Why Being First Matters

The easy way to get into a person’s mind is to be first. You can demonstrate the validity of this principle by asking yourself a few simple questions.

What’s the name of the first person to fly solo across the North Atlantic? Charles Lindbergh, right?

Now what’s the name of the second person to fly solo across the North Atlantic?

Not so easy to answer, is it?

What’s the name of the first person to walk on the moon? Neil Armstrong, of course.

What’s the name of the second?

What’s the name of the highest mountain in the world? Mount Everest in the Himalayas, right?

What’s the name of the second highest mountain in the world?

The first person, the first mountain, the first company to occupy the position in the mind is going to be awfully hard to dislodge.

Kodak in photography, Kleenex in tissue, Xerox in plain-paper copiers, Hertz in rent-a-cars, Coca in cola, General in electric.

Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout, p.13