In 1969, Jack Trout wrote a paper entitled "Positioning is a Game People Play in Today's Me-Too Marketplace". That concept and the knowledge has come to the forefront as the best marketing strategy in this century.  The author became immortal as one of the world's best-known marketing gurus.

Jack Trout is the acclaimed co-author of 9 industry classics published in 18 languages:

• Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (1993)
• Marketing Warfare (1986)
• Bottom-Up Marketing (1990)
• Horse Sense (1992)
• The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (1994)
• The New Positioning: The Latest on the World's #1 Business Strategy (1997)
• The Power of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right (1998)
• Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Age of Killer Competition (2000)

Described as the "World's Foremost Marketing Strategist", Trout is the originator of Positioning, The Brand Extension Trap, Marketing Warfare, Bottom-Up Marketing  and other concepts in marketing strategy. He has over 40 years of extensive experience in advertising and marketing, and in the 1980s became the boardroom advisor to some of the world's largest corporations.

His worldwide consulting work gives him first-hand experience about developments in marketing across numerous corporations and countries. He has gained worldwide reputation as consultant, writer, speaker and proponents of leading-edge marketing strategies.

STEVE RIVKIN
Naming something may be the most universal aspect of being in business. After all, you don't have to advertise, promote, package, do point-of-sale, or train for customer sensitivity. You don't even (perish the thought...) have to position yourself. But whether it's your company, division, product, or service, you do have to call the baby something. So why not choose a name that works overtime? A name that actually starts the positioning process...

Steve Rivkin, the World's Number One Naming Strategist, has a diverse background in marketing, advertising, corporate communications, naming, identity, public affairs and journalism.

President of Rivkin & Associates, Inc. (1989), a marketing and communications consultancy, his firm completed naming assignments for more than 75 companies in consumer products, technology, healthcare and financial services. Among them, he created proprietary names for Allen-Bradley, Chanel, Kraft General Foods, MasterCard International, Monsanto, Pfizer, Sallie Mae, Schein Pharmaceuticals, Tiffany & Co, Trilion Diamonds and Wendy's.

Prior to forming his own firm, Steve spent 15 years with Trout & Ries Inc., the prestigious marketing and positioning strategies firm known for its pioneering work in "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind".

Steve is the co-author (with positioning strategist Jack Trout) of the book's sequel "The New Positioning: The Latest on the World's #1 Business Strategy" , The Power of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right and Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Age of Killer Competition (2000).

Steve is a much sought-after speaker on marketing and communications topics, and has appeared at more than 200 seminars, conferences and retreats.

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