漢譯英
寶潔創新機器的內情
寶潔(jie)首席(xi)執行官A.G.雷富禮給寶潔(jie)的創新過程添加(jia)了創造力和嚴謹。
在(zai)過去的(de)(de)(de)兩年中(zhong)(zhong)，保潔(jie)公司把(ba)它的(de)(de)(de)新(xin)產品(pin)命(ming)中(zhong)(zhong)率從(cong)70%提高到90%。這在(zai)寶(bao)(bao)潔(jie)所屬的(de)(de)(de)行(xing)業(ye)中(zhong)(zhong)非常了不起，據一(yi)家名(ming)為“信息資源(yuan)“的(de)(de)(de)市場調查(cha)公司的(de)(de)(de)研究，這個行(xing)業(ye)一(yi)半的(de)(de)(de)新(xin)產品(pin)的(de)(de)(de)壽命(ming)還不到一(yi)年。“我關注(zhu)寶(bao)(bao)潔(jie)18年了，” 德意志銀行(xing)的(de)(de)(de)分析(xi)員安德魯·肖說，“它現在(zai)的(de)(de)(de)業(ye)績前所未(wei)有的(de)(de)(de)好。”
內生增長(chang)，即企業(ye)不依(yi)靠(kao)并購(gou)，而是(shi)(shi)靠(kao)自身核心業(ye)務(wu)的(de)擴大(da)而獲得(de)的(de)增長(chang)，是(shi)(shi)寶(bao)潔轉(zhuan)變的(de)根基。根據雷富禮的(de)觀點，內生增長(chang)加強了企業(ye)的(de)創新能力。
大型(xing)企(qi)業(ye)普遍致力于創新(xin)，不斷發展其品牌，可口可樂，卡(ka)夫和聯合利華(hua)就是個例子。據波(bo)士頓咨詢公司最近對若干公司高管進行的(de)一項調查，超過(guo)三分之(zhi)二的(de)企(qi)業(ye)高管優(you)先考慮創新(xin)，但57%的(de)高管對創新(xin)的(de)投資(zi)回報感到不滿意。
拉(la)夫雷有一個大公司創新模型(xing)：
1. 保(bao)潔公(gong)司首席營銷官吉姆(mu)斯坦格爾已經不(bu)像過去那樣一來焦點小(xiao)組訪談(tan)這樣的傳統消費(fei)者調(diao)查手段了。
他(ta)說：“你無法(fa)(fa)從(cong)中得到(dao)任何有真實見(jian)(jian)解的意(yi)見(jian)(jian)。”他(ta)還說，寶(bao)潔和它的對手們(men)已經(jing)滿足(zu)了消費(fei)者較為明顯的需求(qiu)(qiu)，現在的機(ji)會僅在于(yu)滿足(zu)消費(fei)者們(men)尚無法(fa)(fa)表(biao)述清楚的需求(qiu)(qiu)。
所以(yi)，他(ta)(ta)要求營(ying)銷人(ren)員多花些時間在(zai)消費者家(jia)里，看看他(ta)(ta)們(men)如(ru)何(he)穿衣，如(ru)何(he)清潔地板，了解(jie)他(ta)(ta)們(men)的習(xi)慣(guan)和令他(ta)(ta)們(men)沮(ju)喪的事(shi)情(qing)。
2. 保潔公司(si)共有7500名研發人員，分布(bu)在(zai)9個(ge)國家。為(wei)了從如此廣大的地域手機反饋(kui)信(xin)息，公司(si)鼓勵員工把自(zi)己想到的問題貼到公司(si)內部網站(zhan)上。
拉(la)夫(fu)雷對員工們在網站上(shang)分享的(de)意見上(shang)進(jin)行評估，并在每個業(ye)務單位(wei)的(de)為期半(ban)天(tian)的(de)年度“創新回顧”會議上(shang)公開(kai)他自己的(de)研(yan)究結果。
3. 拉夫雷說，他(ta)的(de)目標是(shi)讓(rang)寶潔(jie)一半的(de)創新來(lai)自公司(si)外部，現(xian)在(zai)(zai)的(de)比例已(yi)從四年(nian)前(qian)的(de)20%上升到(dao)今天的(de)35%。他(ta)解釋說：“發明家在(zai)(zai)人(ren)口中是(shi)平均分布的(de)，因此不僅(jin)可(ke)以在(zai)(zai)我們的(de)實驗室里(li)得(de)到(dao)發明，在(zai)(zai)車庫里(li)也同樣(yang)可(ke)以得(de)到(dao)。
4. 寶(bao)潔(jie)從不未經市(shi)場(chang)測試就推出新產(chan)品。但消費者(zhe)試用非常耗時，這種時間上的(de)奢侈(chi)，對于寶(bao)潔(jie)高(gao)管們來說是越來越少了。
寶潔選美皇后蘇珊·阿諾德說：“我們沒有時間做(zuo)到事無(wu)巨細。這個行業的根基是潮流和時尚，必須靠直(zhi)覺。”
通過(guo)削(xue)減市場(chang)測(ce)試時間，寶潔把從(cong)實驗室研(yan)發(fa)到大批量投放市場(chang)的新品開發(fa)周期(qi)從(cong)原先的3年縮短到18個(ge)月。
5. 拉夫雷認為寶(bao)潔需要推銷(xiao)的不僅(jin)是產(chan)(chan)品本身，而且是消費者(zhe)對產(chan)(chan)品的體驗，包括產(chan)(chan)品的外形，氣味和使用時的感受。
三(san)年(nian)前，他在公司設(she)了一個設(she)計主管崗(gang)位(wei)，由資深女員工克勞(lao)迪婭·考奇(qi)卡(ka)擔任，直接接受他的(de)領導(dao)。原先，她(ta)手下(xia)的(de)設(she)計師(shi)僅僅設(she)計標識和(he)包裝，工作辛(xin)苦(ku)但默默無聞。
而現在，他(ta)們參與產品開發的(de)各個方(fang)面。公司(si)開發玉蘭油新生護膚系列產品時(shi)，他(ta)們就協助研制了配方(fang)和香型(xing)。
6. 為激(ji)勵增(zeng)長，有些(xie)公(gong)司為創新者提供(gong)豐厚的(de)(de)獎金或從(cong)公(gong)司聘請明星。雷富禮(li)從(cong)沒做(zuo)過這(zhe)樣的(de)(de)事。他說，他沒必要(yao)改變薪(xin)酬體系，無法和別人(ren)分(fen)享觀點的(de)(de)管理人(ren)員根本得不到提升。
他(ta)也采(cai)用適度的(de)(de)獎勵手段激勵基層(ceng)員工，比(bi)如他(ta)會(hui)給提出(chu)創造性(xing)的(de)(de)想法的(de)(de)員工50股的(de)(de)股票(piao)期(qi)權，并且在寶潔內部的(de)(de)網站(zhan)上為創新者慶祝。
參考譯文
A.G. Lafley, the CEO of Procter and Gamble, has brought a lot of creativity and rigor to P&G’s innovation process.
During the past 2years P&G has raised its new-product hit rate from 70% to 90%. That’s terrific in an industry where half of new products fail within 12 months, according to market research firm Information Resources. ‘In the 18 years that I’ve followed Procter,’ says Deutsche Bank analyst Andrew Shore, ‘I have never seen the company this good.’
Organic growth – meaning growth from core businesses, excluding gains from acquisitions – is at the root of P&G’s transformation. According to Lafley, organic growth strengthens a company’s ability to innovate.
Coke, Kraft and Unilever are just a few of the giants that are struggling to innovate and build the brands they already have. According to a recent Boston Consulting Group survey of senior executives, more than two-thirds say innovation is a priority, but 57% are dissatisfied with the returns on their innovation investments.
Lafley has a model for innovating in a big company:
Jim Stengel, Procter’s Chief Marketing Officer, has cut his reliance on focus groups – the conventional method for studying consumers.
‘You don’t really learn anything insightful,’ he says, contending that P&G and its rivals have already met consumers’ obvious needs and that today’s opportunities lie in meeting needs that consumers may not articulate.
So he has urged the marketers to spend lots of time with consumers in their homes, watching the ways they wear their clothes, clean their floors, and asking them about their habits and frustrations.
Procter and Gamble has 7500 R&D people located in nine countries. In order to collect feedback over this vast area, the company encourages employees to post problems on an internal website.
Lafley evaluates the ideas that have been shared between employees. Each year he presents his finding in half-day innovation reviews’ for each business unit.
Lafley says that his goal is to get half of P&G’s invention from external sources, up from 20% four years ago and about 35% today. ‘Inventors are evenly distributed in the population, and we’re as likely to find invention in a garage as in our labs,’ he explains.
It’s not the P&G way to put out a product without test-marketing it. But consumer testing takes time – a luxury that P&G executives increasingly don’t have.
Says Susan Arnold, P&G’s beauty queen: ‘We don’t have time to cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s. This business is trend-based and fashion-based. You have to be intuitive.’
By cutting down on test marketing, P&G has reduced product launch time from laboratory to roll-out from three years to eighteen months company-wide.
Lafley believes that P&G needs to market not just the product itself but the consumer’s experience of the product- how it looks, smells and feels.
Three years ago he added a head of design at P&G, a company veteran named Claudia Kotchka, who reports directly to him. Her designers used to labour in anonymity on logos and packaging.
But they are now deeply involved in all aspects of product development. For Olay Regenerist, they helped with the formulation and the fragrance too.
In an attempt to encourage growth, some companies offer fat bonuses for innovation or hire stars from outside. Lafley hasn’t done either of those things. He doesn’t need to revamp pay schemes, he says, noting that managers who fail to share ideas simply do not get promoted.
He does motivate the rank and file by giving out modest rewards, such as giving 50 stock options, for creative ideas and by celebrating innovators on P&G’s internal website.
