????各公司成功的原因不盡相同。舉例來說，蘋果（Apple）成功的秘訣在于將硬件與軟件完美結合，從而創(chuàng)造出優(yōu)質的產品。微軟（Microsoft）之所以獲得支配地位，在一定程度上是因為不斷堅持拿下大企業(yè)客戶。而眾所周知，谷歌（Google）的成功則是因為該公司讓數據來塑造自身產品。三星（Samsung）則另辟蹊徑，那就是多元化經營。

????這家韓國巨頭幾乎“占領”了消費者家中的每一個角落。從廚房到客廳，三星的產品可謂無處不在。2012年的消費電子展上，三星參展的眾多產品共獲得30項創(chuàng)新獎。而在2012年的iF設計大獎中，三星贏得44項令人垂涎的榮譽。iF設計大獎旨在表彰富有美感的工業(yè)設計。在《財富》雜志（Fortune）“最受尊敬企業(yè)”名單中，三星排在英特爾（Intel）、通用磨坊（General Mills）以及聯(lián)合利華（Unilever）之前。

????因此，三星的年收入超過微軟或蘋果根本不足為奇。此外，截至2011年年底，三星已經成為世界頂級電視機制造商，獲得了22.5％的市場份額。三星在顯示器市場也拔得頭籌，擁有15.1％的市場份額。三星還占據了全球冰箱市場13.5％的份額。而在洗衣機市場，其市場份額已經從2009年的7％增長到了2011年的9.2％。即便在筆記本市場，雖然比不上惠普（HP）和戴爾（Dell）等電腦巨頭，但三星的市場份額在短短幾年內已經幾乎翻了一番，達到了6.3％。

????因此，三星的銷售額增長可謂順理成章。2012年第二季度，三星的收入達到了422億美元（約合47.6萬億韓元），比去年同期增長了21％。公司利潤達到46億美元，較2011年增長了48％。三星的許多部門幾乎都實現(xiàn)了增長，其中，信息技術和移動通信業(yè)務激增60%。另外，該公司數字媒體和通信業(yè)務的經營利潤飆升了124％。

????三星在手機市場尤為獨特，擁有眾多追隨者。Canaccord Genuity分析師邁克爾?沃克利近來給出的數據顯示，蘋果和三星兩家公司獲得了移動領域上季度總經營利潤的108％（兩家公司獲得的份額超過100%是因為競爭對手存在虧損）。三星公司上個月宣布，它在不到兩個月的時間里賣出了1千萬部Galaxy S III手機，進一步證明了三星在移動領域的受歡迎程度。雖與蘋果iPhone相比，這個數字相形見拙，但已經足以傲視其他競爭對手。

????當然，三星可能面臨很多障礙。毫無疑問，三星從諾基亞（Nokia）和黑莓手機生產商Research in Motion的頹勢中獲益良多。但一個揮之不去的威脅是，谷歌可能將在未來推出一款“絕對驚人的產品”（某位興奮的分析師的原話），顛覆整個Android市場。此外，三星正與蘋果公司因專利問題對簿公堂，蘋果起訴三星抄襲了自己的移動產品。當然，三星不同意這一起訴，并反訴蘋果產品專利侵權。

????無論如何，三星找到了一種方法，通過冰箱、洗衣機、電視機等眾多產品滲透到消費者家中。換言之，三星已經創(chuàng)造出一個“品牌”——營銷人員大肆吹捧這一概念，但很少真正理解這個詞。而且該品牌似乎在很多市場中都能使消費者產生共鳴，至少在目前是如此。

????譯者：項航

????Companies become successful for different reasons. Apple, for example, married hardware and software to create premium products. Microsoft became dominant, in part, through hard-nosed pursuit of big business. And Google famously rose by letting data shape its products. Samsung has taken another route: ubiquity.

????The South Korean giant has gone after nearly every corner of consumers' homes, from the kitchen to the living room. At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung won 30 innovation awards for the breadth of products it put on display. And at the 2012 iF Design Awards, which aim to reward beauteous industrial design, the company garnered 44 coveted accolades. On Fortune's most admired companies list, Samsung ranks above Intel (INTC), General Mills (GIS), and Unilever (UL).

????Not much surprise then that Samsung generates more revenue every year than Microsoft (MSFT) or Apple (AAPL). Or that, by the end of 2011, Samsung was the world's top TV maker, earning 22.5% market share. In the display monitor market, it was first with 15.1% share. Samsung also owns some 13.5% of the worldwide refrigerator market. And in washing machines, its market share has grown from 7% in 2009 to 9.2% last year. Even in laptops, where giants like HP (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) dwarf it, Samsung has watched its market share nearly double to 6.3% in just a few years.

????Not surprisingly, Samsung's sales are up. During the second quarter of 2012, Samsung generated $42.2 billion (47.6 trillion Won), representing a 21% gain over the same period last year. Its profit hit $4.6 billion, up 48% compared to 2011. Nearly all of Samsung's sprawling divisions saw gains, including a 60% jump in its IT and mobile communications business. Operating profit in its digital media and communications operation rose 124%.

????Samsung is especially unique in the mobile market where it enjoys an immense following. According to recent data from Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley, Apple and Samsung shared 108% of the operating profits generated last quarter in the mobile space. (The companies were able to nab more than 100% because of the losses incurred by competitors.) Samsung's mobile popularity was further proven last month when the company announced that it had sold 10 million Galaxy S III units in less than two months. The figure pales in comparison to the number of iPhones Apple sells, but dwarfs competitors.

????Of course, Samsung faces plenty of possible obstacles. It has no doubt benefitted from the travails of Nokia (NOK) and Research in Motion (RIMM). But there is a lingering threat that Google (GOOG) will release an absolutely amazing product" -- in the words of one excited analyst -- that would upend the Android market. And, of course, Samsung is locked in a patent dispute with Apple over claims that it copied the iPhone maker's mobile products. Naturally, Samsung disagrees and launched its own patent-infringement claims against Apple's products.

????Still, Samsung has found a way to infiltrate the home by way of refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and a host of other products. In other words, Samsung has created a "brand" – a much touted but hardly understood term thrown around by marketers. And that brand, at least for now, seems to resonate with consumers across a host of markets.