Successful brands get into the mind slowly. A blurb in a magazine. A mention in a newspaper. A comment from a friend. A display in a retail store. After a slow buildup, people become convinced that they have known about the brand forever.

Changing the direction of a large company is like trying to turn an aircraft carrier. It takes a mile before anything happens. And if it was a wrong turn, getting back on course takes even longer.

The essence of positioning is sacrifice. You must be willing to give up something in order to establish that unique position.

It's better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.

What's your brand? If you can't answer that question about your own brand in two or three words, your brand's in trouble.

A laser is a weak source of energy. A laser takes [only] a few watts of energy and focuses them in a coherent stream of light. But with a laser, you can drill a hole in a diamond or wipe out cancer.

Marketing is not selling. Marketing is building a brand in the mind of the prospect.