“Image is everything.” Perhaps this statement is an over-exaggeration, but not by much. Billions of dollars are spent every year on creating just the right image for products, services and people. An entire industry has been built upon the premise that image is everything. But when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough. If there is no substance behind the image, the product, service or person will ultimately fail. The reality or truth behind the image is at least as important, if not more so, than the image itself.
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services. Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection. Television commercials create a visual imagery that becomes closely associated with the product itself. Public perception of that product or service is certainly manipulated by the images created by the advertising agencies. However, it is not enough to simply have a good image – there must be something of substance behind the image. An advertisement can be a very powerful way to form an image for a product or a service that persuades the consumer to buy the product or try the service. But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly seek recourse by asking for their money back. As an example, consider the Arthur Andersen accounting firm. Arthur Andersen had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness and integrity. But the recent Enron energy company scandal revealed that behind that image, there was corruption and dishonest business practices. Despite having previously had an extremely positive image, the accounting firm is under prosecution by the United States government for criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business entity. Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm. Image is important, but the reality and truth behind that image is at least equally important.
Similarly, personal consultants can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars. Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general populace. But once again, although image is important, if there is no truth behind that image, the public will find out. History is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace despite having highly polished, favorable images in the public eye. It is almost a cliché now – the story of the Hollywood actor succumbing to the pressures of fame and fortune and checking into a rehabilitation center. Hardly a month goes by without some famous person doing something that clashes with his or her image, resulting in a huge scandal. With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is imminent.
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is associated with selling a product or service or with the “selling” of a person. Without an appealing image, there is not much chance for a politician to be elected or for a new product to become a worldwide hit. But image is only half of the equation. What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself – the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term sustained success.
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參考譯文
在當(dāng)代社會(huì), 創(chuàng)造一個(gè)有魅力的形象比形象背后的現(xiàn)實(shí)或真理還要重要
“形象就是一切.”也許這種說法過于夸張,但夸張得并不嚴(yán)重.每年都有幾十億美元花在為產(chǎn)品、服務(wù)和人們創(chuàng)造合適的形象上,以形象就是一切為立足點(diǎn)的一個(gè)完整的產(chǎn)業(yè)已經(jīng)建立.但實(shí)際上一個(gè)有吸引力的形象并不是足夠的,假如在形象背后沒有內(nèi)容,產(chǎn)品、服務(wù)和人將徹底失敗.形象背后的現(xiàn)實(shí)或真理最起碼與形象本身同等重要,如果不是比形象更重要的話.
首先,人們應(yīng)該考慮在出售產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)過程中形象有多么重要.廣告代理們已經(jīng)把創(chuàng)造形象的藝術(shù)發(fā)揮到了近乎完美的狀態(tài),電視商家創(chuàng)造了與產(chǎn)品本身緊密相關(guān)的視覺形象,而那種產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)的公共觀念當(dāng)然地受制于廣告代理們創(chuàng)造的形象.但是,僅僅擁有一個(gè)好的形象是不夠的.在為產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)制造形象以促使顧客購(gòu)買產(chǎn)品或嘗試服務(wù)方面,廣告可謂是非常有力的途徑.但假如產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)并不能等同于所創(chuàng)造的形象,顧客將會(huì)不樂意并有可能試圖把錢索要回來.舉一個(gè)例子,想一想亞瑟?安達(dá)信會(huì)計(jì)公司吧.亞瑟?安達(dá)信花了幾十年時(shí)間建立可信與誠(chéng)實(shí)的形象,但安然能源公司丑聞揭露了形象的背后存在著腐敗和不誠(chéng)實(shí)的商業(yè)行為.盡管以前有完全正面的形象,會(huì)計(jì)公司還是被美國(guó)政府指控有犯罪行為,而且它非常有可能不能恢復(fù)為一個(gè)商業(yè)實(shí)體.雖然形象近乎完美,形象背后的現(xiàn)實(shí)還是導(dǎo)致了這個(gè)世界著名公司的崩潰.形象是重要的,但形象背后的現(xiàn)實(shí)和真理最起碼是同樣的重要.
與此相似的是個(gè)人顧問可以為政治家或電影明星建立一個(gè)公眾形象,發(fā)布正面的新聞,確保只有最好的照片被出版,以及保證此人只在合適的場(chǎng)合露面,從而可以在公眾的心目中建立起積極的形象.但是話又說回來,雖然形象是重要的,假如沒有真理在其后,公眾必將會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)這一點(diǎn).歷史上這種例子不勝枚舉：政治家和電影明星從體面中落泊,盡管在公眾心目中有著精心包裝、深受喜愛的形象.好萊塢演員被名譽(yù)和財(cái)富壓垮并被送進(jìn)康復(fù)中心幾乎是家喻戶曉的故事了.幾乎沒有一個(gè)月不發(fā)生某個(gè)著名人物連同他或她的形象垮掉并成為大丑聞的事.對(duì)人來說,就像對(duì)產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)來說一樣,形象當(dāng)然是重要的,但如果在形象后面沒有積極的實(shí)在的東西,失敗也就為時(shí)不遠(yuǎn)了.
總之,有魅力的形象對(duì)成功來說是極其重要的,不管它是與賣產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)有關(guān)還是與“賣”人有關(guān).沒有一個(gè)有魅力的形象,一個(gè)政治家獲得選舉或一個(gè)新產(chǎn)品成為轟動(dòng)全球的熱銷品的機(jī)會(huì)不大,但形象只是方程的一半,形象背后的東西在每一點(diǎn)上都與形象本身同樣重要——人或產(chǎn)品必須與形象保持一致,否則長(zhǎng)期保持成功的機(jī)會(huì)將甚為渺茫.