younger generation. Pepsi-Cola should get back to "The Pepsi Generation."