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.
Laura Ries is a leading branding strategist, bestselling author and television personality.
Her new book Visual Hammer will be released in March 2012.
Since 1994, Laura has run Ries & Ries, a consulting firm with her partner, father and legendary Positioning pioneer Al 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 branding.
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.
Laura attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where she graduated "with highest distinction" from Northwestern's School of Speech finishing in the top 2% of her class.
Laura and Al have co-authored five books together: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding (1998), The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding (2000), The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PR (2002), The Origin of Brands (2004), and her latest War in the Boardroom (2009).
In 2002, Business 2.0 named Laura a "management guru" and issued trading cards with her picture and statistics on them. In 2008, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Laura a top 40 under 40. 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 coming in close behind in the number three spot.