英语翻译SPECIAL REPORT - MARKET RESEARCH:No sure way to pick a w

英语翻译
SPECIAL REPORT - MARKET RESEARCH:No sure way to pick a winnerMarketing Week.London:May 19,2005.pg.45
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(Copyright (c) 2005.Centaur Communications Limited.Reproduced withpermission of the copyright owner.Further reproduction ordistribution is prohibited without permission.)
Companies invest heavily in product research,seeking out trend- setters and running simulations.They might just as well ask randomly chosen consumers to bet on likely success,says Alicia Clegg
Being big can be an asset amid the rough and tumble of business.But there is one area where small companies can,and often do,trump their larger rivals - innovation.A single big idea can help an unknown business make a name for itself - think Innocent Drinks or Body Shop.But to stay ahead,in the long run,brands need to break new ground,year after year.It is to solve this problem that many turn to research agencies for some mental stimulation.
There are two ways to think about the future of a brand.One is to study the here and now,in order to spot gaps in the market."People's fundamental needs don't change," says Synovate research manager Alex Maule."The challenge is to uncover them." An alternative is to hunt for people whose lifestyles and opinions offer clues to the future.
Trend-spotting is becoming an industry in its own right.Advertising agencies and brand owners have their radars pointed towards cities such as New York,Sydney,Tokyo and London,where new patterns of behaviour are thought to take shape.Typifying this approach is Breaking Trends,a London-based research consultancy that tours "Alpha" cities interviewing academics,innovators and style experts,and observing urban lifestyles.
Marketing Week行销周刊 London伦敦 2005.5.19
Pg.45