经济学人374:束之高阁的宝藏 重启旧品牌

　　Schumpeter
熊彼特
Hidden gems¹
束之高阁的宝藏
Reviving old brands sometimes makes more sense than creating new ones
有时，重启旧品牌比创造新品牌更有价值
“CASH IN THE ATTIC²” is one of the jewels in the BBC's crown: “The show that turns hidden treasures into cash and viewers' dreams into reality”. The format³ is as addictive⁴ as it is straightforward⁵. A camera crew turns up at an ordinary-looking house and searches the attic and other nooks and crannies for things that might have hidden value. The choicest items are sold at auction⁶. Joy is unconfined when a ragged⁷ doll turns out to be worth a small fortune. The business world has its own version of this game: entrepreneurs rummaging⁸ in corporate⁹ attics¹⁰ for neglected but valuable old brands. It is thanks to such treasure-hunting that you can ride an MV Agusta motorbike, wear a Shinola watch, stuff yourself with Twinkies, wash them down with Orangina and play a Gibson guitar.
“阁楼里的宝藏”是BBC最热门节目之一，“把束之高阁的宝贝换成钱，把观众的梦想变成现实”。节目形式不仅简单，甚至容易上瘾。一个拍摄团队来到一座普通的房子里，到阁楼和其他边边角角搜寻可能存在价值的东西。最珍贵的那部分会被拍卖。当一个破旧的布娃娃卖出了一小笔钱时，总能带来抑制不住的喜悦。商界也存在这样的游戏：企业家们会从公司的阁楼里翻找被忽略的、却仍有价值的老品牌。也正是因为这些寻宝活动，我们才能骑上奥古斯塔摩托车，戴 Shinola手表，吃Twinkies 奶油蛋糕吃到撑，再喝上一大罐 Orangina，玩一会儿吉布森吉他。
重启旧品牌.jpg
There are two reasons why such rummaging is so popular. The first is that companies often discard brands that contain plenty of what marketers call “equity¹¹”. In plain English, ones that people still remember fondly. Healthy brands can be sacrificed on the altars of corporate takeovers and restructurings: Brim Coffee bit the dust when a succession of mergers¹² and acquisitions left it sharing a stable with Maxwell House; Procter & Gamble abandoned White Cloud toilet paper to focus on its Charmin brand. Or they can become orphans¹³ when their parent companies die: former household names that are currently looking for a new guardian¹⁴ include Hidden Magic hairspray, Climax¹⁵ ginger¹⁶ ale and Puss'n Boots cat food.
这种翻箱倒柜之所以如此盛行，原因有二。首先，公司经常会丢弃一些充满了营销专家所说的“资产”的品牌。简单来说，就是那些仍然存在于人们美好记忆中的品牌。好品牌有时会成为公司收购重组时的牺牲品。在一系列收购兼并之后， Brim咖啡不得不和麦斯威尔咖啡同处一室，最后一败涂地；宝洁为了集中发展 Charmin，抛弃白云卫生纸。有时，当母公司破产，旗下品牌便成了孤儿： Hidden Magic喷发定型剂,Climax 姜汁汽水和 Puss'sn Boots猫食都曾是家喻户晓的名字，如今全在寻找下一位东家。
The second reason is that reviving an old brand often beats spending months and millions on creating a new one, with a lower risk of failure. If something has worked before there is a good chance that it will work again. Old brands come with ready-made logos, slogans, jingles¹⁷ and memories. Brim Coffee's previous owners had spent 35 years and hundreds of millions of dollars drumming the phrase “Fill it to the rim—with Brim” into American brains. Besides equity, another folkloric¹⁸ quality brands are said to need is “authenticity”: whereas Wally Olins, a veteran branding expert, warns creators of new brands that the worst thing they can do is to try to fake this (see article), old brands are more likely to possess it.
第二大原因，重启老品牌经常好过花数月时间、砸数百万美元来创造新品牌，而且失败的可能性还更低。一样东西如果曾经成功过，就极可能再一次成功。老品牌有现成的标志，口号，广告语和回忆。 Brim咖啡曾经的老东家们花了 35年时间、投入数亿美元让“倒满杯缘为止”这句话深深烙在美国人脑海中。除了资产，另一个传说中的品牌必要特质是“正宗”。资深品牌专家威利·奥林斯警告新品牌创造者们，他们能做的最糟糕的事情就是装得很“正宗”；而老品牌则更可能拥有这一特质。
The simplest version of this strategy is for a company to revive one of its own brands. The textbook case is Volkswagen's revival¹⁹ of the Beetle²⁰ in the 1990s. VW played on nostalgia²¹ for the 1960s, when the Beetle became the semi-official vehicle of the hippie movement, while reassuring²² purchasers that it was thoroughly²³ modern: “less flower, more power”. A second version is for a healthy firm to take over an ailing²⁴ rival's brands and breathe new life into them. BMW acquired Mini when it bought Rover in 1994, retooled²⁵ the car to German standards, and made it a huge success.
实施这种策略，最简单的方式莫过于重启公司过去已有的品牌。一个被写进教科书中的案例是上世纪九十年代大众甲壳虫的重生。大众打的是六十年代的复古牌，当时它可是嬉皮运动人士的半官方座驾，但同时它让买家坚信这款车从内到外都是现代的：“更少点缀，更多动力。“第二种方式，是让一家健康的企业收购正在衰落的对手的品牌，并让其重现生机。 1994年，宝马收购路虎之后获得 Mini品牌。重整为德国标准汽车之后， Mini大获成功。
There are now companies that, like the BBC's antique-hunters, specialise in rooting out undervalued gems. The Himmel Group, based in Florida, buys old health and beauty brands and relaunches them with a blitz of advertising²⁶. Its successes include Ovaltine, a hot drink, Topol tooth polish and Lavoris, a mouthwash. Private-equity groups have also become enthusiastic recyclers. In 2006 the Blackstone Group and Lion Capital joined forces to buy the rights outside America to Orangina, a soft-drink brand discarded by Cadbury, and sold it three years later to Suntory of Japan, realising a 30% annual return on equity. In 2013 Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co acquired Hostess Brands for 410m, and relaunched Twinkies and Ho Hos in what it billed as “the sweetest comeback in the history of ever”. Supermarkets are also savvy²⁷ purchasers, buying old brands and keeping their distinctive²⁸ appearance, to justify²⁹ charging a bit more than for their own-label products. Walmart did this with White Cloud nappies andtissues, for example.
和BBC的寻宝活动一样，如今有一些公司专门挖掘那些价值被低估的宝藏。福罗里达的 Himmel集团买下老的保健和美容品牌，通过广告轰炸再次将它们推向市场。成功案例包括热饮料 Ovaltine，美白牙膏Topol 和漱口水 Lavoris。同样热衷于回收再利用的还有私募集团。 2006年，黑石集团和利安资本合力买下 Orangina的海外所有权。Orangina是吉百利公司丢弃的软饮料品牌。三年后，两家投资公司将其卖给日本的三得利，获得 30%的年股本回报率。2013年，阿波罗全球管理和梅特珀罗斯公司以 4.1亿美元买下美国著名面包生产商 Hostess Brands，并重启 Twinkies和Ho Hos 两大品牌，被其称作“史上最甜蜜回归”。超市也是精明的买家，买下老品牌，保留其独特的外观，以便收取比自有品牌稍高一些的价格，如沃尔玛对白云尿布和餐巾纸的处理方式。
Some striking examples of brand revival are the work of individual entrepreneurs. Shinola was once such a successful producer of shoe polish that Americans reprimanded each other with the phrase, “You can't tell shit from Shinola.” Tom Kartsotis, a college drop-out turned businessman, revived the name for a new company that produces luxury watches in Detroit and sells them for up to 975 each. The East India Company once controlled half the world's trade, commanded its own army and issued its own currency, but went out of business in 1873. Sanjiv Mehta, an Indian diamond trader, bought the brand in 2005 and applied³⁰ it to a new, upmarket retail³¹ chain.
一些品牌的惊天大逆转是由企业家们个人完成的。 Shinola曾是极成功的鞋油品牌，美国人在埋怨对方的时候甚至会说：“你啥也不知道，连 Shinola都不知道！”大学辍学改做生意的 Tom Kartsotis在一家新公司重塑了Shinola品牌，这是一家底特律的奢侈表公司，手表每块能卖到 975美元。东印度公司曾经控制世界一半的贸易，有自己的军队和货币，却在 1873年破产。2005 年，印度珠宝交易商 Sanjiv Mehta买下这一品牌，以此命名一家新开的高端零售连锁店。
Whole lotta lolly
一大堆棒棒糖
There is no guarantee that your dead brand in the attic will turn into cash: Daimler tried to revive its Maybach luxury marque as a competitor to Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but sales were dire³², and it gave up in 2013. You need to choose your brand well—there is a big difference between Shinola and, say, Enron—and manage its revival carefully. Many of the most successful exercises in reviving brands are also exercises in repositioning them. Henry Juszkiewicz revitalised Gibson Guitars because he focused on selling to ageing lawyers and doctors, who were willing to pay 20,000 to own the same type of guitar as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, rather than struggling young musicians. He has since added brands such as Slingerland drums and Wurlitzer jukeboxes to his portfolio³³. Claudio Castiglioni revived his family's MV Agusta brand by repositioning a classic racing³⁴ bike as a mid-market roadster.
没人能保证，在阁楼里躺着的品牌一定能赚钱：为与劳斯莱斯和宾利抗衡，戴姆勒下力气复兴奢侈品牌梅巴赫，但业绩暗淡，最终在 2013年放弃。你必须选择一个好品牌： Shinola和，比方说安然，差别是巨大的；同时你还必须小心处理。品牌复兴最成功的案例当中，有很多对品牌进行了重新定位。 Henry Juszkiewicz之所以能让吉布森吉他死而复生，是因为他专注于年长的律师和医生，而不是生存都成问题的年轻音乐人，理由是前者愿意掏两万美元，买下和艾瑞克·克莱普顿、吉米·佩吉同一品牌的吉他。之后他又加上了 Slingerland鼓和Wurlitzer 自动唱机。克劳迪奥·卡斯蒂格利奥尼复兴家族品牌 MV奥古斯塔，就是通过将经典竞赛自行车重新定位为中端敞篷跑车。
Such quibbles aside, rediscovering and restoring a neglected brand, tapping into consumers' fond memories of times gone by, is surely a cost-effective way of competing in a marketing³⁵ landscape where start-up costs are prohibitive and the chances of failure are high. If capitalism³⁶ is a system of creative destruction, in Joseph Schumpeter's famous phrase, it is a system of creative reconstruction³⁷ as well.
尽管存在种种争议，在起步费用高昂，失败几率极高的当今市场，挖掘和重塑一个被遗忘的品牌，挑起消费者美好的回忆，绝对是一个性价比颇高的竞争手段。如果说资本主义是一个创造性毁灭的体系，就像约瑟夫·熊彼特的那句名言，它也是一个创造性重建的体系。

1 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

2 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

3 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

4 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

5 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

6 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

7 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

8 rummaging   

翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查

参考例句：

• She was rummaging around in her bag for her keys. 她在自己的包里翻来翻去找钥匙。
• Who's been rummaging through my papers? 谁乱翻我的文件来着？

9 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

10 attics   

n. 阁楼

参考例句：

• They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics. 他们把暂时不需要的东西放在抽屉里、壁橱中和搁楼上。
• He rummaged busily in the attics of European literature, bringing to light much of interest. 他在欧洲文学的阁楼里忙着翻箱倒笼，找到了不少有趣的东西。

11 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

12 mergers   

n.（两个公司的）合并( merger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Mergers fall into three categories: horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate. 合并分为以下三种：横向合并，纵向合并和混合合并。 来自辞典例句
• Many recent mergers are concentrated within specific industries, particularly in retailing, airlines and communications. 现代许多合并企业集中进行某些特定业务，在零售业、民航和通讯业中更是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

13 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

14 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

15 climax   

n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点

参考例句：

• The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
• His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。

16 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

17 jingles   

叮当声( jingle的名词复数 )； 节拍十分规则的简单诗歌

参考例句：

• Can I give Del and Mr. Jingles some? 我可以分一点给戴尔和金格先生吗？
• This story jingles bells for many of my clients. 这个故事对我许多客户来说都耳熟能详。

18 folkloric   

adj.民间传说的；民俗的

参考例句：

• In the rush to go folkloric watch out for collision of cultures. 在民俗化的热潮中，要提防不同文化的冲突。
• Lunch blowout beside the pool, accompanied by folkloric dancing (Vanity Fair) . 盛大的午餐在游泳池边进行，还有民族舞蹈助兴（名利场）。

19 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

20 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

21 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

22 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

23 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

24 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

25 retooled   

v.（给…）更换工具， （给…）更换机械设备( retool的过去式和过去分词 )；改组，革新

参考例句：

• The company will be retooled after the incorporation. 合并之后的公司要进行重组。 来自辞典例句
• Each time the product changes, the machines have to be retooled. 每次更换产品，就得重新装备机器。 来自辞典例句

26 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

27 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

28 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

29 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

30 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

31 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

32 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

33 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

34 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

35 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

36 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

37 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。