About Al Ries
Lived 1926 – 2022 (aged 95). Al Ries was an American economist.
Life and career Born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1926, 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. The themes discussed in that series of articles inspired their later book, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, published in 1981. Ries wrote an article for AdWeek that centered around the historical failure of converged devices, Why the iPhone will fail, published in 2007.
The American Marketing Association, NY Chapter announced Ries as one of the 2016 inductees to the Marketing Hall of Fame.
Ries died in Atlanta, Georgia on October 7, 2022, at the age of 95.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Al Ries's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Al Ries?
American advertising executive
When was Al Ries born?
Al Ries was born on 14 November 1926 in Atlanta.
When did Al Ries die?
Al Ries died on 7 October 2022 in Atlanta.
What was Al Ries's occupation?
Al Ries was an economist.
What nationality was Al Ries?
Al Ries was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Al Ries. https://biography.guide/al-ries/
MLA: "Al Ries." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/al-ries/.
Chicago: "Al Ries." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/al-ries/.
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