英语翻译5.2.Take a long-term perspectiveBranding is an exercise

英语翻译5.2.Take a long-term perspectiveBranding is an exercise in patience.Most brands take a long time to build,and a long time to die.Reviving a brand is also a long-term initiative,typically taking more than a year or two.This is a challenge in a corporate system which rewards managers based on short-term performance,often measured on a quarterly or annual basis.A long-term perspective is imperative,however,even if that means taking losses in the interim.This vision then has to be followed by a well-thought-out strategy,and its execution.The brand revitalization process can be kick-started by addressing the causes of the decline; understanding the brand's promise—and why it may have failed to maintain its relevance; adjusting this,if necessary; and educating the market about it.When Blockbuster was under attack by Netflix it was easy to see that the movie rental industry environment had changed to a market that was relying increasingly on the Internet,and Blockbuster had to adjust to this in order to thrive in the market.This meant redefining its existing offering with a long-term perspective.Toward this end,Blockbuster closed unprofitable stores that were in close proximity to others.It then used its profitable physical store locations to benefit its Total Access online rental program,which had a more promising future.Total Access subscribers were given the option of either mailing back a rented movie,or dropping it off at the local store in return for a free movie rental.Blockbuster invested heavily in the program and saw favorable results:subscribers increased in number from approximately 3 million in 2006 to 4 million in 2007,although still trailing Netflix's subscriber base of about 7 million.The online program comprised 10.4% of Blockbuster's total movie rental revenue in 2007,compared to 4.9% in the prior year.Finally,the Total Access program also helped generate more cross-channel sales and increased store traffic (“Blockbuster Emphasizes,” n.d.).Marketing research should be an integral part of this exercise to assess and track brand awareness and brand image,as suggested earlier.Nutri-Grain understood this and used research to reinforce its image as a maker “of healthy breakfast and snack foods” through brand extensions (including ginger and cappuccino flavored varieties),and by fortifying its breakfast cereal bars with calcium and vitamins,as well as zinc and iron (Keller,1999,p.103).Similarly,DeWalt studied its weaknesses,and successfully created an image of heavy duty tools for professionals.The brand manager of DeWalt affirmed that “Research was the primary tool used to revive the DeWalt brand” after it suffered years of neglect (S.Wiercinski,personal communication,November 2,2005).