In marketing, success is what every business strives for. However, according to the Law of Success — one of the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout — success itself can become the root of failure if a company loses focus and strays from its original strategy.
The Law of Success states: “Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance leads to mistakes.” When a brand reaches a certain level of recognition, it’s easy to fall into the trap of overconfidence — expanding too broadly, changing positioning, or trying to do too many things at once. This causes the brand to lose the focus that made it successful in the first place.
For example, a brand that thrives with a single product may be tempted to launch a wide range of unrelated products, diluting its image. Or it may shift its messaging to chase trends, leaving customers confused about its core value.
The Law of Success serves as a warning: don’t let success cloud your judgment. Always return to the reason why your brand was loved in the first place. Focus, consistency, and humility in strategy are the keys to sustaining long-term success.
In marketing, success isn’t the finish line — it’s the beginning of a new challenge: preserving your identity amid the temptation to expand. That’s the essence of the Law of Success.
