Ries & Ries
Ries & Ries is a privately held positioning strategy consulting firm, founded by Al Ries in 1963 and now led by Laura Ries as Chairwoman, serving entrepreneurs and enterprise marketing leaders globally through workshops, advisory hotlines, keynote speaking, and a 12-title book catalog.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersRoswell, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ries & Ries does
Ries & Ries is a privately held positioning strategy consulting firm founded in 1963 in New York City as Ries, Cappello, Coldwell by Al Ries, the originator of the positioning discipline. The firm relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 1997 and is now led by Laura Ries, Al's daughter, as Chairwoman following his death in October 2022. RIES works with entrepreneurs, enterprise marketing leaders, and brand strategists on defining differentiated brand positions, identifying strategic enemies, creating new categories, and developing visual hammers, delivered through positioning workshops, an advisory hotline, keynote speaking engagements, and a weekly newsletter.
The firm's underlying asset is its proprietary positioning methodology codified across 12 published books, including the foundational "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind" (1981, 6M+ lifetime copies sold) and Laura Ries's latest title "The Strategic Enemy" (2024). There is no software, API, or technology platform; delivery is purely human advisory. RIES operates globally through a network of regional partners across the US, Austria, Sweden, UK, Spain, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Turkey, and Brazil, plus a wholly-owned subsidiary, RIES China (founded 2007 in Shanghai), and books keynote engagements through Speakers.com. Books are distributed through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and bulk suppliers.
The business model rests on three revenue streams: professional-services consulting (workshops and hotline engagements), keynote speaking fees, and one-time book sales through retail channels. The firm has raised no external funding and remains family-controlled, with no disclosed revenue figures.
Ries & Ries firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ries & Ries
- Legal name
- Ries & Ries
- Website
- https://ries.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ries & Ries is a privately held positioning strategy consulting firm, founded by Al Ries in 1963 and now led by Laura Ries as Chairwoman, serving entrepreneurs and enterprise marketing leaders globally through workshops, advisory hotlines, keynote speaking, and a 12-title book catalog.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Ries & Ries is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roswell
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Ries & Ries business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Direct consulting engagements with companies on positioning strategy, including positioning workshops, hotline services, and ongoing strategic guidance.
- Book Sales: Revenue from published books including The Strategic Enemy, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, and other titles. Sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and bulk orders.
- Speaking Engagements: Keynote speaking fees for conferences, corporate events, and virtual sessions booked through Speakers.com.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ries & Ries product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ries & Ries is a boutique consulting firm that helps companies develop positioning strategies to differentiate themselves in the minds of customers. The firm offers one-on-one consulting engagements, positioning workshops, a positioning hotline, and one-page positioning plans, alongside authored books and an educational newsletter on positioning theory. Target clients are growth-stage and enterprise companies seeking to clarify how they should be perceived relative to competitors.
Product overview
Ries & Ries is a positioning strategy consulting firm founded by Al Ries (the father of positioning) and now led by his daughter Laura Ries. The firm offers a portfolio of services centered on brand positioning strategy, including consulting workshops, a positioning hotline advisory service, keynote speaking engagements, and a weekly newsletter. The company has also authored an extensive library of positioning and branding books, with 'Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind' (1981) being the foundational text that established the discipline. The latest publication is 'The Strategic Enemy' by Laura Ries (2024). The firm operates globally with partners across multiple regions and does not offer any software products or technology platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Positioning Strategy Consulting One-on-one consulting engagements in which Ries & Ries works directly with a client's leadership to develop a positioning strategy and a one-page positioning plan that articulates how the company should be perceived in the customer's mind. For executives and marketing leaders of mid-market and enterprise companies seeking strategic differentiation.
- Positioning Workshop Sessions Structured group workshops in which a Ries & Ries partner teaches the firm's positioning methodology to a client team and works through that team's specific positioning challenges. For leadership teams seeking internal alignment on positioning.
- Positioning Hotline A subscription hotline offering direct access to Ries & Ries partners for quick positioning questions and second opinions. For clients and prospects who need periodic, on-demand expert input without a full consulting engagement.
- Keynote Speaking Engagements Paid keynote speeches by Laura Ries on positioning strategy, available for corporate events, conferences, and industry gatherings. For event organizers and corporate audiences.
- Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (Book) Foundational book on positioning strategy, originally co-authored by Al Ries and Jack Trout, with subsequent editions co-authored with Laura Ries. For marketers and business leaders seeking an introduction to positioning theory.
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (Book) Book presenting 22 marketing laws, authored by Al Ries and Laura Ries. For marketers and business leaders.
- The Strategic Enemy (Book) Book by Laura Ries, expanding the firm's positioning framework by introducing the strategic enemy concept. For marketers and business leaders.
- The Rise of PR and the Fall of Advertising (Book) Book by Al Ries and Laura Ries arguing that PR is more effective than advertising for building brands. For marketers and business leaders.
- Visual Hammer (Book) Book by Laura Ries presenting the visual hammer concept — using a distinctive visual to anchor a brand's positioning in the customer's mind. For marketers and brand strategists.
- RIES is Positioning (Newsletter) Free email newsletter published by the firm featuring positioning articles and case studies. For marketers, founders, and executives interested in positioning strategy.
Quantifiable outcome
- Georgia-Pacific business grew over 20% in the first year after implementing positioning strategy
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ries & Ries
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Ries & Ries technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Ries & Ries partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Simon Zhang (RIES China)coreSimon Zhang founded RIES China in 2007 to bring positioning methods to the Chinese market. He serves as CEO of both Ries Global and RIES China, helping brands across Asia achieve clarity and distinction.
- Michael BrandtnercoreLead Partner for Austria and Europe. Long-time positioning practitioner who joined Ries in the 1990s and has helped expand business globally.
- Jens HansencoreLead Partner, Global Growth, based in Sweden, Europe. Joined RIES in 2020 to expand business globally. Formerly worked with Jack Trout and founded Trout & Partners.
- Raul Del RiocoreLead Consulting Partner for Spain and Europe, based in Spain. RIES SPAIN partner since 1989.
- Bingo SorianominorRegional partner based in the Philippines, serving the Southeast Asian market.
- Martin DelaneyminorRegional partner based in the United Kingdom, serving the European market.
- Thiago la TorreminorRegional partner based in Brasil, serving the South American market.
- Meltem HeperminorRegional partner based in Turkey, serving the Middle Eastern and European markets.
- Behrooz LotfianminorRegional partner based in Malaysia, serving the Southeast Asian market.
- Speakers.comcoreBooking platform for Laura Ries speaking engagements including keynotes, workshops, and virtual sessions for conferences and corporate events.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ries & Ries competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trout & Partners: Jack Trout's positioning firm (founded by Al Ries's co-author). Direct peer in positioning strategy consulting, working with Fortune 500 clients on differentiation and category-of-one positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Prophet: Global brand and marketing strategy consultancy offering positioning alongside digital transformation, design, and analytics. Comparable to RIES at the strategic positioning layer but with broader enterprise delivery capability.
- Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering brand strategy, naming, and valuation. Competes with RIES for the same CPG and enterprise brand positioning engagements, with much larger scale.
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm with positioning strategy as a core offering. Operates at much larger scale than RIES and addresses overlapping enterprise clients.
- Lippincott: Brand strategy and design consultancy with deep positioning expertise. Competes in the same enterprise positioning engagements as RIES, with additional design and customer-execution capabilities.
- Siegel+Gale: Global brand strategy, naming, and experience design firm. Comparable to RIES in the positioning and naming layers, with broader experience-design delivery.
Emerging players
- Pentagram: Independent design partnership with positioning strategy embedded in brand identity work. Overlaps with RIES on visual hammer / brand identity programs for enterprise clients.
- Category Design Advisors: Firm built around the 'category design' methodology (play bigger). Directly competes with RIES' category creation service, addressing the same founders and CEOs seeking to define new markets.
- Smith & Underwood: Brand positioning consultancy offering positioning and messaging work for B2B and B2B SaaS companies. Overlaps with RIES on the positioning methodology but serves a different (more tech-forward) client base.
- Warriorbrigade: Strategic positioning agency focused on challenger brands and strategic enemy frameworks. Directly comparable to RIES' 'Strategic Enemy' methodology and targets similar mid-market and enterprise clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ries & Ries social profiles
Digital presenceRies & Ries financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ries & Ries leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Ries & Ries subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ries & Ries funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ries & Ries M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ries & Ries
What does Ries & Ries do?
Ries & Ries is a boutique consulting firm that helps companies develop positioning strategies to differentiate themselves in the minds of customers. The firm offers one-on-one consulting engagements, positioning workshops, a positioning hotline, and one-page positioning plans, alongside authored books and an educational newsletter on positioning theory. Target clients are growth-stage and enterprise companies seeking to clarify how they should be perceived relative to competitors.
Is Ries & Ries a public or private company?
Ries & Ries is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Ries & Ries founded?
Ries & Ries was founded in 1963. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ries & Ries based?
Ries & Ries is headquartered in Roswell, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ries & Ries make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are book Sales and speaking Engagements.
Who are Ries & Ries's main competitors?
Trout & Partners is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Prophet, Interbrand, Landor & Fitch, Lippincott and Siegel+Gale. Emerging players are Pentagram, Category Design Advisors, Smith & Underwood and Warriorbrigade.
Does Ries & Ries have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ries & Ries.