I am deeply indebted to Al Ries and Jack Trout for advancing branding with their classic book, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, in which they introduce the concept of positioning, defined as the brand perception residing in a person’s mind. It is an excellent book in many ways and still relevant. However, their judgment that practically all extensions are strategic mistakes is just wrong. In a subsequent 1993 book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, they doubled down on their anti-extension advice saying “a line extension ultimate leads to oblivion” and warning that to be successful you have to narrow a brand’s focus.