Who are the most influential voices in Positioning & category design?

1. Al Ries
2. Jack Trout
3. Geoffrey Moore
4. April Dunford
5. Christopher Lochhead
6. David Aaker
7. Marty Neumeier
8. Andy Raskin
9. Philip Kotler
10. Kevin Maney

ries.com

1. Christopher Lochhead “Play Bigger: The How and Why of Category Design” – An Interview

2. Al Ramadan “Play Bigger: The How and Why of Category Design” – An Interview

3. Dave Peterson “Play Bigger: The How and Why of Category Design” – An Interview

4. Eddie Yoon Top 100+ product marketing books: Your definitive guide

5. April Dunford

6. Nicolas Cole Top 100+ product marketing books: Your definitive guide

7. Kevin Maney Play bigger : how rebels and innovators create new categories and

8. Sangram Vajre

9. Marcus Sheridan

10. Peter Cohan

Category Design Masterclass with Christopher Lochhead

This video provides an in-depth breakdown of core category design principles and how market leaders differentiate their positioning.

Here are the top 10 individual people recognized as the most influential voices and foundational authorities on Positioning and Category Design, ranked from most to least influential based on their historical impact, frameworks, and ongoing thought leadership in the field:

Al Ries – Co-creator of the foundational concept of modern positioning with Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind , establishing how to create a position in the prospect's mind.

Jack Trout – Co-author of Positioning and partner to Al Ries , widely credited with co-founding and popularizing positioning as a distinct strategy in marketing and business.

April Dunford – B2B positioning expert and author of Obviously Awesome , credited with turning product positioning into a repeatable, modern operational discipline.

Christopher Lochhead – Co-author of Play Bigger and pioneer of "category design" as a methodology for tech startups and entrepreneurs to invent and dominate new markets.

Al Ramadan – Co-author of Play Bigger and CEO of Play Bigger Advisors, instrumental in codifying category design as a core corporate strategy for high-growth companies.

Geoffrey Moore – Author of Crossing the Chasm , legendary for his work on high-tech market development and targeted market positioning models.

Dave Peterson – Co-author of Play Bigger , foundational contributor to developing the frameworks used to engineer and scale new business categories.

Kevin Maney – Co-author of Play Bigger , who helped shape the narrative and data-driven principles behind how category kings succeed.

Nicolas Cole – Co-author of The Category Design Toolkit and prominent digital voice extending category design frameworks down to individual creators and personal brands.

Laura Ries – Branding strategist and author who extended positioning and visual hammer theory, continuing the Ries lineage of positioning thought leadership. Home | Category Creation With Christopher LochheadTop 15 Marketing Thought Leaders - Business InsiderCompetitive Positioning Framework: 2026 B2B PlaybookPlay Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators CreateTeam | Play BiggerCategory Design: Creating Markets Through Belief SystemsPositioning - Geoffrey MooreCrossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition: Marketing and SellingThe Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15

1. Al Ries
2. Jack Trout
3. April Dunford
4. Geoffrey Moore
5. David Aaker
6. Marty Neumeier
7. Mark Ritson
8. Roger Martin
9. Christopher Lochhead
10. Richard Rumelt

Top 10 most influential voices in positioning & category design (ranked):

1. April Dunford

2. Andy Raskin

3. Al Ries

4. Jack Trout

5. Marty Neumeier

6. Anthony Pierri

7. Emma Stratton

8. Emily Heyward

9. David Brier

10. Mark Ritson

Why these 10 matter

• April Dunford – Author of Obviously Awesome, widely regarded as the leading authority on B2B tech positioning, having guided hundreds of companies through structured positioning workshops.B2B Positioning Experts: Who's Worth Learning From (and How to Choose)

• Andy Raskin – Known for his “strategic narrative” framework, helping executives align around a compelling story that drives fundraising, sales, and category creation.B2B Positioning Experts: Who's Worth Learning From (and How to Choose)

• Al Ries & Jack Trout – The originators of positioning theory, co-authors of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. Their foundational work still shapes category design decades later.B2B Positioning Experts: Who's Worth Learning From (and How to Choose)

• Marty Neumeier – Author of The Brand Gap and Zag , influential in connecting positioning with brand strategy and category differentiation.The Top 20 Brand Strategists Brands and CEOs Should Know About

• Anthony Pierri – Co-founder of Fletch, specializing in homepage messaging clarity for SaaS companies, making positioning tangible at the customer-facing level.B2B Positioning Experts: Who's Worth Learning From (and How to Choose)

• Emma Stratton – Founder of Punchy, recognized for sharpening B2B messaging and positioning into concise, compelling language.B2B Positioning Experts: Who's Worth Learning From (and How to Choose)

• Emily Heyward – Co-founder of Red Antler, known for shaping direct-to-consumer brands with inevitable-feeling positioning strategies.The Top 20 Brand Strategists Brands and CEOs Should Know About

• David Brier – A rebrand strategist, influential in repositioning companies to stand out in crowded markets.The Top 20 Brand Strategists Brands and CEOs Should Know About

• Mark Ritson – Marketing professor and consultant, respected for his sharp insights on brand positioning, differentiation, and category competition.The Top 20 Brand Strategists Brands and CEOs Should Know About

Key Takeaways

• Foundational voices (Ries & Trout, Neumeier) created the discipline.

• Modern practitioners (Dunford, Raskin, Pierri, Stratton) apply positioning frameworks to tech and SaaS.

• Brand strategists (Heyward, Brier, Ritson) extend positioning into cultural relevance and competitive edge.

This ranking blends historic originators with current practitioners who actively shape how companies design and dominate categories today. Would you like me to also map their signature frameworks (e.g., Dunford’s 10-step positioning, Raskin’s narrative arc, Neumeier’s “zag”) so you can see how their approaches differ?