Arguing that customers buy or don't buy because of perceptions of quality, not actual quality, this book suggests that the most important and powerful law of marketing is "owning a word in the customer's mind". The examples given include Volvo's command of the word "tank" and BMW's command of the word "driving". The book identifies the need for companies to concentrate on what they know best and, in many cases, to return to the basics to achieve the levels of success desired.
Using examples from many companies, this guide to management shows how the path to success comes not from expanding into new lines but from focusing a corporation on what it does best. It shows managers how to get back on track and predicts the kind of corporate thinking that is destined to fail.