1969年，傑克•特勞特先生在美國《工業行銷》發佈論文：《定位：同質化時代的競爭之道》，首次將“定位”觀念引入商業界。2001年，定位理論被美國營銷學會，評為“有史以來對美國營銷影響最大的觀念”。
本文將該論文的中文翻譯及英文原文一起呈現，方便各位學習參考。
‘Positioning’ is a game people play in today’s me-too market place
by Jack Trout
定位：同質化時代的競爭之道
傑克·特勞特
There’s an old story about a traveler who was asking a farmer for directions to a nearby town. The farmer replied, “Well, you go down the road for a mile, turn left at the fork. No … that won’t work.”
“You turn around and drive for half-a-mile till you hit a stop-light then turn right. No … that won’t work either.”
After a long pause, the farmer looked at the confused traveler and said. “You know what, son, you can’t get there from here!”
That happens to be the moral of this article.
有個關於一位旅行者的故事。這位旅行者向一農夫詢問去附近的一個鎮子怎麼走。農夫回答說，“沿著這條路向前走一英里，在交叉路口向左轉。不，這樣不行。”
“你調頭往回走，走半英里會看到一個停車標誌，然後向右轉。不，這樣也不行。”
想了好一會兒，農夫看著滿臉疑惑的旅行者說，“你知道嗎，孩子，你不能從這兒到達那兒。”
這恰好是本文的主旨。
For today you spend millions of dollars on great advertising and still fail miserably if you don’t play by the rules of a game called “positioning.” In other words, “You can’t get there from here.”
在今天，若不遵守一種名為“定位”的遊戲的遊戲規則，那即使投入幾百萬美元打廣告，你仍會遭遇失敗。換句話說，“你不能由這兒到達那兒”。
Today’s market place is no longer responsive to the strategies that worked in the past. There are just too many products, too many companies and too much marketing “noise.” We have become an over-communicated society.
今天的市場對過去有效的戰略已經沒有反應了。因為現在市場上有太多產品、太多公司和太多噪音。我們已經進入資訊過度時代。
If you have any doubts, just count the number of media that carry your communications. There is television (commercial, cable, and pay). There’s radio (am and fm). There is outdoor (posters, billboards and spectaculars.) There are newspapers. Direct mail. There are mass magazines. Class magazines. Enthusiast magazines. Business magazines. Trade magazines. Annuals. Semi-annuals. And on and on. And, of course, buses, subways and taxicabs. Generally speaking, anything that moves is usually carrying a “message from our sponsor.”
若對此有所懷疑，那你可以數數現在媒體的數量。電視（商業、有線、付費）、廣播（中波、調頻）、戶外（海報、展板、霓虹燈廣告牌）、報紙、直郵，以及各種雜誌，包括大眾類雜誌、專業類雜誌、愛好者雜誌、商業類雜誌、行業類雜誌、年刊、半年刊等等。當然還有公交、地鐵和出租車。概括地說，任何移動的東西都或多或少帶著一些廣告。
Thousands of commercial messages compete daily for a share of the prospect’s mind. And, make no mistake about it, the mind is the battleground.
現在每天都會有大量的廣告信息為爭奪顧客心智的一份兒份額而相互競爭。毫無疑問，心智就是戰場。
To better understand what you are up against, consider the mind as a memory bank. Like a memory bank, the mind has a slot or “position” for each bit of information it has chosen to retain. In operation, the mind is a lot like a computer.
為深入理解自己所面臨的挑戰，你可以把心智看作計算機硬盤。心智會像硬盤那樣為其所保留的每份兒信息分配一個空隙或“位置”。從運行模式來看，心智和計算機非常像。
But there is one important difference. A computer has to accept what is put into it. The mind does not.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The mind, as a defense against the volume of today’s communications, screens and rejects much of the information offered it. In general, the mind accepts only that which matches prior knowledge or experience.
但它們之間有個非常重要的不同點，即計算機必須接受放進它的所有信息，而心智不是這樣。
事實上，在這方面心智與計算機恰恰相反。作為抵禦今天大量資訊的一道屏障，心智會篩選並拒絕大部分推向它的信息。一般來說，心智只接受與其已有知識或經驗相匹配的信息。
In other words, the mind will accept only new information which fits its previous pattern of slots or positions. It filters out everything else. And it doesn’t make much difference how “creatively” the new information is presented.
換句話說，只有那些與心智中已有空隙（或位置）分佈相匹配的新信息才會被接受，其它的都會被過濾掉。即便信息的呈現方式很有創意，也不會對此有所影響。
For example, when General Electric tells you its computers are better than IBM’s computers, you don’t believe it. That doesn’t fit what most people think about IBM. You would accept new information on light bulbs from GE, but not on computers. This explains the difficulty that GE or any other company faces when they try to take their established position into a totally new field.
例如，當GE說它的計算機比IBM的更好時，你不會相信，因為那不匹配大多數人對IBM的認知。你會接受GE所說的有關電燈泡的信息，但不接受它所說的有關計算機的信息。這解釋了GE以及其它企業在利用自己已建立的位置進入一個全新領域時所遇到的困難。
The computer “position” in the minds of most people is filled with the name of a company called “IBM”. For a competitive computer manufacturer to obtain a favorable position in the prospect’s mind, he must either dislodge IBM or somehow relate his company to IBM’s position.
人們心智中的計算機“位置”大多被一個企業的名字填充著，它就是IBM。任何計算機企業，若想在顧客心智中得到一個不錯的位置，則必須把IBM排擠出來，或者通過某種方式把自己關聯到IBM的位置上。
Yet too many companies embark on marketing and advertising programs as if the competitor’s position did not exist. They advertise their products in a vacuum and are disappointed when their message fails to get through.
但很多企業在展開宣傳的時候會忽略競爭對手的位置。它們在真空中宣傳自己的產品，然後在信息未能進入顧客心智時感到很失望。
The successful companies play a game called “positioning.” They are aware not only of their own position, but of their competitors’ positions as well. They know when they can get there from here and when they can’t.
成功的企業玩兒一種名為“定位”的遊戲。它們不僅知道到自己的位置，也清楚競爭對手的位置。它們知道何時能夠從這兒到達那兒，也知道何時不能。
It wasn’t always this difficult. A quick look at the history of the communications business might give you a better understanding of how we got to the “positioning” era.
過去並沒有現在這麼困難。我們可以快速回顧一下廣告行業的發展歷史，這有助於理解我們是如何走到“定位”時代的。
Back in the 1950’s the communications and marketing business was in an era marked by what Rosser Reeves called the USP, or “Unique Selling Proposition.”
在20世紀50年代，廣告行業處於USP時代，也就是勞斯·瑞維斯所講的獨特銷售主張（Unique Selling Proposition）。
Marketing people disregarded feelings people had toward companies and focused their attention instead on products and their differences.In a lot of ways, these were the good old days where the “better mouse trap” and some money to promote it were all you needed.
那時營銷人員不會考慮顧客的感受，只關心自己的產品，以及它和別人的產品之間的差異。可以說，那個時代賺錢非常容易，只要有好的產品並有錢做宣傳就可以了。
But technology started to rear its ugly head in the late 1950s and, as we entered the ’60s, it became more and more difficult to establish that unique selling proposition.
但在20世紀晚期，科技開始展現出其醜陋的一面。當進入60年代時，建立獨特銷售主張變得越來越難。
Your “better mouse trap” was quickly followed by three more just like it. All claiming to be better than yours.
所謂“更好的產品”會很快引來三個甚至更多的跟風產品，且都說比你的產品還要好。
It got so bad that one product manager confided to me, “Wouldn’t you know it. Last year we had nothing to say, so we added ‘new and improved’ to our package. This year the research people came up with a real improvement in the product and we don’t know what to say.”
當時的情況非常糟糕。有個產品經理向我坦白地說，“你可能不知道，去年我們沒什麼可說的，所以就把‘新的和改進的’印在包裝上。今年研發人員真的對產品做出了改進，但我們卻不知該宣傳什麼了。”
It was the avalanche of the “me-too” products that ended the USP era.
隨著“跟風”產品像雪崩一樣滾進市場，產品時代終結了。
The next phase saw the rise of the “image”concept. Successful companies like General Electric and DuPont found that reputation or “image” was more important in selling a product than any specific product feature. The programs of the new technology companies (Xerox, IBM, etc.) were spectacularly successful. Those of older, established companies were less successful.
在下一個時代，“形象”這一概念冉冉升起。成功的企業，如GE和杜邦，發現對於賣產品來說名聲或者說“形象”比任何具體的產品特點都重要。像施樂（Xerox）、IBM等新興起的技術性企業的廣告非常成功，而那些老牌企業的廣告則相對差一些。
The architect of the image era was David Ogilvy. As he said in his famous speech on the subject, “Every advertisement is a long-term investment in the image of a brand.” And he proved the validity of his ideas with programs for Rolls-Royce, Hathaway shirts, Schweppes and others.
形象時代的締造者是大衛·奧格威。他曾在一場有關品牌形象的著名演講中講到，“每個廣告都是一項對品牌形象的長期投資。”而且他通過哈瑟維（Hathaway）襯衫、勞斯萊斯和施威普（Schweppes）等案例證明了自己的觀念很有效。
But just as the “me-too” products killed the USP era, the “me-too” companies killed the image era. As every company tried to establish an image for itself, the noise level became so high that relatively few companies succeeded. And most of the ones that made it, did it primarily with spectacular technical achievements, not spectacular advertising. (Xerox and the dry copier, for example.)
但就像“跟風”產品終結了產品時代一樣，“跟風”企業終結了形象時代。隨著越來越多的企業努力為自己建立良好的形象，市場噪音變得越來越高，以至於僅有一小部分企業獲得成功。而且它們還主要是通過重大技術創新才取得成功，而不是靠出色的廣告，例如施樂和它的靜電覆印機。
Today, we are entering the positioning era. This will be an era that recognizes the importance of product features and the company image, but more than anything else stresses the need to create a “position” in the prospect’s mind.
今天，我們正在走進定位時代。這個時代雖然認可產品特點和企業形象的重要性，但更加強調在顧客心智中創建“位置”的必要性。
Positioning is a game where the competitor’s image is just as important as your own. Sometimes more important. The famous Avis campaign, “We’re only No. 2. So why go with us? We try harder.” was a classic example of establishing a position against the leader.
在定位遊戲中，競爭對手的形象與你自己的形象一樣重要，有時甚至更為重要。例如艾維斯（Avis）的著名廣告：“我們僅僅是第二，那為何還找我們？我們更努力。”這是一個針對領導者建立位置的經典案例。
The recent Transamerica program, where they established a position as the service company, was another excellent piece of work. And notice how a typical opening sentence in an ad related to what was already in the reader’s mind: “Most people think we’re an airline. If we wanted to be known as an airline we would have bought one.”
近期穿越美國（Transamerica）的廣告也很棒，他們把自己定位成一家服務公司。其廣告語為：“大部分人認為我們是一家航空公司。我們若是希望這樣，那早就去收購一家了。”要注意廣告裡的第一句話，看它是如何與顧客已有認知相關聯的。
In the positioning era, the name of your company or product is becoming more and more important. Take airlines, for example. As more route structures overlap, a thing like your name can be an anchor. No matter how much money you spend.
在定位時代，公司或產品的名字變得越來越重要。比如在航空業，隨著越來越多的航線相互重疊，名字的好壞能夠決定企業的勝負，不管你投入多少資金。
Consider the plight of an airline I’ll call “AirlineX.” It is in the middle of some difficult times. It has some unprofitable routes, but some good ones as well. And it certainly has tried. Airline X was among the first to “paint the planes” and “dress up the stewardesses” in an effort to improve its reputation.
讓我們來看看一家航空公司所面臨的困境。目前這家公司正處於困難時期，它有一些航線虧錢，不過也有一些航線很賺錢。而且這家公司確實為改善形象做過很多努力，它是最早噴塗機身並統一乘務員服裝的航空公司之一。
Its advertising has been beautifully done. And Airline X hasn’t been bashful when it comes to spending money.
它的廣告一直以來做得都很不錯，在資金投入上它也從來沒有吝嗇過。
If you’re not in the airline business, you probably wouldn’t guess that “Airline X” is Eastern – right up there spending with the worldwide names.
如果不在航空業工作，你可能猜不到這家公司就是東方航空（Eastern）。而它的對手正是那些範圍覆蓋整個世界的名字。
For all that money, what do you think of Eastern? Where do you think they fly? Up and down the East Coast, to Boston, Washington, Miami, right?
雖然東航投入了那麼多錢，但你對它的看法又是怎樣呢？你覺得它飛往哪些城市呢？在東海岸飛上飛下，飛往波士頓、華盛頓、邁阿密，對嗎？
Well, they also go to St. Louis, New Orleans, Acapulco, etc. But Eastern has a regional name and their competitors have broader names which tell the prospect they fly everywhere. In Eastern’s case, it would appear that their name has put them in an uncomfortable position. And the more they promote “Eastern,” the more they “can’t get there from here.”
但其實它也飛往聖路易斯、新奧爾良、阿卡普爾科等城市。但東航這個名字是區域性的，而其對手的名字更寬泛，能告訴顧客它們哪裡都飛。在這個案例中，我們可以看到正是名字將東航放在一個很不舒服的位置。而且，它越是宣傳“東航”，則越“不能由這兒到達那兒”。
This brings up another important point in regard to positioning. Your program has to go beyond just establishing a name. Too many programs start there and end there. To secure a worthwhile position for a corporate name, you need a thought to go with it.
這引出了另一個定位要點，即廣告不能僅僅推廣一個名字。很多廣告都是這樣，僅僅推廣了名字。但若想為企業名字獲得一個有價值的位置，你需要找個概念與名字一起推出。
One of the best executed program around is the for Olin. The ads are beautifully done. But what is Olin? What is their position? They haven’t left me with anything. In fact, I’m a little confused. How about you?
奧林（Olin）的廣告是執行得最好的廣告之一，做得非常精彩。但奧林是什麼？它的位置是什麼？它沒有給我留下任何印象。實際上，我甚至有點兒困惑，難道你不困惑嗎？
One thing that’s worse than “just a name” program is one without a name. That sounds like it could never happen doesn’t it? Well it does when companies use initials instead of a name. And you see this happening quite often in today’s marketing arena.
有的廣告連名字都沒有，比那些“僅有名字”的廣告還要糟糕。這樣的廣告聽起來好像從來都沒有出現過。但當企業使用縮寫來代替名字的時候，這種現象就會發生。而且你會發現目前市場上這樣的廣告非常多。
What companies like ACF, AMP, GAF and TRW fail to realize is that initials have to stand for something. GE stands for General Electric. And everyone knows it. These companies were given their nicknames by their customers. This is why they are so valuable.
像ACF、AMP、GAF和TRW等使用縮寫的公司未能意識到縮寫必須能夠代表某事物才可以，例如每個人都知道GE代表General Electric（通用電氣）。像這樣的縮寫是顧客給企業起的暱稱，所以它很有價值。
When a company gives itself a nickname, it doesn’t work as well. When General Aniline & Film changed its name to GAF, all they caused was confusion. And confusion is something the mind rejects, making it impossible to establish a position.
企業的暱稱若是自己起的，那效果不會好。當General Aniline & Film公司把它的名字改為GAF時，它所做的只是讓人更加混亂。而心智很排斥混亂，所以GAF不可能建立起一個位置。
To test this point we performed an awareness study on a matched sample of both “name” companies and “initial” companies. The survey was conducted over aBusiness Weeksubscriber list and companies were selected that had corporate programs running.
為驗證這一點，我們做了一個認知度調查，選取了兩組實力相當的企業，其中一組為“名字”企業，另一組為“縮寫”企業；而且，它們在當時都在打廣告。調研對象為《商業週刊》的訂閱者。
The “name” companies had an average recognition score which was 19% higher than the average score of the “initial” companies.
In the first ten, the “name” companies had seven positions and the “initial” companies only three.
“名字”企業的平均認知度比“縮寫”企業高19%。而且，在前十名“名字”企業中，有七家擁有位置；而在前十名“縮寫”企業中，只有三家擁有位置。
The results show that if you start with initials, you’ve got a long way to go.
這些結果說明如果你一開始就使用縮寫，那你會多走一些彎路。
The toughest marketing problems usually occur when a company competes with another company that has a strong, established position. For the best example, let’s turn to the world of SnowWhite and the seven dwarfs, i.e., computers. IBM has become a state of mind. They have established a position that is unrivaled in the history of marketing.
最難的營銷問題莫過於同一家已經建立強勢位置的企業競爭。為了更好地說明這一點，讓我們再來看看白雪公主和七個小矮人的世界，即計算機行業。IBM已經成為心智中的一個州，它所建立的位置在營銷史上還從未被擊敗過。
How do you advertise and market against this kind of overwhelming position? Well, first you have to recognize it. Then you don’t do the thing that too many people in the computer field do -- act like IBM. A company has no hope to make progress head-on against the position that IBM has established. And history, so far, has proved this to be true.
針對如此強勢的位置，你應該如何展開宣傳？首先，你必須要認識到它的強勢。然後，不要和行業內的其它企業一樣去模仿IBM。任何企業都不可能通過正面進攻IBM而取得進展，截止到目前歷史已經證實了這一點。
The small companies in the field probably recognize this. But the big companies seem to feel they can take their strong positions against IBM. Well, as one disgruntled executive was overheard to say, “There just isn’t enough money in the world.” You can’t get there from here.
行業內的小企業可能能夠認識到這一點，但那些大企業好像覺得它們可以利用自己的強勢位置和IBM展開對抗。然而，正如一位鬱悶的高管所說，“世界上跟本就沒有這麼多錢。”你不能由這兒到達那兒。
A better strategy for IBM’s competitors would be to take advantage of whatever positions they already own in their prospects’ minds and relate them to a new position in computers.
對於IBM的競爭對手來說，更好的戰略是利用自己在顧客心智中已經擁有的位置，將其關聯到計算機領域的新位置上。
Recently, General Electric has begun to make progress in the computer field by establishing a position in “time-sharing.” This is an especially appropriate move because they happen to be one of the biggest users of computers. And time-sharing is a user-oriented idea.
最近GE通過在“時間分享”概念上建立了一個位置從而在計算機領域取得進展。這一動作對GE來說非常合適，因為他們正好是使用計算機最多的企業之一。而且，“時間分享”也是一個用戶導向的概念。
RCA is a leader in communications. If they positioned a computer line that related to their business in communication, they could take advantage of their own position. Even though they would be ignoring a great deal of business, they would be establishing a strong beach head.
RCA是傳媒行業的領軍企業。他們若將其計算機業務定位於傳媒領域，把它與自己的傳媒業務相關聯，那他們便能有效利用自己的位置。即使這樣做可能會忽視掉一大塊兒市場，但他們很可能會建立起一個堅固的灘頭堡。
Obviously, these are over-simplified examples but the point is that it’s almost impossible to dislodge a strongly dug-in leader who owns the high ground. You’re a lot better off to open up a new frontor position – that is, unless you enjoy being shot-up.
顯然這些都是經過簡化的例子，但它們說明了一個非常重要的道理，即幾乎不可能將那些穩穩佔據位置的、控制高地的領導者排擠出去。你若不想被它們擊敗，則最好另闢一塊新的戰場或位置。
Another problem that occurs fairly often is represented by the one B. F. Goodrich faces. What do you do when your name (Goodrich) is similar to the name of a larger company in the same field (Goodyear)?
還有另外一種問題經常發生，比方說現在的B. F. Goodrich公司。若企業的名字（Goodrich）和同領域內更強的競爭對手的名字（Goodyear）相似，那你會怎麼辦？
Goodrich has problems. Our research indicated that they could reinvent the wheel and Goodyear would get most of the credit. If ever a company could benefit from a name change, they’re one.
Goodrich公司的問題很嚴重。我們的調研顯示，它可以對產品做出重大改進，但其中的大部分好處會被Goodyear公司拿走。所以說如果有企業能夠從改名上獲益，那Goodrich就是這樣的企業之一。
Some of the best practitioners of positioning today are to be found in the consumer goods world. Which proves that the concept is applicable to products as well as companies.
現在有一些頂尖的定位高手來自消費品領域。這說明定位概念不僅適用於企業，也適用於產品。
Ask anyone who put the first 100-millimeter cigareton to the market and most people will say “Benson & Hedges.” Wrong. The answer is “Pall Mall Gold.” Benson & Hedges was first to establish the position.
隨便問問，是哪家企業把第一根100毫米香菸推向了市場？大部分人會說是金邊臣（Benson& Hedges）。不對。正確答案是波邁金（PallMall Gold）。金邊臣第一個建立了該位置。
A product that put the “benefit” into its name was able to dislodge a product that had the “means” in its name. Carnation’s Slender vs. Mead Johnson’s Metrecal. The name “Slender” had a great deal to do with Carnation’s successful positioning.
若名字可以體現出產品的“利益點”，則它能夠從心智中將僅體現出產品“使用方法”的名字排擠出去。例如康乃馨公司（Carnation）的Slender打敗了美贊臣公司（Mead Johnson）的Metrecal。對於康乃馨公司的定位成功，“Slender”這個名字起到了非常重要的作用。
（譯者備註：Slender和Metrecal為兩個減肥食品品牌。“Slender”一詞在英文中的含義為“苗條的”，可以體現出該產品的利益點為苗條；“Metrecal”為一個計算機合成詞，在一定程度上體現了該產品的使用方法，即每次按規定攝入一定量的卡里路，但沒有體現出該產品的利益點。）
These programs point to a very important benefit that your company can derive from positioning. It’s the fact that your programs will become cumulative. You can keep them up, year after year. The high cost of media today demands this. If all your great ads aren’t building you a strong equity or position, I’m afraid all you’re getting for your money is ads. And you’re not going to get there from here.
這些例子都說明定位可以給企業帶來一個重要的好處，即它可以令你的廣告具備累積效應。你可以年年都保持同一個宣傳方向，這有助於應對今天不斷上升的媒體成本。如果你的廣告不能給你建立一筆強勁的資產或是說一個穩固的位置，那我擔心你所得到的將僅僅是廣告本身，而且你也將不能從這兒到達那兒。
If I’ve moved you to possibly consider your position, I’d like to offer you four simple rules for playing the game:
如果你覺得我講得有道理，並準備思考自己的位置，那這裡有四條玩兒定位遊戲的原則需要你掌握。
1) Find the people in your own organization and your agency who understand it. It’s tough work and it’s not played well by amateurs or non-believers. It is played well by people who have good marketing sense. It’s also played well by people who have “vision.”
1)在你的企業或你們所選的廣告公司裡找到理解它的人。定位遊戲很不簡單，外行或不相信它的人是玩兒不好的。只有那些營銷感覺良好或有遠見的人才可以把它玩兒好。
Positioning is a concept that is cumulative in nature. Something that can take advantage of advertising’s long-range nature. Because of this, the people who work with you will have to be able to understand what you are trying to build. Top management has to make decision as to what the company will be – not next month or next year, but in five years.
定位這個概念從本質上具備累積效應，可以利用廣告的長期性。所以，與你配合的人必須明白你所努力建立的是什麼，而且公司高層必須明確企業五年後將會怎樣，而不是下個月或下一年將會怎樣。
They have to have vision. There’s no sense building a position that’s based on a technology that’s too narrow. Or a product that’s becoming obsolete. When you’re betting on the come, it takes a lot of understanding, faith and good teamwork.
他們必須要有遠見，因為基於過於狹窄的技術或過時的產品來建立位置是沒有意義的。你們需要深入理解、堅定信念、積極合作，這樣才能決勝未來。
2) Be brutally frank about your product or company and its reputation. Try to eliminate all ego from the decision making. It clouds the issue.
2)坦誠面對你的產品（或企業）及其名聲。努力剋制自我對決策的影響，否則很多問題將會被掩蓋。
One of the most critical aspects of “positioning” is being able to evaluate objectively your products and how they are viewed by your customers.
定位最為關鍵的一點是能夠客觀評估自己的產品以及顧客對它的看法。
As a rule, when it comes to building strong programs, trust no one, especially product mangers. The closer people get to products, the more they defend old decisions or promises.
不要輕易相信任何人，尤其是產品經理，這是策劃廣告時的一條重要原則。人們離產品越近，則越傾向於守護過去的決定或諾言。
Get your information from the market place. That’s the place where your program has to succeed, not in the product manager’s office.
去市場上尋找你所需要的信息，那裡才是廣告必須獲勝的地方，而不是產品經理的辦公室。
3) Change what you have to change. Take advantage of what you can take advantage of. Base these decisions on what’s in the marketplace, not what’s in the company.
3)改變必須改變的，利用能夠利用的。而且這些決策應基於市場上的信息，而不是企業內的信息。
Nothing in this marketing game stays the same for very long. Technology sees to that. To succeed in taking advantage of opportunities, you have to be sensitive to this change.
在營銷這場遊戲中，任何事物都不會長久不變。科技是其背後的主要原因。若想成功利用機會，你必須對這一變化保持敏感。
Even something as basic as a corporate nameis under fire today. A corporate name may be geographically restricting, too long, outmoded in terminology, too limiting in scope, misleading, difficult to remember, hard to pronounce, or associated with past failures. Any of these maybe a marketing millstone. In other words, you are starting with two strike against you.
現在即使像名字這樣基本的東西都會導致企業遭受攻擊。企業的名稱可能地域性太強、太長、措辭過時、範圍太狹窄、具有誤導性、不容易記、不容易發音，或者讓人聯想起過去的失敗。其中的任何一種情況都可能成為營銷的負擔。換句話說，在一開始你就會受到兩方面的攻擊。
On the other hand, you might have a great corporate name, but too many brand names, too many programs, too many graphics, no uniform treatment of corporate identity, no corporate direction. In otherwords, you are not putting your best hitters at bat.
另一方面，你可能有個不錯的企業名稱，但有多個品牌、多個廣告、多種形象，沒有統一的企業形象，企業經營也沒有一致的方向。換句話說，你沒有選用自己最好的擊球手擊球。
Whatever your situation, before you can build a strong position you have to build a strong foundation.
不管遇到什麼情況，在建立強勢位置之前，你必須建立一個穩固的基礎。
4) Establish your position and build a program around it that’s big enough to get noticed.
4）建立你的位置，廣告要以此為核心。而且廣告量要大，從而能夠得到人們的注意。
The noise level today is fierce. There are just too many “me-too” products and “me-too” companies vying for the minds of your prospects. Getting noticed is getting tougher.
今天的噪音水平非常高。市場上有太多的“跟風”產品和“跟風”企業，它們都在搶奪著顧客心智，得到人們的注意變得越來越難。
With this noise level you just have to be bold enough and consistent enough to get noticed.
在這樣的噪音環境中，你必須要有足夠的勇氣和一致性，才能得到人們的注意。
The first step in a positioning program normally entails running fewer programs but stronger programs. This sounds simple but it actually runs counter to what usually happens as corporations get larger. They normally run more programs but weaker programs. It’s this fragmentation that can make many large advertising budgets just about invisible in today’s media storm.
定位工作的第一步往往要求少打幾個廣告，但每個都要很有力。這聽起來簡單，但當企業越來越大時，他們的做法往往相反。他們通常會同時打多個廣告，但每個都很無力。正是由於這種做法，很多高額廣告預算都被打碎了，從而在今天的資訊風暴中變得毫無影響。
One of the largest business paper advertisers today is General Electric. Think of the last three ads they’ve run. If you can, you are either an employee or a competitor.
目前，GE是在報紙上打廣告最多的企業之一。但你能回想起它最近做過的三個廣告嗎？你若能，那說明你不是它的員工就是它的競爭對手。
These four points are a start. Put them all together and I’ll guarantee you’ll get to where you want to go from here. And do some great work on the way.
以上四條原則僅僅是個開始。若能深入理解它們，我保證你能從這兒到達任何你想去的地方，且一路上會有不少出色的表現。
譯於2012年10月王博
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譯者簡介：
王博，定位方向專家，十年來專注於定位方向的探究與界定； 2015年為飛鶴奶粉研究界定出“更適合中國寶寶體質”戰略定位，助其實現強勁增長。
目前擔任君智諮詢高級分析師，曾任特勞特戰略定位諮詢公司高級客戶經理。
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