Paul Kemp-Robertson: Bitcoin. Sweat. Tide. Meet the future of branded currency.

翻译人员: Yingzhe Li 校对人员: Jing Peng

So if I was to ask you

如果我问你

what the connection between

一瓶汰渍洗涤剂和汗水

a bottle of Tide detergent and sweat was,

之间有什么联系

you'd probably think that's the easiest question

你可能觉得这是本周在爱丁堡期间

that you're going to be asked in Edinburgh all week.

遇到的最简单的问题.

But if I was to say that they're both examples

如果我说这两个例子

of alternative or new forms of currency

在这个紧密联系,高度依赖数据的全球经济中

in a hyperconnected, data-driven global economy,

都属于一种新型货币,

you'd probably think I was a little bit bonkers.

你大概觉得我脑子不太正常.

But trust me, I work in advertising.

但请相信我，我可是个做广告的

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I am going to tell you the answer,

我将会告诉你们答案,

but obviously after this short break.

但我们先谈点别的.

So a more challenging question is one

有一个更难回答的问题

that I was asked, actually, by one of our writers

是几星期前公司的文案问我的

a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't know the answer:

我当时没答上来:

What's the world's best performing currency?

全世界表现最好的货币是什么？

答案其实是比特币.

It's actually Bitcoin.

Now, for those of you who may not be familiar,

也许你们有人对它不熟悉.

比特币是一种隐匿的、虚拟的、人造的货币

Bitcoin is a crypto-currency, a virtual currency, synthetic currency.

It was founded in 2008 by this anonymous programmer

它诞生于 2008 年

using a pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

是由一个化名中本聪的程序员提出的,

No one knows who or what he is.

没人知道他的真实身份.

He's almost like the Banksy of the Internet.

他就像因特网界的 Banksy（英国匿名街头画家）

And I'm probably not going to do it proper service here,

也许我的解释并不到位

but my interpretation of how it works is that

但我是这样理解比特币的:

比特币通过计算机“挖矿”产生

Bitcoins are released through this process of mining.

So there's a network of computers that are challenged

一群电脑通过互联网

to solve a very complex mathematical problem

竞相破解一个非常复杂的数学问题

and the person that manages to solve it first gets the Bitcoins.

第一个找到答案的人就能拿到比特币

And the Bitcoins are released,

新的比特币产生后

they're put into a public ledger called the Blockchain,

会被放到一个叫“区块链”的总账

and then they float, so they become a currency,

它们可以流通使用,成了一种货币

and completely decentralized, that's the sort of

比特币最可怕也是最迷人之处

scary thing about this, which is why it's so popular.

在于它是"无政府"的,

So it's not run by the authorities or the state.

没有机构或者国家可以管理它

It's actually managed by the network.

它通过网络节点进行集体管理

And the reason that it's proved very successful

私人的,不记名,交易迅捷,低成本

is it's private, it's anonymous, it's fast, and it's cheap.

这些特点让比特币变得非常成功.

And you do get to the point where there's some wild fluctuations with Bitcoin.

当然,比特币也有弊端, 它的价格有时疯狂浮动.

So in one level it went from something like 13 dollars

在四个月的时间里

to 266, literally in the space of four months,

比特币兑美元的价格从13美元暴涨至266美元

and then crashed and lost half of its value in six hours.

然后又在6小时里损失了一半的价值

现在比特币巿价

And it's currently around that kind of

110 dollar mark in value.

差不多在110美元左右.

But what it does show is that it's sort of gaining ground,

但很明显,比特币的影响力在变大,

it's gaining respectability.

越来越多的人承认它

You get services, like Reddit and Wordpress

包括 Reddit 和 Wordpress 在内的一些服务商

are actually accepting Bitcoin as a payment currency now.

现在已经接受比特币作为付款方式.

And that's showing you that people

从中可以看出

are actually placing trust in technology,

人们信任这种科技

and it's started to trump and disrupt

而一些传统货币机构

and interrogate traditional institutions

则感到了来自比特币的威胁

and how we think about currencies and money.

从而使我们逐步改变对货币和金钱的看法.

And that's not surprising, if you think about

只要想想欧盟那个烂摊子,

the basket case that is the E.U.

这就一点也不让人惊讶.

I think there was a Gallup survey out recently

盖洛普最近做了个调查

that said something like, in America,

在美国，人们对于银行的信任度达到史上最低值

trust in banks is at an all-time low, it's something like 21 percent.

只有21%的人信任银行.

And you can see here some photographs from London

再来看看这些来自伦敦的照片,

where Barclays sponsored the city bike scheme,

这是由伯克莱银行赞助的公共自行车项目,

and some activists have done some nice piece

一些抗议者以这种

of guerrilla marketing here and doctored the slogans.

很棒的游击式营销方式篡改了活动标语.

"Sub-prime pedaling." "Barclays takes you for a ride."

“次级踏（暗示次贷危机)" “巴克莱带着你团团转(被人利用了)"

These are the more polite ones I could share with you today.

这些算是比较客气的, 可以拿来和你们分享.

But you get the gist, so people have really started

但是意思已经够明白了

人们对金融机构开始失去信心

to sort of lose faith in institutions.

There's a P.R. company called Edelman,

有个叫爱德曼的公关公司

they do this very interesting survey every year

每年都会围绕信任度和人们的想法

precisely around trust and what people are thinking.

作一个有趣的调查.

And this is a global survey, so these numbers are global.

调查是全球性的，这些数据也反映了全球的情况

And what's interesting is that you can see that

有意思的是 你可以看出

等级制度有点摇摇欲坠了

hierarchy is having a bit of a wobble,

and it's all about heterarchical now,

未来是属于扁平合作式结构的

so people trust people like themselves more

也就是说人们更愿意相信他们自己,

than they trust corporations and governments.

而非企业或是政府.

And if you look at these figures for the more developed markets

在英国、德国等发达国家

like U.K., Germany, and so on, they're actually much lower.

信任度就更低了.

And I find that sort of scary.

想起来有点吓人

People are actually trusting businesspeople

比起政府和领导人

人们居然更相信商人

more than they're trusting governments and leaders.

So what's starting to happen, if you think about money,

而这对于货币有什么影响呢

if you sort of boil money down to an essence,

归结货币的本质,

it is literally just an expression of value, an agreed value.

其实它是一种价值的表达形式,一种约定的价值.

So what's happening now, in the digital age,

在当下的数字时代,

我们拥有很多方式去量化价值

is that we can quantify value in lots of different ways

and do it more easily,

其中有一些很简单

and sometimes the way that we quantify those values,

有时候 当我们需要量化价值时

it makes it much easier

最简单的方式

to create new forms and valid forms of currency.

是创造一种新的、靠谱的货币

In that context, you can see that networks like Bitcoin

从这个角度看

suddenly start to make a bit more sense.

我们就能更好地理解比特币

So if you think we're starting to question

如果顺着这个思路走

and disrupt and interrogate what money means,

继续质疑货币的意义、与人类的关系,

what our relationship with it is, what defines money,

是什么因素定义了货币,

then the ultimate extension of that is,

那最终必然导致这样一个问题:

is there a reason for the government to be in charge

政府是否有理由

of money anymore?

继续掌管货币.

So obviously I'm looking at this through a marketing prism,

显然我是用市场营销的眼光看待这个问题

从品牌角度说

so from a brand perspective,

brands literally stand or fall on their reputations.

品牌的生存依靠口碑

And if you think about it, reputation has now become a currency.

仔细想想，口碑也是一种货币

You know, reputations are built on trust,

口碑基于信任,

consistency, transparency.

持久,信息公开.

So if you've actually decided that you trust a brand,

如果你信任一个品牌

you want a relationship, you want to engage with the brand,

想要与之建立长久的关系

you're already kind of participating in lots of new forms

那么你已经在无意间

of currency.

使用了很多新型货币了

So you think about loyalty.

说到品牌忠诚度

Loyalty essentially is a micro-economy.

忠诚度事实上就是一个微观经济.

You think about rewards schemes, air miles.

我们都知道激励计划、里程兑换等等

The Economist said a few years ago that

《经济学人》几年前有一篇报道说

there are actually more unredeemed air miles in the world

全世界没有兑换的里程数

than there are dollar bills in circulation.

比流通的美元数额还多

You know, when you are standing in line in Starbucks,

当你在星巴克排队等候时

30 percent of transactions in Starbucks on any one day

星巴克一天的交易额中

are actually being made with Starbucks Star points.

有30%是通过积分卡进行的.

So that's a sort of Starbucks currency

所以在星巴克的生态系统里

staying within its ecosystem.

星享卡积分就是一种货币

And what I find interesting is that Amazon

另外我还注意到

has recently launched Amazon coins.

亚马逊最近推出了亚马逊币

So admittedly it's a currency at the moment that's purely for the Kindle.

这显然是一种货币 当然暂时只能在Kindle上使用

So you can buy apps and make purchases within those apps,

你可以用它购买应用或是进行应用内购买

but you think about Amazon,

亚马逊的这个例子

you look at the trust barometer that I showed you

正说明了我刚才讲的

where people are starting to trust businesses,

人们开始信任企业

especially businesses that they believe in and trust

特别是那些

他们觉得比政府更靠谱的企业

more than governments.

So suddenly, you start thinking,

顺着这个思路往下想

well Amazon potentially could push this.

亚马逊的潜力有多大呢

It could become a natural extension,

如果把它的服务延伸出去

that as well as buying stuff --

不限制在Kindle上

而是可以用亚马逊币

take it out of the Kindle -- you could buy books, music,

real-life products, appliances and goods and so on.

买书、买碟、家电和生活有关的一切商品

And suddenly you're getting Amazon, as a brand,

那么亚马逊作为一个品牌

is going head to head with the Federal Reserve

它的竞争对手就是美联储了

in terms of how you want to spend your money,

这关系到你决定如何花钱

what money is, what constitutes money.

以及金钱的定义和组成

And I'll get you back to Tide, the detergent now,

现在我们回到一开始

as I promised.

汰渍洗涤剂的例子

This is a fantastic article I came across in New York Magazine,

这是我在《纽约杂志》读到的一篇很棒的文章

where it was saying that drug users across America

文章提到美国各地的吸毒者

are actually purchasing drugs

正在用一瓶瓶汰渍洗涤剂

with bottles of Tide detergent.

来购买毒品

So they're going into convenience stores,

他们跑到便利店

stealing Tide,

去偷汰渍

and a $20 bottle of Tide

一瓶20美元的汰渍

is equal to 10 dollars of crack cocaine or weed.

可以买到价值10美元的可卡因或是大麻

And what they're saying, so some criminologists

一些犯罪学家注意到了这个现象

have looked at this and they're saying, well, okay,

他们的结论是什么呢

汰渍作为一个产品是溢价销售的

Tide as a product sells at a premium.

It's 50 percent above the category average.

它比同类产品要贵50%

It's infused with a very complex cocktail of chemicals,

它包含了非常复杂的化学成分组合

so it smells very luxurious and very distinctive,

闻起来气味芬芳又很特别,

and, being a Procter and Gamble brand,

并且作为宝洁旗下的品牌

it's been supported by a lot of mass media advertising.

它的广告曝光率非常高

So what they're saying is that drug users are consumers too,

那些吸毒的人也是消费者

so they have this in their neural pathways.

他们已经形成了这个思路

When they spot Tide, there's a shortcut.

一看到汰渍就有条件反射

They say, that is trust. I trust that. That's quality.

觉得这是个值得信任的产品，有品质保证

So it becomes this unit of currency,

所以它成为了一种货币

which the New York Magazine described

《纽约杂志》称之为一种古怪的犯罪潮

as a very oddly loyal crime wave, brand-loyal crime wave,

一股具有品牌忠诚度的犯罪潮

and criminals are actually calling Tide "liquid gold."

事实上犯罪分子还把汰渍称作“液体黄金”

Now, what I thought was funny was the reaction

宝洁对此是如何回应的呢

也很有意思

from the P&G spokesperson.

They said, obviously tried to dissociate themselves from drugs,

宝洁显然不想和毒品扯上关系

它们认为这件事说明了一点

but said, "It reminds me of one thing

and that's the value of the brand has stayed consistent." (Laughter)

就是汰渍的品牌价值很稳定（笑）

Which backs up my point and shows he didn't even

这证明了我之前的观点

break a sweat when he said that.

也看得出发言人表态时滴汗未出

So that brings me back to the connection with sweat.

下面就来说说汗渍

In Mexico, Nike has run a campaign recently

耐克最近在墨西哥发起了一个宣传活动

called, literally, Bid Your Sweat.

叫“用你的汗水出价”

So you think about,

原理是这样的

these Nike shoes have got sensors in them,

这些耐克鞋里装有感应器

or you're using a Nike FuelBand

或者你戴了耐克的运动腕带

它就能检测你的移动

that basically tracks your movement, your energy,

your calorie consumption.

能量的变化和卡路里的消耗

And what's happening here, this is where you've actually

实际上你是主动加入了耐克的社区

elected to join that Nike community. You've bought into it.

你相信它了

They're not advertising loud messages at you,

而不是说耐克的宣传力度有多大

and that's where advertising has started to shift now

现如今的广告更多地是在宣传

is into things like services, tools and applications.

某种服务、工具和应用

So Nike is literally acting as a well-being partner,

耐克扮演的角色

a health and fitness partner and service provider.

是一个健康助手、健身伙伴、服务提供者

So what happens with this is they're saying, "Right,

这个活动是这样的

you have a data dashboard. We know how far you've run,

显示屏上有你跑步的距离

how far you've moved, what your calorie intake, all that sort of stuff.

卡路里消耗等等数据

What you can do is, the more you run, the more points you get,

你跑的越多得到的点数就越多

and we have an auction where you can buy Nike stuff

你就可以以这些点数去购买耐克的产品

but only by proving that you've actually used the product to do stuff."

也就是说只有当你确实使用了耐克的产品

And you can't come into this. This is purely

才能参加这个活动

for the community that are sweating

买家局限在耐克的使用群体

using Nike products. You can't buy stuff with pesos.

你不能拿钱来买里面的产品

This is literally a closed environment, a closed auction space.

相当于一个封闭的环境 封闭的拍卖场所

In Africa, you know, airtime has become

下一个例子来自非洲

literally a currency in its own right.

在那里 通话时间已经变成了一种货币.

People are used to, because mobile is king,

因为手机的重要性

they're very, very used to transferring money,

那里的人已经非常习惯于

making payments via mobile.

通过手机进行转账或者支付

And one of my favorite examples from a brand perspective

我很喜欢的一个品牌例子

going on is Vodafone, where, in Egypt,

来自沃达丰

lots of people make purchases in markets

在埃及 人们在市场

and very small independent stores.

或是小商店购物的时候

Loose change, small change is a real problem,

找零钱是件很麻烦的事

and what tends to happen is you buy a bunch of stuff,

所以一般情况下

假设你买了一堆东西

you're due, say,

算下来有10美分20美分的找零

10 cents, 20 cents in change.

The shopkeepers tend to give you things like an onion

店主就会给你一个洋葱

or an aspirin, or a piece of gum,

一粒阿司匹林或者一片口香糖

because they don't have small change.

因为他们找不开零钱

So when Vodafone came in and saw this problem,

沃达丰发现了这个现象

this consumer pain point, they created

这种消费者的“痛点”

some small change which they call Fakka,

于是它们发明了一种叫 Fakka 的零钱

which literally sits and is given

方便店主可以

by the shopkeepers to people,

用来支付给顾客

and it's credit that goes straight onto their mobile phone.

Fakka 里的金额可以直接充值到手机里

So this currency becomes credit, which again,

所以这种零钱就变成了信用

is really, really interesting.

这是个非常有趣的例子

And we did a survey that backs up the fact that,

我们作过的一个调查显示

you know, 45 percent of people

在美国 25-34岁这个很重要的年龄阶层里

in this very crucial demographic in the U.S.

有45%的人

were saying that they're comfortable using

表示他们愿意使用

an independent or branded currency.

某种独立货币或是品牌货币

So that's getting really interesting here,

所以事情变的很有趣

有一种很有趣的趋势

a really interesting dynamic going on.

And you think, corporations

你会觉得 企业应该将品牌货币视作自己的资产

should start taking their assets and thinking of them

从全新的角度看待它们

in a different way and trading them.

把它们投入交易进行流通

And you think, is it much of a leap?

这听上去是个巨大的飞跃

It seems farfetched, but when you think about it,

感觉遥不可及 但是要知道

in America in 1860,

在1860 年的时候,

there were 1,600 corporations issuing banknotes.

美国大约有 1600 家企业发行纸币

There were 8,000 kinds of notes in America.

全美有 8000 种纸币在流通

And the only thing that stopped that,

之所以这个局面没有继续

the government controlled four percent of the supply,

政府只控制 4% 货币供给的这个局面

and the only thing that stopped it

之所以没有继续

是因为内战爆发了

was the Civil War breaking out,

and the government suddenly wanted to take control of the money.

突然间政府想要控制货币的发行流通

So government, money, war, nothing changes there, then.

政府、货币、战争，这些元素都没有变

So what I'm going to ask is, basically,

所以我想提出的问题是

is history repeating itself?

历史是否在重演

Is technology making paper money feel outmoded?

纸质货币会不会被高科技所淘汰

Are we decoupling money from the government?

货币是否会和政府脱钩

You know, you think about, brands are starting to fill the gaps.

细想一下 品牌和企业正在填补

Corporations are filling gaps that governments can't afford to fill.

那些政府填补不了的空隙

So I think, you know, will we be standing on stage

我想也许明年

buying a coffee -- organic, fair trade coffee -- next year

我们能在台上用 TED 币买一杯咖啡

using TED florins or TED shillings?

一杯公平贸易有机咖啡

Thank you very much.

非常感谢

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you. (Applause)

谢谢（掌声）