About Al Ries
Al Ries (born 1926) is an American marketing professional and author. He is the cofounder and chairman of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Ries & Ries with his partner and daughter, Laura Ries. Along with Jack Trout, Ries is credited with resurrecting the idea of "positioning" in the field of marketing.
Ries graduated from DePauw University as a mathematics major in 1950. He accepted a position with the advertising department of General Electric before founding his own advertising agency in New York City, Ries Cappiello Colwell, in 1961. Jack Trout joined the agency in 1967. Ries and Trout wrote a three-part series of articles for Advertising Age in 1972.The themes discussed in that series of articles inspired their later book, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind published in 1981.
The American Marketing Association, NY Chapter announced Ries as one of the 2016 inductees to the Marketing Hall of Fame