Tim Leberecht: 3 ways to (usefully) lose control of your brand

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

譯者: Meilun Shih 審譯者: Cheno Chen

Companies are losing control.

公司已經無法掌控一切。

What happens on Wall Street

華爾街發生的事

no longer stays on Wall Street.

不再只是華爾街的事

What happens in Vegas ends up on YouTube. (Laughter)

賭城發生的事 上了YouTube(笑聲)

Reputations are volatile. Loyalties are fickle.

名譽搖搖欲墜 忠誠岌岌可危

Management teams seem increasingly

管理團隊

disconnected from their staff. (Laughter)

似乎與員工漸行漸遠(笑聲)

A recent survey said that 27 percent of bosses believe

最近某項調查顯示27%的老闆相信

their employees are inspired by their firm.

自己的公司能啟發員工

However, in the same survey, only four percent

但是同一份調查也發現 只有4%的員工

of employees agreed.

贊同這個說法

Companies are losing control

公司已經無法掌控一切

of their customers and their employees.

客戶 員工 都不再受控制

But are they really?

真的是這樣嗎？

I'm a marketer, and as a marketer, I know

我是行銷人員 就我所知的行銷這一行呢

that I've never really been in control.

就是我從來沒被控制過

Your brand is what other people say about you

話說得好「品牌是你不在場時‧‧‧」

when you're not in the room, the saying goes.

「別人對你的評價」

Hyperconnectivity and transparency allow companies

超連結和透明制

to be in that room now, 24/7.

讓公司現在能夠24小時都在場

They can listen and join the conversation.

隨時都是對話的一份子

In fact, they have more control over the loss of control

事實上 公司能夠控制的程度

than ever before.

前所未有地高

They can design for it. But how?

精心設計就可以做到 但怎麼做呢？

First of all, they can give employees and customers more control.

首先 讓顧客和員工擁有更多控制權

They can collaborate with them on the creation of ideas,

讓他們一起參與創意

knowledge, content, designs and product.

知識 內容 設計 和產品的發想

They can give them more control over pricing,

或是讓他們自訂價格

which is what the band Radiohead did

搖滾樂團電台司令就採取這個策略

with its pay-as-you-like online release of its album

以愛付多少就付多少的方式

"In Rainbows." Buyers could determine the price,

線上發行《彩虹裡》專輯 雖說樂迷自己訂價

but the offer was exclusive, and only stood for a limited period of time.

但是價格是獨斷 而且限時的

The album sold more copies than previous releases of the band.

這張專輯的銷量大勝過往專輯

The Danish chocolate company Anthon Berg

丹麥巧克力公司:丹麥恩格

opened a so-called "generous store" in Copenhagen.

在哥本哈根開了所謂的「善行店」

It asked customers to purchase chocolate

要求顧客選購巧克力時

with the promise of good deeds towards loved ones.

要以承諾支付 保證會善待親朋好友

It turned transactions into interactions,

丹麥恩格將交易轉化為互動

and generosity into a currency.

善行成為貨幣

Companies can even give control to hackers.

公司甚至可以給駭客控制權

When Microsoft Kinect came out,

當微軟的Kinect問市時

the motion-controlled add-on to its Xbox gaming console,

這個由動作控制的Xbox遊戲主機周邊裝置

it immediately drew the attention of hackers.

立刻引起駭客的注意

Microsoft first fought off the hacks, but then shifted course

一開始微軟力圖對抗 但後來改變戰略

when it realized that actively supporting the community

因為微軟發現 積極與駭客社群互動

came with benefits.

其實大有好處

The sense of co-ownership, the free publicity,

共有感，免費宣傳

the added value, all helped drive sales.

和其他附加價值，等等都讓銷量翻倍

The ultimate empowerment of customers

授權顧客的終極策略

is to ask them not to buy.

就是叫顧客別買

Outdoor clothier Patagonia encouraged prospective buyers

戶外服裝品牌Patagonia鼓勵潛在顧客

to check out eBay for its used products

先上eBay找找二手服飾

and to resole their shoes before purchasing new ones.

先修舊鞋 再來買新的

In an even more radical stance against consumerism,

為了更加激進地抵制消費主義 Patagonia還發起活動

the company placed a "Don't Buy This Jacket"

大打「別買這件外套」的廣告

advertisement during the peak of shopping season.

而且是在購物季正如火如荼的時候

It may have jeopardized short-term sales,

這種手法也許有損短期銷量

but it builds lasting, long-term loyalty

卻能建立品牌的長期忠誠度

based on shared values.

因為顧客認同其價值

Research has shown that giving employees more control

研究顯示 如果員工能對工作更有掌控權

over their work makes them happier and more productive.

就會更開心、更有生產力

The Brazilian company Semco Group famously

巴西Semco集團之所以出名

lets employees set their own work schedules

就是讓員工自訂工作表

and even their salaries.

甚至薪水

Hulu and Netflix, among other companies,

其他公司還包括Hulu和Netflix

have open vacation policies.

定有開放性休假政策

Companies can give people more control,

公司可以釋出更多掌控權

but they can also give them less control.

也可以收回掌控權

Traditional business wisdom holds that trust

傳統的商業金科玉律認為

is earned by predictable behavior,

信任建立在可預期行為上

but when everything is consistent and standardized,

但是當一切都一致化 標準化時

how do you create meaningful experiences?

要如何創造有意義的經驗？

Giving people less control might be a wonderful way

減少授權 或許是個好方法

to counter the abundance of choice

來減輕過多的選擇量

and make them happier.

並且讓人們更開心

Take the travel service Nextpedition.

以Nextpedition這家旅行社為例

Nextpedition turns the trip into a game,

他們把旅行變成遊戲

with surprising twists and turns along the way.

一路上都有意想不到的驚奇

It does not tell the traveler where she's going

旅行社會一直賣關子 旅客要到最後一刻

until the very last minute, and information is provided

才知道自己要去哪 才會拿到相關資訊

just in time. Similarly, Dutch airline KLM

荷蘭航空公司KLM也用類似手法

launched a surprise campaign, seemingly randomly

推出驚喜之旅 用表面上隨機的方式

handing out small gifts to travelers

送小禮物給旅客

en route to their destination.

一路直到他們抵達目的地

U.K.-based Interflora monitored Twitter

總公司在英國的花店Interflora利用Twitter

for users who were having a bad day,

鎖定心情不好的使用者

and then sent them a free bouquet of flowers.

免費送上一束鮮花

Is there anything companies can do to make

公司有沒有什麼辦法

their employees feel less pressed for time? Yes.

減少員工的時間壓力？有的

Force them to help others.

就是強迫他們幫助別人

A recent study suggests that having employees complete

最近一項研究建議 如果能讓員工每天

occasional altruistic tasks throughout the day

能抽點時間進行一些有利他人的活動

increases their sense of overall productivity.

就能讓他們覺得整體生產力提高

At Frog, the company I work for, we hold internal

在我工作的公司Frog

speed meet sessions that connect old and new employees,

會舉行內部快速會議 增加資深和新進員工的互動

helping them get to know each other fast.

幫助他們快速地瞭解彼此

By applying a strict process, we give them less control,

透過嚴密的過程 我們給員工較少的控制權

less choice, but we enable more and richer social interactions.

較少的選擇 但能提供 更多更豐富的人際互動

Companies are the makers of their fortunes,

公司的財富由公司創造

and like all of us, they are utterly exposed to serendipity.

和我們所有人一樣 公司也會隨時會遇到突發狀況

That should make them more humble, more vulnerable

這應該會讓公司更謙遜 更脆弱

and more human.

也更具人性

At the end of the day, as hyperconnectivity

說到底 超連結性和透明制

and transparency expose companies' behavior

讓公司的所做所為

in broad daylight, staying true to their true selves

暴露在光天化日之下 而忠於自我

is the only sustainable value proposition.

是唯一具有持久性的有效提案

Or as the ballet dancer Alonzo King said,

或是如同芭蕾舞者阿隆索‧金恩所說：

"What's interesting about you is you."

「你的有趣之處 就是你自己」

For the true selves of companies to come through,

要表現出公司的本色

openness is paramount,

開誠佈公是不二法門

but radical openness is not a solution,

但是徹底公開不是個好方法

because when everything is open, nothing is open.

因為公開一切 等於什麼都沒公開

"A smile is a door that is half open and half closed,"

「微笑是一扇半開半闔的門」

the author Jennifer Egan wrote.

這是作家珍妮佛‧伊根寫的

Companies can give their employees and customers

公司可以授與員工和客戶

more control or less. They can worry about how much

更多或更少的控制權

openness is good for them, and what needs to stay closed.

可以評估公開多少對自己有利 什麼又是不能公開的

Or they can simply smile, and remain open

或者是微微一笑 保持開放

to all possibilities.

接受各種可能

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝各位(掌聲)

(Applause)

(掌聲)