《董事会里的战争》书评

为“企业大脑”寻求平衡的支点

为“企业大脑”寻求平衡的支点在企业中，董事会的作用重大。更多的时候人们将董事会比喻成为企业的大脑，成为企业宏观决策和微观事务的决定者。所以，“企业大脑”的运转状况将直接关系到企业的发展状况，那些成功的企业并非天然由于“企业大脑”的运转俱佳，只有那些经久不衰的企业才能称得上是“企业大脑”运转良好的典范。被誉为“定位之父”的营销大师艾•里斯《董事会里的战争》（机械工业出版社，2013年8月）无疑就是这样的一个最好诠释，他试图让企业家明白一个简单的道理：在企业中，唯有“左脑”和“右脑”平衡，才能最终走向卓越，否则，残缺的“企业大脑”最终会将企业引入歧途。传统的企业中，习惯于“左脑”式思维，即管理思维占据主导地位，认为企业只要处理好效率问题和内部管理即可成为卓越的企业。而对于“右脑”式思维，即营销思维往往是忽略甚至不屑一顾。而从实际的运作中看，这些只重视“左脑”而忽视“右脑”的企业尽管曾经辉煌过，但无一例外走向了衰亡，这其中就包括美国三大汽车以及松下、日立等以“精益”管理著称的日本企业。之所以如此，作者一阵见血地指出，对于企业来说处理好内部管理和效率提升很重要，但更为重要的处理好企业与外部产业的关系和未来的发展战略，这恰恰是营销不能缺少的因素。而正是因为这些企业缺乏“右脑”思维模式，直接导致对企业营销和战略的忽视。既然企业董事会作为“企业大脑”要进行不同的思维模式，“左脑”还是“右脑”是一个选择，在其背后乃是管理思维和营销思维的争辩。该书又以详实的案例剖析了在管理思维和营销思维上的25种区别，以细节的形式对管理思维和营销思维进行对比。从企业发展的生命周期比较两种思维的利弊关系，指出在董事会的运作过程中，两种思维模式各自存在着的优势和劣势，努力为处于不同发展时期的企业找寻一条合适自身发展的思维模式。当然，无论哪一种发展模式，对于任何企业来说都属于两种思维平衡的模式，而绝非割裂两者关系的模式，这样的结论对于美国本土企业意义非凡，其实对于中国的企业也无不是一种积极的影响。健全而平衡的“企业大脑”乃是每个企业所面临的首要问题，“左脑”和“右脑”的思维可以掣肘，可以争辩，更可以演习，但是从书中所列举的25种区别来分析，唯有平衡两种思维模式才是唯一的出路，即不能因为“左脑”管理思维的侧重就被忽视，更不能因为“右脑”营销思维的倾斜就被看轻。当企业出现问题的时候，需要有效预防的就是观察那些经典企业的范式，比如可口可乐和宝洁。从现实的企业身上学习到“企业大脑”平衡的企业哲学，为企业最终走向卓越做好最佳铺垫。（文/王传言）

各章要点总结（看完这个就不用看书了，哈哈）

Chapter 1: Reality vs. PerceptionManagement deals in reality. Facts, figures, charts and numbers. Management acknowledges the importance of perception, but believes that perception is just a reflection of reality. If you change the reality, you change the perception.Marketing deals in perception. What matters to marketing people are not the “facts” of a situation but what’s in the mind of the consumer which may or may not correspond with reality. Changing reality is easy; changing perceptions is exceedingly difficult.Chapter 2: Product vs. BrandManagement concentrates on the product. Management believes that nothing matters except the product. Building a better product is the objective of most chief executives.Marketing concentrates on the brand. Marketing knows that you don’t win with a better product; you win with a better brand.Chapter 3: Brand vs. CategoryManagement wants to own the brand. Management has jumped on the branding bandwagon and fallen in love with their brands. They keep looking for ways to take advantage of their brands by moving them into new categories.Marketing wants to own the category. Consumers are in love with categories but express their category choices in terms of brands. The brand is the visible face of the category. If the category dies so does the brand.Chapter 4: Better vs. DifferentManagement demands better products. Management has jumped on the branding bandwagon and fallen in love with their brands. They keep looking for ways to take advantage of their brands by moving them into new categories.Marketing demands different products. Leaders are created by brands that are first in a new category. To create a new category and to be perceived as the innovator and leader, you have to think different not better.Chapter 5: Full Line vs. Narrow LineManagement favors a full line. Common sense suggests that a full line of products and services allows you to sell more that if you had a narrow line.Marketing favors a narrow line. Selling is the second step in a marketing program. The first step is building a brand in the mind. Building a brand with a full line can be difficult because you don’t stand for anything.Chapter 6: Expansion vs. ContractionManagement tries to expand the brand. Growth is the number one goal of management. Logic suggests a company needs to expand its product line to continue that growth.Marketing tries to contract the brand. In order in grow in profits, if not in sales, companies need to contract the brand rather than expand it. It may not sound logical but it works.Chapter 7: First Mover vs. First MinderManagement strives to be the “ first mover.”The first mover advantage is one of the most debated strategies in business. Moving first doesn’t guarantee your brand will get into the mind first. Managers often let opportunities slip through their fingers by failing to stay focused.Marketing strives to be the “ first minder.” In a new category the first brand that gets into the consumer’s mind is almost always the winner. Getting into the mind requires an understanding of consumer psychology as well as patience since it can take time to change minds.Chapter 8: Big Bang vs. Slow Takeoff.Management expects a “ big-bang ” launch. The enduring myth is that a new brand has to take off in a hurry (if it’s going to become a big brand.) This myth leads management to devote enormous resources to big-bang product introductions.Marketing expects a slow take-off. Marketing intuitively knows that the more revolutionary the concept, the longer it is going to take to gain acceptance. And you can’t accelerate the process with massive marketing expenditures.Chapter 9: Center vs. the Ends.Management targets the center of the market. Management believes that if you want to build a big brand, then you need to target your products and services to the heart or sweet spot in the center of the market.Marketing targets one of the ends. Marketing knows that the center or mushy middle is not the best place to be. The reality is that every category tends to diverge into two separate categories, one at the low end and one at the high end.Chapter 10: Everything vs. a WordManagement would like to own everything. Management doesn’t want to get locked into a single word or concept since they want to appeal to everybody. Management is focused on delivering good experiences that consumers will remember.Marketing would like to own a word. Marketers want to supply a single word that sums up the brand experience. Without associating a word with the brand, there is no way for a consumer to file the brand in the mind.Chapter 11: Verbal Abstractions vs. Visual HammersManagement deals in verbal abstractions. Management loves abstract slogans. Managers often elevate language until their words lose their meaning to the average person.Marketing would like to own a word. Marketers want to supply a single word that sums up the brand experience. Without associating a word with the brand, there is no way for a consumer to file the brand in the mind.Chapter 12: Single Brands vs. Multiple BrandsManagement prefers a single brand. In an over-communicated society, it makes sense to put all your sales and marketing resources behind a single brand. And research supports the idea that consumers initially prefer known-brands to unknown brands.Marketing prefers multiple brands. Growth is best achieved with multiple brands. Marketing knows that new names might not test well but are the key to building strong brands and dominating new categories.Chapter 13: Cleverness vs. CredentialsManagement values cleverness. Advertising that is interesting, appealing, clever and new is what management looks for when they evaluate advertising campaigns.Marketing values credentials. Advertising that is relevant, motivating, familiar and consistent is what consumers look for when they are exposed to advertising campaigns.Chapter 14: Double Branding vs. Single BrandingManagement believes in double branding. If one brand is good, then two must be better, thinks management. A logical conclusion that can undermine a brand.Marketing believes in single branding. Double-branding is resisted by marketing because consumers when given a choice will invariably use one name instead of two. Putting two names on a brand only confuses consumers.Chapter 15: Perpetual Growth vs. Market MaturityManagement plans on perpetual growth. Targets and stretch goals are set and never-ending growth is demanded and assumed to be possible.Marketing plans on market maturity. Never-ending growth is mathematically impossible. Sooner or later a mature brand reaches an optimum point where further growth can only come from population growth and inflation.Chapter 16: Killing vs. Building Categories.Management tends to kill new categories. A developing new category is a threat to an existing brand so management tries to put the kibosh on any potential new category from forming.Marketing tends to build new categories. The best hope for a new company to compete with its larger competitors is by introducing a new brand that defines an emerging new category.Chapter 17: Communication vs. PositioningManagement wants to communicate. The assumption is that a company sends the consumer an advertising message which the consumer listens to and believes.Marketing wants to position. Advertising is about positioning not communications. What the best advertising does is to establish and reinforce a unique position in the mind.Chapter 18: Long Haul vs. Short HaulManagement wants customers for the long haul. The goal is to create customers for life. The assumption is that a company will continue to change its products and services in order to satisfy the customer as he or she grows up.Marketing is happy with a short-term fling. The goal is to keep the brand strong and focused even if that means letting customers go if they outgrow the brand.Chapter 19: Coupons: Love them vs. Loath themManagement loves coupons and sales. For logical, rational thinkers, coupons seem like a no-brainer. Redemption rates and ROI are easily calculated.Marketing loathes coupons and sales. Sales and coupons do two things neither of which are good. They tell your customers your regular prices are too high and not to buy from you again until you run a sale. Like crack cocaine, the highs of a sale can only be repeated by another sale.Chapter 20: The Same vs. The OppositeManagement tries to copy the competition. The assumption is there is only one best strategy. Therefore a company can win by using the same strategy and then doing it better than the competition.Marketing tries to be the opposite. There is no one best strategy. The best strategy all depends on the competition. The way to beat a market leader is not by copying its strategy but by using the opposite strategy.Chapter 21: Existing Name vs. New NameManagement hates to change a name. When things go wrong, the last thing management blames is the name itself. It is always the fault of the product, the service, or the price.Marketing often welcomes a name change. The most important marketing decision you can make is what to name the product. It is exceeding difficult to hang a positive perception on a negative name. The best way to deal with a bad name is to get rid of it.Chapter 22: Constant Innovation vs. Sporadic InnovationManagement is bent on constant innovation. Management has elevated innovation to be the level of strategy and perhaps the single most important function of a corporation. Marketing is happy with just one. Early on, innovation can help a company build a brand. But when a category matures, the opportunities for innovation generally dry up. Most brands don’t need more innovation; they need to figure out what they stand for.Chapter 23: Multimedia: Hot vs. NotManagement has the hots for multimedia. Every time a new medium arrives, management thinks, What a great opportunity to extend our brand.Marketing is not so sure. What looks like an opportunity usually turns out to be a line extension that leads to a loss of focus. The most successful brands in any new medium are new brands not crossovers from existing media.Chapter 24: Short Term vs. Long TermManagement focuses on the short term. If you make your quarters, you’ll make your year. Management puts everything into its core brand no matter how many line extensions it takes, a strategy that may work today but which will undermine the brand in the future.Marketing focuses on the long term. Sometimes you have to take one step backwards to take two steps forward. Marketing is a long-term proposition in which a new strategy can take years to bear fruit. Keep the core brand focused and deal with tomorrow by launching new brands.Chapter 25: Common Sense vs. Marketing SenseManagement counts on common sense. Management approaches every situation in a sane, sensible way. Their emphasis is always on the product and the execution.Marketing counts on marketing sense. The more experience a marketing person has the more he or she realizes that common sense is usually wrong. Often the illogical, uncommonsense “marketing idea” produces the best results.

罗列了大量排比来做章节，却无法解决实质问题

提出了很多重复的现象，却没有一套knowhow来解决问题。其中，不时穿插的作者的自我吹擂让人印象负分。不太推荐大家去读这本书，因为根本找不到答案。浪费了三个小时快速阅读的时间。现在很少有所谓的管理派能够压倒营销派的例子了，更多的是分工合作，股东们也不会允许一家独大