1989年后期管理大師史蒂芬R柯維發(fā)表了一本書，名為《高效能人士的七個習慣》。這本書成為了全球暢銷書，在全世界范圍被譯作40種語言，賣出了2500萬本。它是歷史上最有影響力的商業(yè)書籍之一。

In 1989, the late management guru Stephen R. Covey published his book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. An international bestseller with more than 25 million copies sold in 40 languages throughout the world, it is recognized as one of the most influential business books ever written.

鑒于這本書的廣泛知名度，很多人都讀過或者聽說過書中的一些理念。柯維提出的個人成功的原則適用范圍很廣：學生，高管，老板或者父母。這些基本的原則被視為永恒的，對個人發(fā)展和領導來說是一本必讀書籍。

With its widespread popularity, it is likely that most people have either read or heard of some of the concepts he defines. Covey’s principles of success for personal development have a nearly universal application—appealing to students, executives, business owners or parents. The fundamentals outlined are regarded as timeless, making the book a must-read for personal development and leadership.

作為一個思想開放的，品牌管理界的專業(yè)從業(yè)人員，你應該想想：這7個習慣在品牌管理方面是否借鑒意義？

Now, as an open-minded professional working in brand management, one might ask: What meaning or relevance might these 7 habits have in relation to branding?

這是我在寫這篇文章幾周前所思考的問題，最終促成了我對柯維的7個習慣的重新解讀。尚略上海品牌策劃公司請大家一定注意這些解讀僅僅是根據(jù)在品牌行業(yè)積累的經(jīng)驗而做出的。我不想宣稱這些原則是無可替代的，或者沒有別的原則可以超越它們了。我只希望和大家分享新的視角，或者稱之為向創(chuàng)新看齊的，指導性的品牌原則，無論是現(xiàn)在還是未來。

This was a question that I pondered for a few weeks prior to writing this article, which resulted in my reinterpretations of Covey’s original 7 habits. Do note that the interpretations are simply my ideas based upon accumulated experiences working in the branding industry. I do not profess to claim that these are the only set of habits to live by, or that there aren’t any more habits beyond these. My intent is to simply share a new perspective—a new twist—towards refreshed, guiding principles for branding excellence today and into the future.

習慣一： 積極主動>品牌活躍（Habit 1： Be proactive > Be Brandactive ）：

在如今競爭激烈且快節(jié)奏的市場，強勢的品牌適應變化并占據(jù)領導地位。有著品牌活躍習慣的從業(yè)人員可以阻止客戶停留在邊緣地帶。他們相信品牌周圍的環(huán)境，無論是外部因素，商業(yè)因素或是品牌起源，都無法決定其在市場的命運。他們負起責任并根據(jù)這些外部環(huán)境做出改變的決定最終實現(xiàn)更偉大的事業(yè)。我一位曾經(jīng)共事過的德國品牌顧問說過：“活躍的品牌是健康的品牌?！彼俚乜偨Y(jié)了這個習慣的精髓。很明顯世界上最健康的品牌是活躍的，他們能夠掌控自己的命運并超越降臨在他們周圍的環(huán)境因素。

In today’s hyper-competitive and fast-paced market, thriving brands take charge and adapt to change. A branding practitioner with the habit for being Brandactive prevents their clients from remaining on the side-line. They believe that the circumstances surrounding the brand—whether external forces, business factors or past origins—cannot determine its fate on the market. They take responsibility and make decisions to transform according to these circumstances and achieve something greater.

A Dutch brand consultant I once worked with said, “Active brands are healthy brands,” which succinctly captures the spirit of this habit. It’s apparent that the world’s most “healthy” brands are active—able to take charge of their own destiny beyond the circumstances that befall them.

習慣二：提前計劃結(jié)果>提前準備好經(jīng)驗（Habit 2：Begin with the end in mind > Begin with the experience in mind）

在柯維的書中他提到一個原則：“所有的事情都被創(chuàng)造了兩次” - 第一次，作為頭腦中的概念被創(chuàng)造出來。第二次在真實的世界中被真實表現(xiàn)出來。同樣地，通往高效品牌管理的道路始于品牌和股東頭腦中的經(jīng)驗，從消費者和合作者到社區(qū)和雇員。掌握了這個原則精華的品牌管理者將其銘記在心，通過直覺和分析來管理品牌，這是品牌中經(jīng)驗中的重點。

澄清問題始于提問:“我們想要一個什么樣的品牌？”式的股東的思考方式，時刻用他們的方式感受并和品牌互動。如今經(jīng)驗成為了品牌推廣游戲的核心所在，高效品牌營銷推廣的重點不是宏偉的任務宣言，復雜的商業(yè)戰(zhàn)略或是創(chuàng)新的渠道，而是把有著清晰愿景的經(jīng)驗作為品牌建設的指南針。

In Covey’s book, he states the principle that “All things are created twice”—first, in the mind as mental conception, and second, as manifestations in the physical world. Similarly, the road to effective branding begins with the desired experience in mind, between the brand and all of its stakeholders—from customers and partners to communities and employees. Brand managers grasping the full extent of this principle begin their branding endeavors with this in mind, using a mix of intuition and analytical prowess; it’s the “big picture” of the experiences that people ought to have with brands.

Clarity begins with asking the question, “How do we want a brand’s stakeholders to think, feel and interact at every moment they have with the brand?” With experiences being at the crux of today’s branding game, the journey towards effective branding does not begin with a grandeur mission statement, sophisticated business strategy or innovation pipelines, but with a clear vision of the experience—as the compass for all brand-building efforts—in mind.

習慣三：重要的事情優(yōu)先原則>集中精力在關鍵經(jīng)驗上（Habit 3：Put first things first > Focus on killer experiences first）

如果習慣二是品牌營銷推廣的第一個創(chuàng)新性應用，那么習慣三就是第二個。習慣三是關于品牌經(jīng)驗的實際操作。鑒于每個項目的時間和資金的限制性，如何更好的開始呢？在品牌推廣的語境下，柯維的重要的事情優(yōu)先原則應該是集中精力在對股東最有利的事情上。帕累托原則，即80/20原則，能更清楚的說明這個問題。這樣一來，你就可以提出這樣的問題：“能夠創(chuàng)造出80%的品牌推廣期望的結(jié)果是哪部分20%的經(jīng)驗？”

每個公司，每個行業(yè)，每個市場都會遇到不同的影響其財務績效的狀況。然而，高效的品牌推廣從業(yè)人員集中精力在對關鍵應用的深刻理解上，這些應用能夠讓消費者感到吃驚并取悅于他們。最終使品牌的股權(quán)利益最大化。

If habit #2 is the first creation of branding, then habit #3 is the second creation—the physical manifestation of the brand’s experience. Given that time and money limit just about every project we see, how can we best begin? Within the context of branding, Covey’s habit of “put first things first” is about focusing on the experiences that matter most to stakeholders. The Pareto principle, or 80/20 rule, can shed some more light on this matter. In so doing, one can ask this question, “What are the essential 20% experiences that can create the 80% of desired branding outcomes for us?”

Every company, industry and market encounter a different set of conditions that impact its financial performance, nevertheless, effective brand practitioners focus on a deep understanding of the killer applications that surprise and delight consumers, and ultimately maximize the brand’s equity.

習慣四：雙贏思維>雙贏設計（Habit 4：Think win/win > Design for win/win）

在如今的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)世界里，品牌絕不會孤立于人群，社會和環(huán)境之外而獨自存在。在做品牌建設戰(zhàn)略方面的決定時，僅僅站在商業(yè)角度的雙贏思維已經(jīng)不太可行了。而越來越多的品牌股東需要雙贏。無論是消費者，雇員或是外部合作者，期待品牌能更深思熟慮并不斷帶來互贏的呼聲越來越高。

對現(xiàn)在及未來的品牌營銷建設從業(yè)者來說，一方面思考品牌如何為股東之間帶來互贏，另外一方面通過品牌提案，產(chǎn)品和服務設計來設計更全面的雙贏結(jié)果。這兩者都是非常寶貴的。一旦他們能夠為互贏而設計，他們的品牌不僅將獲得商業(yè)層面的利益，而且會得到高忠誠度的用戶和大眾的欽佩。

Brands—in today’s interconnected world—never exist independently of people, society and the environment. When making decisions on brand-building strategies, it isn’t just more viable from a business point-of-view to think win/win, but increasingly, the brand’s stakeholders demandwin/win. Whether customers, employees or external partners, there is a growing voice that expects brands to be more thoughtful and generate mutual benefits at every turn.

With this in mind, it is valuable for brand practitioners of today and tomorrow to not only think of how their brands will achieve win/win with its stakeholders, but to sensibly design for more holistic win/win outcomes through their brand propositions, and product and service offerings. Once they can design for mutual benefits, their brands are set to reap the rewards not only in terms of business, but also with a strong loyalty and admiration.

習慣五：首先尋求去了解對方，然后爭取讓對方了解自己。> 首先尋求領會，再變得感性（Habit 5： Seek first to understand, then be understood > Seek first to empathize, then to be empathetic）

消費者面對的是源源不斷的大量選擇，品牌的忠誠度正在不斷下降。品牌如何吸引消費者？為了應用柯維的第五個習慣“首先尋求去了解對方，然后爭取讓對方了解自己。”，要知道擁有真正理解別人的能力，即共情力，對品牌推廣從業(yè)者來說是成功的核心。知名品牌創(chuàng)新者Dick Powell說過：“人類學先于工業(yè)出現(xiàn)?！睂ζ放频墓蓶|產(chǎn)生共情，他們是誰，他們需要什么，他們?yōu)槭裁醋鏊麄冊谧龅氖虑?，這些在給出品牌所需的解決方案之前就要知道。

不幸的是，共情在如今的大數(shù)據(jù)時代被用戶數(shù)據(jù)分析和消費模式分析所替代。盡管技術(shù)的進步使得獲取大量數(shù)據(jù)易如反掌，許多品牌創(chuàng)始人都不太清楚共情的真正含義。它不只是明確的消費習慣及其相關的數(shù)據(jù)，更應該是從另外的角度來看這個世界，感受這個世界。如今可能很難獲得忠誠度，但品牌如果能夠?qū)W會共情，把他們的股東當做伙伴看待，他們的股東也很有可能會用同樣的方式對待他們。

As consumers are faced with a never-ending slew of choices and brand loyalty levels are dwindling, how can brands better appeal to customers? In applying Covey’s 5th habit “Seek first to understand, then to be understood,” the ability to truly understand people—having empathy—will be at the heart of success for any branding practitioner. As the renowned design innovator Dick Powell says, “Anthropology comes before technology.” Empathizing with the brand’s stakeholders—who they are, what they need and why they do what they do—needs to come before the solutions that the brand seeks to offer.

Unfortunately, empathy in today’s digitally-connected world is often achieved via customer data profiling and analyzing behavioral patterns. Despite technological leaps in obtaining vast quantities of data, many brand builders tend to lose sight of what empathy really means—not just intelligence surrounding explicit behaviors, but seeing and feeling the world from another’s point of view. Loyalty might be hard to attain these days, but if brands can learn empathy and treat their stakeholders as fellow humans, it is more likely that their stakeholders will empathize in return.

習慣六：協(xié)調(diào)合作>協(xié)調(diào)合作來創(chuàng)新（Habit 6： Synergize > Synergize to innovate）

柯維的第六個習慣“協(xié)調(diào)合作”是關于“創(chuàng)造性合作，團隊合作，思想開放，為舊問題尋找新解決方法的冒險。”對于品牌營銷建設專家應該和其他股東合作來實現(xiàn)目標這方面來說，這些都是沒問題的。但是激發(fā)創(chuàng)意才應該是這個習慣的真正的魅力所在。創(chuàng)新是通過創(chuàng)造新價值帶來品牌成長的競爭優(yōu)勢。在這樣的背景下，協(xié)同合作是創(chuàng)新的催化劑。

協(xié)同的能力使我們重視差異性，擁抱創(chuàng)造性張力，辨認出時機，為品牌創(chuàng)造新價值。而且能夠“協(xié)調(diào)合作來創(chuàng)新”的品牌推廣從業(yè)者能夠擴大這個習慣的影響，以此來統(tǒng)一他們的組織和外部的有著共同目標的股東。

Covey’s 6th habit, “Synergize,” is about the principle of “creative cooperation, teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems.” While these are all valid in terms of how branding experts should collaborate with other stakeholders to achieve their goals, the aspect of stimulating innovation is perhaps where this habit’s true power lies. Innovation is the competitive edge that brings growth to the brand through creation of new value. Within this context, synergy is the catalyst for innovation.

The ability to synergize allows us to value differences, embrace the creative tensions that arise, identify opportunities and create value for the brand. Moreover, brand practitioners that “synergize to innovate” can extend the impact of this habit to unify their organization and external stakeholders with the common goal of innovating for the greater good of all.

習慣七：不斷更新>精通品牌推廣（Habit 7： Sharpen the saw > Pursue branding mastery）

第七個習慣“不斷更新”大概是前六個習慣的推進器。它是關于意識以及個人成長的不斷提高。那些想要成為這個領域中頂尖的3%的品牌推廣從業(yè)人員應該把這個習慣作為個人發(fā)展和專業(yè)領域發(fā)展的指南針。在任何領域，頂尖的3%收獲最多。而成為那頂尖的3%是關于追求精通的過程。第七個習慣向每個品牌推廣從業(yè)者提出問題：“為什么選擇這個行業(yè)，想要怎么玩這個品牌推廣的游戲？”它提供了一個全新的角度：從“我如何贏得這場品牌推廣游戲”的心態(tài)，到“我如何玩這場品牌游戲？”兩個問題都是關于成功的愿望，但是細微的差別是追求追求“優(yōu)秀的品牌”和“卓越地推廣品牌”。

一個高效的品牌營銷推廣從業(yè)者一定是充滿激情地精通專業(yè)知識的人。他們把卓越當成是通往偉大的必經(jīng)之路。并不斷在每日的品牌管理中提高自身標準來給公司和股東帶來更大的收益。

The 7th habit, “Pursue branding mastery,” is perhaps the energizer for all of the previous 6 habits. It is about mindfulness and continuously making improvements towards self-growth.

Brand practitioners that desire to be in the top 3% of their field would be wise to embrace this habit as part of their personal and professional development. In any field, it is typical that the top 3%  reap the greatest rewards. And to be in the top 3% is about pursuing the path of mastery. The 7th habit asks each brand practitioner why they have decided to be in the field, and how they would like to play in the “branding game.” It shifts them towards a new perspective: from the mindset of “How can I win this branding game?” to one of asking, “How can I play the branding game?” Both questions are about the desire for success, however, with subtle differences, it’s the difference between pursuing an “excellent brand” and “branding excellence.”

An effective brand practitioner is committed to pursuing branding mastery with passion and enthusiasm. They view excellence as the journey to greatness, always elevating their standards of how their brand should be managed on a daily basis for the betterment of the company and its stakeholders.

高效的品牌建設的習慣（The habits for effective brand building）

擁抱這些品牌營銷推廣習慣能夠得到更加卓越的品牌建設。此舉勢在必行，因為精通品牌推廣對每個人都將獲益匪淺。

Embracing these branding habits enables brand-building excellence. It is imperative that we make the decision to do so, as the journey to achieve brand mastery is one that is truly rewarding for everyone.

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