John Francis "Jack" Trout (January 31, 1935 – June 4, 2017) was an American advertising executive and an owner of Trout & Partners, a consulting firm. He was the founder and pioneer of positioning theory and also marketing warfare theory.
Jack Trout | |
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Born | John Francis Trout January 31, 1935 Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
Died | June 4, 2017 | (aged 82)
Alma mater | Iona College |
Occupation | Advertising executive |
Trout started his business career in the advertising department of General Electric. From there he went on to become a divisional advertising manager at Uniroyal.[1] He then joined Al Ries in the advertising agency and marketing strategy firm where they worked together for over twenty-six years.[2]
He was the founder and president of the international marketing strategy firm "Trout and Partners". The firm is represented in offices in many countries worldwide including emerging markets.[3] Trout worked with a number of different client companies, including AT&T, Apple, Citicorp, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Southwest Airlines, and Xerox. When working with pizza chain Papa John's, Trout was majorly involved in the invention of the chain's slogan "better ingredients, better pizza."[3]
In the fall of 2002, Trout began working with the United States Department of State in order to "train new diplomats in the art of projecting a positive image of America overseas" as a part of the Brand America campaign, which sought to improve public opinion about the upcoming Iraq War.[4]
Trout died of intestinal cancer at his home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, at the age of 82.[5]
He was survived by his wife Patricia, their six children and 15 grandchildren, and four siblings.[1]
With Steve Rivkin
With Al Ries