In the 1960’s, Al Ries was running his advertising agency when he realized the world needed a better way to think about marketing. That is how positioning was born. His insight was that companies needed to focus on how to differentiate themselves in the mind of their customers. Brands needed to own a position in the mind. The marketing battle was not in the marketplace it was in the mind of the consumer. Most importantly, a brand’s perception in the mind was more important than the reality of the product or service.

Positioning is a thinking philosophy that has revolutionized the world of business strategy and marketing.

Over the last three years, we have at RIES reshaped our approach in how we work with clients into a global “RIES Positioning Think Tank.” 

The fundamental idea of operating as a Think Tank is to make the most of Positioning as a thinking philosophy and to be able to work in a new and revolutionary way: To think through, evaluate and work out actionable Positioning solutions together with CEOs and management groups of Companies, Organizations, and Brands.

Every brand owner in today’s competitive marketplace must understand and aim at establishing a position that can work in the mind of the global customer.

As the Think Tank, RIES will continue our work as it has been done for decades, but this new approach allows more collaboration, participation, and flexibility. During a “Private Session,” clients experience interacting with the best positioning thinkers in the world, including Laura Ries, Al’s daughter, and partner for 28 years. Sessions combine an understanding of the principles of marketing to get to not just a strategy but why it is the best strategy.

In addition to private client sessions, our Think Tank will regularly publish “Opinion Sessions” in which our expert team thinks through current company and brand situations and events in order to share our resulting opinions with the public.