整合：樂高與蘋果共同的成功秘訣
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????《樂高大電影》（The Lego Movie）所取得的驚人成功可能不會讓人把它和蘋果公司（Apple）扯上什么關(guān)系，但其實(shí)我們應(yīng)該想到這一點(diǎn)。盡管它們處在完全不同的領(lǐng)域中，但樂高集團(tuán)（Lego Group）和蘋果公司的成功之道并無二致，都可以為我們帶來豐富的啟示。 ????《樂高大電影》是一部3D兒童電影，電影里所有東西都是用小塑料塊搭建的（正如預(yù)告片略帶自嘲所說的那樣，“這是有史以來組裝的最偉大的一部電影”）。它可能不算是一個激動人心的說法，但這部電影在美國只用了不到兩周就斬獲了約1.4億美元的票房。這個成績接近、或者可能已經(jīng)創(chuàng)造了每年這個時期上映的新片的票房新紀(jì)錄。考慮到這部電影的制作成本只有約區(qū)區(qū)7000萬美元，且由于樂高品牌風(fēng)靡全球，它的全球票房將十分可觀。這部電影對樂高公司和影片的制片方華納兄弟影業(yè)公司（Warner Brothers）來說都是一個重大成功。后者（與《財(cái)富》雜志的母公司一樣）也屬于時代華納公司（Time Warner）子公司。 ????那么這部影片和蘋果公司有什么關(guān)系呢？一言以蔽之，整合。蘋果之所以能征服世界，很大程度上是因?yàn)椋且患易钌朴诎迅鞣N業(yè)務(wù)資源整合為令人傾倒的客戶體驗(yàn)的公司。硬件、軟件、產(chǎn)品設(shè)計(jì)、在線體驗(yàn)，甚至包裝——在蘋果公司，所有這一切都是同時以相互強(qiáng)化和促進(jìn)的方式打造的。咨詢師拉姆?查蘭是分析及研究整合領(lǐng)域的頂級專家，他說：“核心決策是靠同時整合專家意見做出的，很大程度上沒有經(jīng)過行政管理專家的篩選過濾。” ????但難道不是每個公司都在這么做嗎？事實(shí)上遠(yuǎn)非如此。實(shí)際上，絕大多數(shù)大企業(yè)都發(fā)現(xiàn)這種整合幾乎就是不可能完成的任務(wù)。這也就是為什么索尼公司（Sony）沒能擊敗蘋果的iPad，甚至連跟它平起平坐也沒有做到，盡管當(dāng)時索尼的規(guī)模比蘋果大得多。時任索尼首席執(zhí)行官的霍華德?斯金格后來坦承，索尼公司無法讓各個所需部門協(xié)同攻關(guān)。而史蒂夫?喬布斯在蘋果卻把整合工作做得很出色，而且他對整合的重要性有深刻的認(rèn)識。正如他所說：“整合是我能打造完美產(chǎn)品的唯一方法。” ????樂高也正在大舉整合。它正在打造一套獨(dú)特的體系，它能在多種媒體和物理空間中借助自己的品牌創(chuàng)造更豐富的用戶體驗(yàn)。這并不是老套的樂高組裝玩具的輔助營銷手段，樂高實(shí)際在每個環(huán)節(jié)上都能賺錢。電影里出現(xiàn)的人物和產(chǎn)品可能也會在樂高和卡通頻道（Cartoon Network）合拍的節(jié)目、電子游戲、遍布全球的六個樂高樂園以及十一個較小的樂高樂園探索中心（Legoland Discovery Centers）中發(fā)揮作用。 ????樂高用來驅(qū)動這個商業(yè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)的角色多種多樣，絕不僅限于自家打造。它非常善于說服那些彼此是對手的公司將自己的卡通形象授權(quán)給樂高。它的玩具產(chǎn)品線角色眾多，有時代華納公司子公司DC Comics所擁有的蝙蝠俠，沃爾特迪士尼公司（Walt Disney）子公司漫威公司（Marvel）的鋼鐵俠，以及盧卡斯影業(yè)公司（LucasFilm）的尤達(dá)大師和其他星戰(zhàn)人物。這些角色都在所謂的樂高詩篇（Lego-verse）中和諧共生。整個系統(tǒng)像一個有機(jī)整體一樣茁壯成長，欣欣向榮。 ????由于企業(yè)成長起來后往往會發(fā)展出自己的獨(dú)占領(lǐng)域，因此整合絕非易事。而整合者能夠打破這些樊籬，創(chuàng)造出令人驚嘆的成果。其他人最好想一想，怎樣在自己的企業(yè)中做到這一點(diǎn)。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)） ????譯者：清遠(yuǎn) ???? |
????The startling success of The Lego Movie probably didn't make you think about Apple (AAPL), but it should. In their widely different worlds, the Lego Group and Apple are succeeding in the same way, with lessons for the rest of us. ????The Lego Movie is a 3-D kid flick in which the entire world is apparently made of little plastic bricks ("the greatest movie ever assembled," as the trailer wryly puts it). The description may not make your heart beat faster, but in less than two weeks it has grossed an estimated $140 million at the U.S. box office, nearing or maybe setting a record for a film released at this time of year. Considering that the movie cost only an estimated $70 million to make, and that its global prospects are extremely strong in light of Lego's globally popular brand, the film is a major win for both Lego and the film's producer, Warner Brothers, which (like Fortune's parent company) is part of Time Warner (TWX). ????So what's the link to Apple? In one word, integration. Apple has conquered the world in large part because it's the best company anywhere at integrating all the parts of the business into a knockout customer experience. Hardware, software, product aesthetics, online experience, even packaging -- at Apple they're all created simultaneously in ways that reinforce one another. Consultant Ram Charan, who leads the field in analyzing and understanding integration, explains, "Core decisions are made by integrating inputs from experts simultaneously and largely without the filters of the administrative managers of the experts." ????But doesn't every company do that? Far from it. In fact, most large organizations find this kind of integration almost impossible. That's why Sony (SNE) notoriously failed to defeat or even match Apple's iPad, though it was a far larger company at the time. It couldn't get the necessary divisions to work together, as then-CEO Howard Stringer later admitted. Steve Jobs made integration work at Apple, and he realized its importance. As he said, "Integration is the only way I could make perfect products." ????Lego is integrating. It's building a machine that creates an extended customer experience with its brand, in multiple media and physical spaces. This isn't old-fashioned ancillary marketing for Lego construction toys; Lego is making money at every step. Characters and products that show up in the movie may also play roles in programs that Lego creates with Cartoon Network, in video games, at six Legoland theme parks around the world, and at 11 smaller Legoland Discovery Centers. ????The company fuels this network of businesses with more than its own creations. It has proven extraordinarily persuasive in getting companies that compete with one another to license their characters to Lego. The company has toy lines featuring Batman, which is owned by DC Comics, part of Time Warner; Iron Man, which is owned by Marvel, part of Walt Disney (DIS); and Yoda and other Star Wars characters, owned by LucasFilm. They all cohabit peacefully in the Lego-verse, as it's called. The whole system grows and prospers as one organic unit. ????Integrating isn't easy because companies naturally generate siloes as they grow. Integrators tear them down, and the results are impressive. The rest of us had better figure out how to do it in our own organizations. |
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