1969年，杰克•特劳特先生在美国《工业行销》发布论文：《定位：同质化时代的竞争之道》，首次将“定位”观念引入商业界2001年，定位理论被美国营销学会，评为“有史以来对美国营销影响最大的观念”，我来为大家科普一下关于特劳特定位理论靠谱吗?以下内容希望对你有帮助!
特劳特定位理论靠谱吗
1969年，杰克•特劳特先生在美国《工业行销》发布论文：《定位：同质化时代的竞争之道》，首次将“定位”观念引入商业界。2001年，定位理论被美国营销学会，评为“有史以来对美国营销影响最大的观念”。
本文将该论文的中文翻译及英文原文一起呈现，方便各位学习参考。
‘Positioning’ is a game people play in today’s me-too market place
by Jack Trout
定位：同质化时代的竞争之道
杰克·特劳特
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.
有个关于一位旅行者的故事。这位旅行者向一农夫询问去附近的一个镇子怎么走。农夫回答说，“沿着这条路向前走一英里，在交叉路口向左转。不，这样不行。”
“你调头往回走，走半英里会看到一个停车标志，然后向右转。不，这样也不行。”
想了好一会儿，农夫看着满脸疑惑的旅行者说，“你知道吗，孩子，你不能从这儿到达那儿。”
这恰好是本文的主旨。
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，若不遵守一种名为“定位”的游戏的游戏规则，那即使投入几百万美元打广告，你仍会遭遇失败。换句话说，“你不能由这儿到达那儿”。
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.
今天的市场对过去有效的战略已经没有反应了。因为现在市场上有太多产品、太多公司和太多噪音。我们已经进入资讯过度时代。
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.”
若对此有所怀疑，那你可以数数现在媒体的数量。电视（商业、有线、付费）、广播（中波、调频）、户外（海报、展板、霓虹灯广告牌）、报纸、直邮，以及各种杂志，包括大众类杂志、专业类杂志、爱好者杂志、商业类杂志、行业类杂志、年刊、半年刊等等。当然还有公交、地铁和出租车。概括地说，任何移动的东西都或多或少带着一些广告。
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.
现在每天都会有大量的广告信息为争夺顾客心智的一份儿份额而相互竞争。毫无疑问，心智就是战场。
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.
为深入理解自己所面临的挑战，你可以把心智看作计算机硬盘。心智会像硬盘那样为其所保留的每份儿信息分配一个空隙或“位置”。从运行模式来看，心智和计算机非常像。
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.
但它们之间有个非常重要的不同点，即计算机必须接受放进它的所有信息，而心智不是这样。
事实上，在这方面心智与计算机恰恰相反。作为抵御今天大量资讯的一道屏障，心智会筛选并拒绝大部分推向它的信息。一般来说，心智只接受与其已有知识或经验相匹配的信息。
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.
换句话说，只有那些与心智中已有空隙（或位置）分布相匹配的新信息才会被接受，其它的都会被过滤掉。即便信息的呈现方式很有创意，也不会对此有所影响。
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，当GE说它的计算机比IBM的更好时，你不会相信，因为那不匹配大多数人对IBM的认知。你会接受GE所说的有关电灯泡的信息，但不接受它所说的有关计算机的信息。这解释了GE以及其它企业在利用自己已建立的位置进入一个全新领域时所遇到的困难。
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.
人们心智中的计算机“位置”大多被一个企业的名字填充着，它就是IBM。任何计算机企业，若想在顾客心智中得到一个不错的位置，则必须把IBM排挤出来，或者通过某种方式把自己关联到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.
但很多企业在展开宣传的时候会忽略竞争对手的位置。它们在真空中宣传自己的产品，然后在信息未能进入顾客心智时感到很失望。
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.
成功的企业玩儿一种名为“定位”的游戏。它们不仅知道到自己的位置，也清楚竞争对手的位置。它们知道何时能够从这儿到达那儿，也知道何时不能。
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.
过去并没有现在这么困难。我们可以快速回顾一下广告行业的发展历史，这有助于理解我们是如何走到“定位”时代的。
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世纪50年代，广告行业处于USP时代，也就是劳斯·瑞维斯所讲的独特销售主张（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.
那时营销人员不会考虑顾客的感受，只关心自己的产品，以及它和别人的产品之间的差异。可以说，那个时代赚钱非常容易，只要有好的产品并有钱做宣传就可以了。
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世纪晚期，科技开始展现出其丑陋的一面。当进入60年代时，建立独特销售主张变得越来越难。
Your “better mouse trap” was quickly followed by three more just like it. All claiming to be better than yours.
所谓“更好的产品”会很快引来三个甚至更多的跟风产品，且都说比你的产品还要好。
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.”
当时的情况非常糟糕。有个产品经理向我坦白地说，“你可能不知道，去年我们没什么可说的，所以就把‘新的和改进的’印在包装上。今年研发人员真的对产品做出了改进，但我们却不知该宣传什么了。”
It was the avalanche of the “me-too” products that ended the USP era.
随着“跟风”产品像雪崩一样滚进市场，产品时代终结了。
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.
在下一个时代，“形象”这一概念冉冉升起。成功的企业，如GE和杜邦，发现对于卖产品来说名声或者说“形象”比任何具体的产品特点都重要。像施乐（Xerox）、IBM等新兴起的技术性企业的广告非常成功，而那些老牌企业的广告则相对差一些。
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.
形象时代的缔造者是大卫·奥格威。他曾在一场有关品牌形象的著名演讲中讲到，“每个广告都是一项对品牌形象的长期投资。”而且他通过哈瑟维（Hathaway）衬衫、劳斯莱斯和施威普（Schweppes）等案例证明了自己的观念很有效。
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“跟风”产品终结了产品时代一样，“跟风”企业终结了形象时代。随着越来越多的企业努力为自己建立良好的形象，市场噪音变得越来越高，以至于仅有一小部分企业获得成功。而且它们还主要是通过重大技术创新才取得成功，而不是靠出色的广告，例如施乐和它的静电复印机。
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，我们正在走进定位时代。这个时代虽然认可产品特点和企业形象的重要性，但更加强调在顾客心智中创建“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.
在定位游戏中，竞争对手的形象与你自己的形象一样重要，有时甚至更为重要。例如艾维斯（Avis）的著名广告：“我们仅仅是第二，那为何还找我们？我们更努力。”这是一个针对领导者建立位置的经典案例。
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.”
近期穿越美国（Transamerica）的广告也很棒，他们把自己定位成一家服务公司。其广告语为：“大部分人认为我们是一家航空公司。我们若是希望这样，那早就去收购一家了。”要注意广告里的第一句话，看它是如何与顾客已有认知相关联的。
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.
在定位时代，公司或产品的名字变得越来越重要。比如在航空业，随着越来越多的航线相互重叠，名字的好坏能够决定企业的胜负，不管你投入多少资金。
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.
让我们来看看一家航空公司所面临的困境。目前这家公司正处于困难时期，它有一些航线亏钱，不过也有一些航线很赚钱。而且这家公司确实为改善形象做过很多努力，它是最早喷涂机身并统一乘务员服装的航空公司之一。
Its advertising has been beautifully done. And Airline X hasn’t been bashful when it comes to spending money.
它的广告一直以来做得都很不错，在资金投入上它也从来没有吝啬过。
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.
如果不在航空业工作，你可能猜不到这家公司就是东方航空（Eastern）。而它的对手正是那些范围覆盖整个世界的名字。
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?
虽然东航投入了那么多钱，但你对它的看法又是怎样呢？你觉得它飞往哪些城市呢？在东海岸飞上飞下，飞往波士顿、华盛顿、迈阿密，对吗？
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.”
但其实它也飞往圣路易斯、新奥尔良、阿卡普尔科等城市。但东航这个名字是区域性的，而其对手的名字更宽泛，能告诉顾客它们哪里都飞。在这个案例中，我们可以看到正是名字将东航放在一个很不舒服的位置。而且，它越是宣传“东航”，则越“不能由这儿到达那儿”。
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.
这引出了另一个定位要点，即广告不能仅仅推广一个名字。很多广告都是这样，仅仅推广了名字。但若想为企业名字获得一个有价值的位置，你需要找个概念与名字一起推出。
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?
奥林（Olin）的广告是执行得最好的广告之一，做得非常精彩。但奥林是什么？它的位置是什么？它没有给我留下任何印象。实际上，我甚至有点儿困惑，难道你不困惑吗？
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.
有的广告连名字都没有，比那些“仅有名字”的广告还要糟糕。这样的广告听起来好像从来都没有出现过。但当企业使用缩写来代替名字的时候，这种现象就会发生。而且你会发现目前市场上这样的广告非常多。
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等使用缩写的公司未能意识到缩写必须能够代表某事物才可以，例如每个人都知道GE代表General Electric（通用电气）。像这样的缩写是顾客给企业起的昵称，所以它很有价值。
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.
企业的昵称若是自己起的，那效果不会好。当General Aniline & Film公司把它的名字改为GAF时，它所做的只是让人更加混乱。而心智很排斥混乱，所以GAF不可能建立起一个位置。
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.
为验证这一点，我们做了一个认知度调查，选取了两组实力相当的企业，其中一组为“名字”企业，另一组为“缩写”企业；而且，它们在当时都在打广告。调研对象为《商业周刊》的订阅者。
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”企业的平均认知度比“缩写”企业高19%。而且，在前十名“名字”企业中，有七家拥有位置；而在前十名“缩写”企业中，只有三家拥有位置。
The results show that if you start with initials, you’ve got a long way to go.
这些结果说明如果你一开始就使用缩写，那你会多走一些弯路。
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.
最难的营销问题莫过于同一家已经建立强势位置的企业竞争。为了更好地说明这一点，让我们再来看看白雪公主和七个小矮人的世界，即计算机行业。IBM已经成为心智中的一个州，它所建立的位置在营销史上还从未被击败过。
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.
针对如此强势的位置，你应该如何展开宣传？首先，你必须要认识到它的强势。然后，不要和行业内的其它企业一样去模仿IBM。任何企业都不可能通过正面进攻IBM而取得进展，截止到目前历史已经证实了这一点。
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.
行业内的小企业可能能够认识到这一点，但那些大企业好像觉得它们可以利用自己的强势位置和IBM展开对抗。然而，正如一位郁闷的高管所说，“世界上跟本就没有这么多钱。”你不能由这儿到达那儿。
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.
对于IBM的竞争对手来说，更好的战略是利用自己在顾客心智中已经拥有的位置，将其关联到计算机领域的新位置上。
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通过在“时间分享”概念上建立了一个位置从而在计算机领域取得进展。这一动作对GE来说非常合适，因为他们正好是使用计算机最多的企业之一。而且，“时间分享”也是一个用户导向的概念。
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是传媒行业的领军企业。他们若将其计算机业务定位于传媒领域，把它与自己的传媒业务相关联，那他们便能有效利用自己的位置。即使这样做可能会忽视掉一大块儿市场，但他们很可能会建立起一个坚固的滩头堡。
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.
显然这些都是经过简化的例子，但它们说明了一个非常重要的道理，即几乎不可能将那些稳稳占据位置的、控制高地的领导者排挤出去。你若不想被它们击败，则最好另辟一块新的战场或位置。
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)?
还有另外一种问题经常发生，比方说现在的B. F. Goodrich公司。若企业的名字（Goodrich）和同领域内更强的竞争对手的名字（Goodyear）相似，那你会怎么办？
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公司的问题很严重。我们的调研显示，它可以对产品做出重大改进，但其中的大部分好处会被Goodyear公司拿走。所以说如果有企业能够从改名上获益，那Goodrich就是这样的企业之一。
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.
现在有一些顶尖的定位高手来自消费品领域。这说明定位概念不仅适用于企业，也适用于产品。
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.
随便问问，是哪家企业把第一根100毫米香烟推向了市场？大部分人会说是金边臣（Benson& Hedges）。不对。正确答案是波迈金（PallMall Gold）。金边臣第一个建立了该位置。
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.
若名字可以体现出产品的“利益点”，则它能够从心智中将仅体现出产品“使用方法”的名字排挤出去。例如康乃馨公司（Carnation）的Slender打败了美赞臣公司（Mead Johnson）的Metrecal。对于康乃馨公司的定位成功，“Slender”这个名字起到了非常重要的作用。
（译者备注：Slender和Metrecal为两个减肥食品品牌。“Slender”一词在英文中的含义为“苗条的”，可以体现出该产品的利益点为苗条；“Metrecal”为一个计算机合成词，在一定程度上体现了该产品的使用方法，即每次按规定摄入一定量的卡里路，但没有体现出该产品的利益点。）
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.
这些例子都说明定位可以给企业带来一个重要的好处，即它可以令你的广告具备累积效应。你可以年年都保持同一个宣传方向，这有助于应对今天不断上升的媒体成本。如果你的广告不能给你建立一笔强劲的资产或是说一个稳固的位置，那我担心你所得到的将仅仅是广告本身，而且你也将不能从这儿到达那儿。
If I’ve moved you to possibly consider your position, I’d like to offer you four simple rules for playing the game:
如果你觉得我讲得有道理，并准备思考自己的位置，那这里有四条玩儿定位游戏的原则需要你掌握。
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)在你的企业或你们所选的广告公司里找到理解它的人。定位游戏很不简单，外行或不相信它的人是玩儿不好的。只有那些营销感觉良好或有远见的人才可以把它玩儿好。
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.
定位这个概念从本质上具备累积效应，可以利用广告的长期性。所以，与你配合的人必须明白你所努力建立的是什么，而且公司高层必须明确企业五年后将会怎样，而不是下个月或下一年将会怎样。
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.
他们必须要有远见，因为基于过于狭窄的技术或过时的产品来建立位置是没有意义的。你们需要深入理解、坚定信念、积极合作，这样才能决胜未来。
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)坦诚面对你的产品（或企业）及其名声。努力克制自我对决策的影响，否则很多问题将会被掩盖。
One of the most critical aspects of “positioning” is being able to evaluate objectively your products and how they are viewed by your customers.
定位最为关键的一点是能够客观评估自己的产品以及顾客对它的看法。
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.
不要轻易相信任何人，尤其是产品经理，这是策划广告时的一条重要原则。人们离产品越近，则越倾向于守护过去的决定或诺言。
Get your information from the market place. That’s the place where your program has to succeed, not in the product manager’s office.
去市场上寻找你所需要的信息，那里才是广告必须获胜的地方，而不是产品经理的办公室。
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)改变必须改变的，利用能够利用的。而且这些决策应基于市场上的信息，而不是企业内的信息。
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.
在营销这场游戏中，任何事物都不会长久不变。科技是其背后的主要原因。若想成功利用机会，你必须对这一变化保持敏感。
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.
现在即使像名字这样基本的东西都会导致企业遭受攻击。企业的名称可能地域性太强、太长、措辞过时、范围太狭窄、具有误导性、不容易记、不容易发音，或者让人联想起过去的失败。其中的任何一种情况都可能成为营销的负担。换句话说，在一开始你就会受到两方面的攻击。
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，你可能有个不错的企业名称，但有多个品牌、多个广告、多种形象，没有统一的企业形象，企业经营也没有一致的方向。换句话说，你没有选用自己最好的击球手击球。
Whatever your situation, before you can build a strong position you have to build a strong foundation.
不管遇到什么情况，在建立强势位置之前，你必须建立一个稳固的基础。
4) Establish your position and build a program around it that’s big enough to get noticed.
4）建立你的位置，广告要以此为核心。而且广告量要大，从而能够得到人们的注意。
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。市场上有太多的“跟风”产品和“跟风”企业，它们都在抢夺着顾客心智，得到人们的注意变得越来越难。
With this noise level you just have to be bold enough and consistent enough to get noticed.
在这样的噪音环境中，你必须要有足够的勇气和一致性，才能得到人们的注意。
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几个广告，但每个都要很有力。这听起来简单，但当企业越来越大时，他们的做法往往相反。他们通常会同时打多个广告，但每个都很无力。正是由于这种做法，很多高额广告预算都被打碎了，从而在今天的资讯风暴中变得毫无影响。
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是在报纸上打广告最多的企业之一。但你能回想起它最近做过的三个广告吗？你若能，那说明你不是它的员工就是它的竞争对手。
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.
以上四条原则仅仅是个开始。若能深入理解它们，我保证你能从这儿到达任何你想去的地方，且一路上会有不少出色的表现。
译于2012年10月王博
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译者简介：
王博，定位方向专家，十年来专注于定位方向的探究与界定； 2015年为飞鹤奶粉研究界定出“更适合中国宝宝体质”战略定位，助其实现强劲增长。
目前担任君智咨询高级分析师，曾任特劳特战略定位咨询公司高级客户经理。
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