When Cool Goes Cold

"酷"变冷的时候

副题：Nike was a marketing¹ MVP. But with its image, brand and business under fire, a company and a CEO with a sense of mission are suddenly reeling.

耐克曾是销售业的"巨人"。随着其形象，品牌和生意受到的责难，耐克公司和它的身负使命感的首席行政官突然感觉到"霸主"地位不稳了。

[1]Phil Knight² doesn't speak in public very often. And when you hear from him these days, he doesn't sound happy. Talking to Wall Street analysts³ from his Oregon headquarters last week, the founder⁴ and head of Nike Inc. didn't mince『矫饰地讲；斯文地讲』words: "This is a dark day around these halls."

[1]菲尔·奈特不常在公开场合讲话。如果你最近能听他讲话，你会感觉到他的郁郁寡欢。这位耐克公司的创建人兼领导者在俄勒冈总部同一些华尔街分析家交谈时，十分坦率地谈到："目前正是本总部的阴暗时期。"

[2]Knight's problems would worry any CEO: a stock price that has slid to the $40s from the $70s, a plunge『猛跌；骤降』in profits and warehouses⁵『仓库 ；库房』full of shoes that aren't selling. Nike's two-year-long battle with critics『批评家；评论家』of its labor⁶ policies in Asia is heating up『加剧；激化；变得激烈』again: filmmaker Michael Moore features 『以……为主演』Nike in his new movie (sidebar) and, in an event stage-managed『布置舞台』by Nike but sure to generate 『产生』some unwelcome imagery『意象』, the company's pre-eminent『最有影响的』spokesman, Michael Jordan, plans to visit Far East factories this spring. The region is the source of more woe⁸『灾难；不幸』: Asia's economic slump⁹ has cut sales by 17 percent in recent months. But most critical is a price war that has sliced 『切开；割去』U. S. sales and is a sign that Nike's lock as the champion of "cool" may be weakening. Although Nike prides itself on technical innovation『改革；创新』losing its cool would be tantamount『相当于；等同于』to losing the game.

[2]任何总裁遇到奈特面临的难题都不能不发愁：股票价格由70多美元跌至40多美元；利润急剧下降；库房内堆满了卖不出的运动鞋。两年来，耐克公司一直与批评它在亚洲的雇工政策的人进行斗争，现在这一斗争再度白热化：电影人迈克尔·穆尔拍了一部以耐克公司为蓝本的新电影；该公司最有影响的发言人－迈克尔·乔丹－计划于今年春天去参观远东的耐克工厂。后面这一安排当然是耐克公司导演的，但却肯定会给人留下不愉快的印象。远东是个会带来更多烦恼的地区：亚洲的经济骤降使耐克公司近几个月的销售额减少了17％。但最重要的是，现在出现了一场价格战，而且耐克作为最"酷"的品牌地位可能正在削弱。尽管耐克以其技术的创新为荣，但是丢掉了"酷"也就相当于在这场竞赛中失败。

[3]Last week was particularly glum『闷闷不乐的；抑郁的』at Nike's headquarters in suburban¹⁰ Portland. Managers had warned of layoffs『临时解雇』but hadn't revealed『暴露；泄露』any names. On Wednesday, 250 employees were told to pack up『收拾行装』their desks, while stunned『使大吃一惊；使目瞪口呆』colleagues looked on.

[3]上周在波特兰郊区的耐克总部气氛尤其压抑。管理方警告说要临时解雇人员但是没有透露名单。周三，250名雇员被通知临时解雇，震动了其他的员工。

[4]At most corporate¹¹ offices, that scene, though painful, wouldn't be cataclysmic『激变的；大变动的』,but for Knight and his employees, even a setback『挫折；失败』bears the agony『痛苦；苦恼』of defeat. Nike rose about as high and fast in the '90s as any company can. It took on a new religion『信仰；信条』of brand consciousness『意识』and broke advertising¹² sound barriers with its indelible 『难以驱除的；持久的』Swoosh『疾风』, "Just Do It" slogan『标语；口号』and deified『将……奉若神明』sports figures. Nike managed the deftest『灵巧的；机敏的』of marketing tricks: to be both anti-establishment and mass『大众的；民众的』market, to the tune¹³ of $9.2 billion in sales last year.

[4]"使世界疾风化" 这种场面尽管令人痛苦，但在大多数公司都还算不上什么大灾难。但是，对奈特和他的雇员们来说，即使是一个小的挫折也包含着失败的痛苦。在90年代，该公司恢复了元气，其上升速度之快、上升地位之高，是任何别的公司所望尘莫及的。它树立起一种新的强烈的品牌意识，还用它那个给人印象深刻的"疾风"标志、它"说干就干"的口号以及一些被奉若神明的体育界人物打破了广告"音障"。耐克公司运用了最精明的营销策略：既反对正统，又面向大众。去年，它的销售额达到92亿美元。

[5]But Nike sees itself as part of a grander mission. Knight has often talked of sports as a force for good, and of Nike-named for a Greek goddess-as a force behind that good. "'Swooshi-fication 『使……化』of the world' should [really be] 'Sportsi-fication of the world'," he said last year. "We will mature『成熟』 with the inexorable『无法改变的；不可阻挡的』 penetration¹⁴『穿透力』of sports into the global psyche¹⁵."

[5]但是，耐克认为自己肩负着一项更伟大的使命一部分。奈特常说，体育是一种向"善"的力量；耐克－它是一以一位希腊女神的名字命名的－则是推动那种"善"的力量。他去年说过："'使世界疾风化'实际上应当是'使世界体育化'。我们将随着体育以不可阻挡之势深入全球心灵而逐渐成熟起来"

[6] Employees are recruited『雇佣；聘用』to share that mission『任务；使命』. They work and play hard, leaving a sizable 『相当大的』population of "Nike widows" and, presumably『据推测；想必』, widowers¹⁶. Some young sales people initiate『开始；创始』themselves with Swoosh tattoos¹⁷『纹身；刺花』. And besides the ubiquitous『到处存在的；普遍存在的』sports metaphors¹⁸『比喻』, Nike people talk about the "heart" and "soul" of Nike. "You didn't even talk about the stock price inside those halls," says a former employee. "That's not why you were there."

[6]耐克招聘员工是要他们来履行这一使命的。他们全身心地投入工作，留下一大批"耐克活寡妇"（大概也有活鳏夫）。 一些年轻的营销人员在加盟耐克时，以"疾风"标志纹身明志。耐克人除了总爱用体育字眼打比方以外，还常常谈论耐克"心"与耐克"魂"。一位前雇员说："在耐克大楼内，人们根本不谈论股票价格。你不是为那个而到该公司工作的。"

[7] For such believers, the harsh『严厉的；严酷的』criticism of Nike's labor practices has been a shock. When activists¹⁹ spurred『鼓励；鼓舞』new interest in foreign labor conditions in 1996,Nike was the perfect foil『陪衬物；陪衬者』.
[7]对于具有这种信念的人来说，耐克的雇工政策受到猛烈抨击是一种很大的震动。当一些积极行动分子于1996年引起人们对外国劳工状况的新的关注之后，耐克公司成了一个极好的靶子。

[8]Nike's bigger problem is a 1990s marketing conundrum²⁰『难题』: can you be big and cool? When Teenage Research Unlimited²¹ did its latest survey『调查；民意测验』, 40 percent of kids named Nike as one of the "coolest" brands, down from 52 percents just six months ago. Kim Hastreiter of Paper, a New York magazine, says that the coolest things around now are brilliantly『灿烂地；出色地』colored suede²² sneakers『仿麋皮运动鞋』by New Balance. Even Adidas, torpedoed『使彻底完蛋；破坏』by Nike and Reebok in the '80s, is staging a comeback..

[8]还是最"酷"吗？ 奈特面临的更大的问题是90年代的营销这个大难题：销售量很大的东西也能"酷"吗？青少年研究所的最新调查表明，40％的孩子认为耐克是最"酷"的品牌之一，而仅6月以前的这个数字是52％。纽约一家杂志的记者金·哈斯特雷特说，眼下最"酷"的是"新平衡"牌色彩鲜艳的仿麂皮运动鞋。就连在80年代被耐克和锐步打下去的阿迪达斯也在卷土重来。

[9]Knight acknowledges『承认』the challenge. "We have to be beautiful as well as big," It's no mean feat⁷『功绩；业绩』, says Scott Bedbury, former global ad chief for Nike. The "Worst-case scenario²³『事态；局面』would be to become Microsoft," says Kevin Keller, a marketing professor at Duke. Best case: be like Coca-Cola. "They're everywhere, but no one seems to resent『愤慨；怨恨』them for it."
[9]奈特承认存在着挑战。他说："我们的产品必须又多又漂亮。"耐克公司全球业务前负责人斯科特·贝德伯里说，要做到这一点谈何容易。杜克大学销售学教授凯文·凯勒说?quot;最糟糕的情况是成为像微软那样的公司。"最好的情况是像可口可乐那样。"它们无处不在，但好像没有谁因此对它们不满。"

[10] One answer is to play down『贬低，降低重要性』the Swoosh, and some Nike watchers say it will do just that. Nike is marketing new products, including its ACG (All Condition Gear) line for hiding and outdoor styles.
[10]一个办法是别再突出它的"疾风"标志。一些观察耐克动向的人说，它正要这样做。现在耐克公司正在销售一些新产品，其中包括旅游鞋和户外运动鞋－推出的ACG（全天候运动鞋）系列。

[11]Nike's genius『天资；才能』has been its "strong, intuitive『直觉的；有直觉力的』sense" of the brand, says Keller. But with the loss of some of Nike's top marketers in the last few years, he wonders if the newer people can "tap into" that understanding, "almost a genetic『基因的；遗传的』code."
[11]凯勒说，耐克的过人之处在于它对品牌的"直觉"。但是，在过去几年中失去了几位营销高手之后，他怀疑新上来的人能不能获得那样的理解力－"那简直是一种遗传密码"。

[12]Nike's ace²⁴ in the hole『密藏的王牌；应急手段』is Knight himself. Charismatic『有魅力的；有吸引力的』and down to earth, Knight still lives in the house he bought 25 years ago. "He's the kind of guy who leans in when you talk," says Blumenauer. Knight's deep passion『热情；恋情』for Nike means he will fight hard for it. "I've always thought that Phil has three children-two sons and a brand," says Bedbury. "Never underestimate『低估；估计不足』a father's love of a child."
[12]耐克公司最厉害的王牌还是奈特本人。奈特既有感召力，又谦逊朴实。他至今仍住在他25年前买下的房子里。布鲁梅瑙尔说："他是那种肯认真听你讲话的人。"奈特对耐克公司一往情深，这意味着他会为它而努力奋战。贝德伯里说："我向来觉得，菲尔有三个孩子－两个儿子加上一个品牌。人们决不要低估了一位父亲对孩子的爱。"

【额外成就感】
The lawyer's ace in the hole was a secret witness who had seen the accident.
（那律师手中的一张王牌是目击那次事件的一个秘密证人。）
He knows something about the boss-that is his ace in the hole.
(他了解老板的一些事情，那是他应急时要打出的王牌。)
They underestimated the difficulty of the task.
(他们低估了任务的艰巨性。)
Never underestimate your enemy.
（永远不要低估你的敌人。）