Laura Ries Reveals the Strategic Enemy Framework That’s Transforming How Brand Leaders Own Their Market Position

Discover how her revolutionary brand positioning approach combines classical competitive strategy with modern market precision to transform struggling brands into category leaders

As a business leader, you understand that strong positioning drives sustainable competitive advantage AND you’re committed to building market leadership that creates lasting differentiation because your business success depends on owning something meaningful in your customers’ minds. What drives you is proven strategic principles enhanced by modern market precision.

But here’s what’s frustrating: most companies get trapped in the mushy middle, trying to be everything to everyone because they lack the courage to define what they stand against.

This creates commodity positioning and prevents the focused differentiation that builds category leadership.

Most positioning approaches offer generic statements without the strategic enemy clarity that makes brands memorable.

Today’s conversation with Laura Ries reveals the Strategic Enemy Framework that transforms competitive struggles into category ownership.

Positioning Royalty and Strategic Enemy Pioneer

Laura Ries is Chairwoman of global consulting firm Ries and bestselling author of THE STRATEGIC ENEMY (Wiley, September 16, 2025).

She has led Riess for more than 30 years, traveling to over 60 countries to consult with clients and continuing the legacy of her late father Al Ries, the positioning pioneer and co-author of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind.

What makes Laura extraordinary is her systematic approach to identifying strategic enemies that transforms generic positioning into powerful market differentiation.

Laura’s work demonstrates classical positioning principles enhanced by strategic enemy innovation, creating category ownership for business leaders worldwide. Her approach to competitive strategy exemplifies the marriage of timeless

positioning wisdom with contemporary market precision that defines true strategic mastery.

Why This Conversation Matters Now

In this episode, we explore the positioning paralysis that frustrates business leaders trying to differentiate in oversaturated markets. Laura shares her Strategic Enemy Framework that transforms competitive confusion into clear market positioning, revealing how classical positioning principles enhanced by enemy identification create unshakeable competitive advantage.

You’ll witness classical positioning wisdom in action as Laura demonstrates the strategic enemy methodology that builds category leadership. This conversation embodies our sacred mission of helping you excel through the stories you tell by

mastering the positioning foundations that make your brand unforgettable.

What’s In It For You

Discover the Strategic Enemy Framework: How classical positioning principles enhanced by enemy identification create unshakeable competitive differentiation and market leadership
Master Category Creation Strategy: The timeless positioning wisdom that Laura uses to transform commodity businesses into category leaders through focused market ownership
Transform Mushy Middle Positioning: Why generic positioning statements fail and how strategic enemy clarity delivers memorable brand differentiation that drives customer choice
Implement Focus-Driven Growth: Practical steps to apply classical positioning wisdom enhanced by strategic enemy precision to build sustainable competitive advantage
Excel Through Positioning Mastery: How this conversation helps you achieve category leadership through proven positioning principles that create lasting market positions
Access Positioning Royalty Insights: Laura’s unique perspective on competitive strategy that creates market ownership through proprietary positioning frameworks developed over three decades

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Legacy in Branding
02:59 Growing Up in the Advertising World
05:54 The Birth of Positioning
08:54 The Importance of Strategic Enemies
11:59 Defining Your Brand’s Focus
15:02 Case Studies: Dude Wipes and Farmer’s Dog
18:06 The Role of Storytelling in Branding
20:50 Maintaining Brand Leadership
23:56 Creating New Categories and Opportunities
32:49 The Power of Brand Names
35:01 Evolution of Positioning in Branding
38:09 Identifying Your Brand’s Enemies
40:02 The Importance of Visuals in Branding
49:50 The Role of Strategy in AI and Branding
53:52 The Magic of Positioning and Brand Storytelling

Deepen Your Storytelling Mastery: Three Essential Episodes to Explore

To amplify your transformation from today’s conversation, these carefully selected past episodes provide complementary classical wisdom:

How to Effectively Position Your B2B Brand With April Dunford – Builds foundational understanding of positioning methodology and complements Laura’s strategic enemy approach with tactical positioning implementation.
Growing Revenue and Retention for Your SaaS Brand with Dan Balcauski – Demonstrates how positioning drives pricing power and revenue growth, showing the direct business impact of strategic positioning decisions.
The Five Essential Elements (the H.E.A.R.T.) of the Perfect Pitch With Ben Wiener – Reveals how positioning translates into compelling presentations and investor communications, applying strategic enemy principles to pitch storytelling.

Each recommendation selected to deepen your mastery through The Business of Story’s archive of classical storytelling wisdom enhanced by modern application.