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Retail Redesign 奥运金牌的运动品牌

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（译注：直译为零售的治疗）

A Chinese superstar athlete and an American design firm join forces  中国明星运动员和美国设计公司携手合作打造江山

Li Ning, the man, is a hero in China – the gymnast who snagged six medals, including three gold, at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and thus helped launch a national surge that reached its height last summer when China won more gold than any other country.

李宁堪称中国的英雄人物，这位体操明星曾在一九八四年的洛杉矶奥运夺下六面奖牌，其中包括了三面金牌，有助带动全国风起云涌的运动风潮，并在二００八年夏季迈向巅峰，使主办国中国在北京奥运中成了囊括最多金牌的国家。

Li Ning, the company, is China’s biggest domestic maker of athletic footwear and sports apparel. This year, it’s set to rake in over $1 billion from more than 6,300 stores across the country. In the next four years, it plans to add 3,000 more. And to top it off, the company is now undergoing a major overhaul that, with the help of the American consultancy Ziba Design, just might prime it for its ultimate goal: becoming an international name. “We want Li Ning to be a globally recognized brand,” says Li, who founded the company in 1990 because he wanted Chinese athletes to be able to wear a Chinese label. “This is our real asset, and building it up is our long-term commitment.”

李宁体育用品公司是中国规模最大的运动鞋和运动服本土厂商，二００九年预计透过全国各地超过六千三百家分店赚进超过十亿美元，而之后的四年中，还计划再开三千家分店。最棒的是（译注：top it off可以指最糟糕的事或最棒的事，此指后者），该公司如今正进行大改造，希望能藉助美国顾问公司席伯设计（Ziba Design）之手，作好万全准备以达到公司的终极目标：也就是成为国际品牌。「我们希望李宁能成为备受国际认可的品牌，」李宁表示，他因为希望中国的运动选手也能穿着中国本土品牌的衣着，于是在一九九０年创办了这家企业，「这就是我们真正的资产，而持续增长壮大则是我们长程投入的目标。」

A shift in identity  改头换面

That’s where Ziba comes in. Based in Portland, Oregon, Ziba is the 110-person firm behind such innovation milestones as HP’s first flat-panel PC monitor and Microsoft’s first ergonomic keyboard. And for the past two years, it’s been hard at work helping Li Ning remake itself. Everything from the company’s product line and store interiors to its visual identity and even its logo are going under the knife. But Ziba is also helping Li Ning learn to think of itself as a global company, which is no small thing for an operation that’s been almost exclusively focused on the domestic market. “Defining the problem,” says Ziba founder Sohrab Vossoughi. And for Li Ning, “The problem, and goal, was to create a world-class design competency.”

这也是席伯介入之处，共有一百一十名员工、总部设在美国奥瑞冈州波特兰的这家公司，是一些堪称划时代里程碑的创新产品的幕后推手，包括惠普公司首款平板式个人计算机监视器，和微软第一款人体工学键盘，都是其杰作。近两年来，席伯正积极协助李宁公司改头换面，从公司的生产线，乃至于店内装潢设计、视觉识别，甚至连商标本身，都可能被动刀改造。不过，席伯同时也协助李宁学习把自己视为一家全球性的企业，而这对于一家几乎完全锁定国内市场的公司来说，其实并不是件简单的事。「一语道破问题，比解决问题更重要，」席伯创办人索拉伯．沃苏吉如此透露。而对李宁来说，「问题所在，也正是我们的目标，那就是培养出世界级的设计能力。」

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join forces 联合以达到共同的目的; 协力

gymnast [ˋdʒɪmnæst] n. 体操运动员

snag [snæg] v. 抓住; 夺下 Informal to catch unexpectedly and quickly

surge [sɝdʒ] n.（感情的）高涨，澎湃

domestic [dəˋmɛstɪk] adj. 国家的；国内的  (引申为本土的) relating to a person’s own country

rake [rek] v.（用耙）耙

to top it off  更有甚者, 更重要的是; 最棒的事 and the best thing is

overhaul [͵ovɚˋhɔl] n. 彻底检修，大修

consultancy [kənˋsʌltənsɪ] n. 咨询公司，顾问服务公司

prime [praɪm] v. 使准备好 to prepare (for operation)

build something up 使...健康或强壮; 逐步获得(或发展、增加、增强)某事物 to develop, accumulate, or increase something, such as wealth, business, goodwill, etc

ergonomic [͵ɝgəˋnɑmɪk] adj. 符合人体工学的  designed or arranged in a way that is most comfortable, efficient and safe for the user

no small thing 并非小事; 并不是件简单的事 not easy

competency [ˋkɑmpətənsɪ] n. 能力素质；资格

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Before Li Ning could become a global player, it had to reclaim its home turf: In 2002, despite Li Ning’s double-digit growth, both Nike and Adidas surpassed the company in Chinese market share. And they’ve been gaining since. “When that happened,” says Zhang Zhiyong, Li Ning’s CEO, “we realized that revenue is not the most important thing for a company. It’s product and brand innovation – a design strategy, not just designs.”

在李宁公司成为国际性企业之前，必须先收复自家地盘的失土才行；二００二年，虽然李宁公司有两位数的成长，但耐吉和爱迪达的中国市场市占率却都超越了李宁，而且此后就一直有强劲的表现。「这个现象发生之后，」李宁首席执行官张志勇表示，「我们发现，一家企业最重要的事并不是营收，而是产品和品牌创新──不只要有设计而已，还要有设计策略才行。」

The real thing  真材实料

As it happened, the Chinese company’s quest for authenticity began with hiring an American design firm that had worked with Nike in the past. But Li Ning had a not-so-secret weapon that neither Nike nor Adidas could ever claim: Lin himself.

结果是，这家中国企业对正宗品牌形象的追求，就从聘请过去曾和耐吉合作的一家美国设计公司开始。不过，李宁公司还有一个非秘密的武器，是耐吉和爱迪达都无法声称拥有的：那就是李宁本人。

“They have a heritage to be uniquely differentiated in the industry,” says Ziba account director Lili Yeo. They also have a ready market. “Although they have many choices, deep in their hearts, we think Chinese consumers are looking for a Chinese brand they can be proud of,” says Li.

「李宁公司还承袭了一个业界中独特区隔的市场，」席伯客户总监莉莉．叶奥如此透露。此外，该公司也拥有现成的市场，「虽然中国消费者有很多选择机会，但我们认为，在他们内心深处，还是想找个引以为傲的中国品牌，」莉莉．叶奥指出。

Cultural connection  文化上的关连

Ziba found a subtle yet profound difference in the way these Chinese and their Western peers view the role of sports in their lives. “You seldom hear people saying ‘I’m a bowler,’ or ‘I’m a football player,’” says Jeremy Kaye, Ziba’s creative director, adding that Li Ning had been working under the opposite paradigm, or “the Nike model.” The reality, Ziba determined, was that the Chinese see sports as movement and movement as part of their day-to-day lives. “It’s the kid who bikes to school, plays a quick game of pickup, does his homework, and sees a movie with his girlfriend,” says Kaye. At the same time, Ziba saw an emphasis on a desire among young Chinese to find what’s right for them based on who they are right now, versus who they aspire to be or might later become.

席伯公司发现，对于运动在生活中所扮演的角色，中国人和西方人的看法有着微妙但巨大的差异。（中国人很少用自己擅长的运动来归类自己，）「你很少会听到人们说，『我打保龄球』，或『我踢足球』，」席伯创意总监杰若米．凯伊指出，他也补充说，李宁过去一直依循着相反的典范，也就是「耐吉模式」。席伯分析，事实是中国人把运动视为一种移动，而移动原本就是日常生活的一部份。「例如孩子骑自行车去上学，和大家玩一场速战速决的即兴比赛，做功课，和女朋友去看电影（译注：这孩子不断移动的过程从事了各种活动，由于这些都是移动中的状态，因此他身上也就穿同一套衣服，而不像西方人可能会换穿各种不同的衣着来从事不同的活动），」凯伊表示。在此同时，席伯也发现中国青年人愈来愈想找到符合自己目前本来面貌的东西，而非他们所向往或之后可能会变成的样貌所适合的事物。

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reclaim [rɪˋklem] v. 试图取回

turf [tɝf] n.【美】【俚】地盘；势力范围

authenticity [͵ɔθɛnˋtɪsətɪ] n. 真实性; 可靠性  the quality of being real or true

heritage [ˋhɛrətɪdʒ] n. 命中注定的东西; 遗产; 世袭财产; 传承

subtle [ˋsʌt!] adj. 微妙的，难捉摸的

bowler [ˋbolɚ] n. 玩保龄球的人

determine [dɪˋtɝmɪn] v. 确定; 查明

pickup [ˋpɪk͵ʌp] n. 即兴玩的游戏或比赛(如篮球、足球等都可以玩) an impromptu game composed of or involving whatever people are available

versus [ˋvɝsəs] prep. 与…相对; 与…相比 as opposed to; in contrast with

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Image overhaul  形象大改造

In the end, however, Li Ning’s overhaul goes beyond redesigning stores and sneakers for the Chinese market. Instead, it aims to steer the company away from China’s reigning culture of imitation and toward one of authentically creative, original ideas and products. If Ziba and Li Ning can manage to translate that message into a language that can be understand across the Pacific, the new company could become the global force it hopes to be.

不过，最终李宁公司的大改造仍不只是为中国市场重新设计店面和运动鞋而已，而是希望能逐步引导公司远离中国甚嚣尘上的模仿风气，并朝向具有正宗创意的原创点子和产品来发展。如果席伯和李宁能成功地把这个讯息转换成太平洋地区各国都能了解的语言的话，那么他们所催生的新企业就有可能如愿成为国际性大厂。

“Anything is possible”  「一切皆有可能」

Of course, the challenges ahead are not lost on anyone, and they run deeper than the usual implementation, logistics and corporate-culture banalities. It’s unclear, for example, whether Ziba’s product design guidelines will be enough to produce the blockbusters the industry demands. Moreover, in preparing itself for an international move, Li Ning is in many ways banking on the idea that a Chinese trademark might one day have the luster to capture the hearts and minds of consumers abroad. Yet as everyone knows, Brand China rarely gets the benefit of the doubt these days. Even many Chinese assume that Li Ning’s “Anything is possible” slogan is a rip-off of Adidas’s “Impossible is nothing” – despite the fact that the former predates the latter by two years.

当然，大家也不是不知道未来即将面对的挑战，而这些挑战可不只是一般的执行、物流管理和企业文化这类平凡琐碎的事情。举例来说，目前还不清楚席伯的产品设计方针是否足以打造出业界所需的一鸣惊人的产品。此外，李宁准备朝国际市场进军之际，就许多层面来说仍然是指望中国商标有朝一日能有足够魅力来吸引海外消费者的青睐。不过，大家都知道，近来中国品牌几乎都被拿来和问题产品划上等号（译注：指外界在未有充足证据之前就假定中国产品有问题）。甚至还有很多中国人以为李宁「一切皆有可能」的广告语是模仿自爱迪达的「没有不可能」（Impossible is nothing）──而其实前者比后者早问世两年。

Still, let’s not forget that “Made in Japan” once also implied “cheap knockoff.” And don’t underestimate Li Ning’s determination to become an international presence. In some ways, it has no choice. “Li Ning users expect us to become an international brand,” says Zhang, the CEO. In other words, the company had better go global if it wants to stay competitive at home, and it even has a time frame for accomplishing that. “We have a vision,” Zhang says. Within the next decade, “we want to be one of the top five sports brands worldwide.” To borrow a phrase from the other side of the ocean, they might just do it.

不过，别忘了「日本制造」过去也曾一度意味着「廉价的冒牌货」，而且李宁公司打进国际市场的决心也不容小觑，就某些层面而言，该公司其实别无其他选择。「李宁的爱用者期盼我们能成为国际品牌，」首席执行官张志勇表示。换句话说，李宁公司如果想要在本土市场保持竞争力，就非走国际路线不可，而事实上该公司还为了达成这个目标而设定了时间表。「我们有愿景，」张志勇表示，在未来十年内，「我们希望能成为全球五大运动品牌之一，」借用隔海的另一个口号来说，他们的确可能办到（译注：Just do it为耐吉的广告语，this side of the ocean指这篇文章作者所在的美国，耐吉为美国品牌）。

−by Aric Chen

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reigning [ˋrenɪŋ] adj. 盛行的，占优势的

be lost on 对…不起作用, 不能引起…的注意 to have no effect or influence on

implementation [͵ɪmpləmɛnˋteʃən] n. 实施; 实践; 执行   the act of putting a plan or system into operation

banality [bəˋnælətɪ] n. 平庸；陈腐

bank on 寄希望于 to expect or rely with confidence on

rip-off【俚】剽窃 the act of stealing or cheating

predate [priˋdet] v. 在日期上早于

knockoff [ˋnɑkˋɔf] n.（售价低廉的）冒牌服装；名牌仿制品

time frame  时间范围; 期限

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rake in 大捞一把, 大赚一笔 to acquire quickly a large amount of something

go under the knife <口>动手术，开刀接受手术 to have surgery; to undergo a big change

home turf 本土市场 the area which a group considers its own

quest [kwɛst] n. 追求；探索 a long search for something that is difficult to find, or an attempt to achieve something difficult

peer [pɪr] n.（地位，能力等）同等的人；同辈 a person who is the same age, or has the same social position or the same abilities, as other people in a group

paradigm [ˋpærə͵daɪm] n. 范例, 模范 a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something

aspire [əˋspaɪr] v. 向往; 渴望 to have a strong desire to achieve or possess something

luster [ˋlʌstɚ] n. 荣耀，荣光; 光泽；光辉；光彩 the quality of being attractive or special

the benefit of the doubt  在未证明某人是否有过失或某种情况是否属实以前假定某人无过失或某种情况属实，无罪推定（指在没有证据之前，先假定某人无罪或相信某人的清白）accepting what people say as true although it is not certain

imply [ɪmˋplaɪ] v. 暗示；意味着 to suggest something without saying it directly

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