打造品牌时该投入什么（以及不该投入什么）

你好，欢迎收听由Shopify带来的Aspire特别迷你剧集。

Hi, and welcome to another special mini episode of Aspire brought to you by Shopify.

现在，我从新创业者那里听到最多的问题是：当我刚刚起步时，该把钱花在哪里？

Now, one of the questions I hear the most from new founders is this: Where should I spend my money when I'm just starting out?

在初期，什么最重要，什么可以等一等？

And what matters most in the beginning, and what can wait?

当你从零开始打造一个品牌时，每一个决定都很重要。

Now, when you're building a brand from scratch, every decision counts.

你在最初阶段的投资方式，将极大影响你的企业将走向何方。

The way you invest in the earliest days has a massive impact on what your business becomes.

接下来，我想让你了解一些事情。

Here's what I want you to know.

你不需要一次性做所有事情。

You do not need to do everything at once.

你只需要专注于推动你的想法前进的事情。

You only need to focus on what moves your idea forward.

幸运的是，Shopify 是一个让你将时间和资金投入到重要事情上的平台。

Now luckily, Shopify is a platform that actually lets you put your time and your money towards the things that matter.

所以今天，我们要讨论的是在打造品牌时如何明智地投资，以及哪些地方可以保持简单。

So today, we're talking about how to invest wisely when you're building a brand and where you can keep things simple.

当我回想起我与 Good American 以及后来 SKIMS 的旅程时，我并没有一开始就列出一份庞大的品牌清单。

When I think back to my journey with Good American and later on with SKIMS, I didn't start with like a giant checklist of what the brand should have.

我从最重要的事情开始：产品和客户。

I started with what mattered most, the product and the customer.

对于 Good American，整个想法源于意识到女性在牛仔裤市场中被严重忽视。

For Good American, the entire idea came from recognizing how ignored most women were in the denim market.

我花了大量时间去了解这位客户，她的需求、困扰和版型问题，这些洞察塑造了每一个早期决策。

I spent a huge amount of time understanding that customer, her needs, frustrations, and fit issues, and that insight shaped every early decision.

我们知道有曲线的女性渴望并需要更多来自牛仔裤的体验，因此我们通过创新来解决这些痛点。

We know women with curves wanted and needed more from their denim, so we set out to solve those pain points through innovation.

这些创新至今仍是我们的牛仔裤产品线的核心。

Those innovations are still the very backbone of our denim assortment today.

恢复面料、四片式裤腰带、加固的腰带环，所有这些。

Recovery fabric, a four piece trouser waistband, reinforced belt loops, all of those things.

但促成这些创新的关键洞察，来自于我们直接且有目的地与尽可能多的女性交流，了解她们对牛仔裤这一品类的体验。

But the key insights that led to those innovations came from us speaking directly and deliberately to as many women as possible about their experience with denim as a category.

我们让女性试穿早期原型，并从每一次早期互动中收集数据。

We had women try early prototypes, and we gathered data from every single early interaction.

我们不断听到同样的问题，因此我们专注于解决这些问题。

We kept hearing the same problems over and over again, so we focused on solving those problems.

将早期产品或原型交到潜在客户手中，是初创企业能做的最重要的事情之一，你必须愿意利用这些反馈信息来做决策。

Getting early product or prototypes into the hands of potential customers is one of the most important things that you can do as a start up, and you have to be willing to use that information, the information you get back to make decisions.

你对客户的理解越深入，你的决策就越容易。

The more deeply you understand your customer, the easier your decisions become.

你知道该打造什么、该修复什么，以及什么可以等一等。

You know what to build, what to fix, and what can wait.

你不再把钱花在看起来好看的东西上，而是开始投资真正有效的东西。

You stop spending money on things that look good, and you start investing in the things that actually work.

对于SKIMS来说，基础理念是一样的。

With SKIMS, it was the same foundation.

以客户的需求为导向，打造市场上根本不存在的产品，专注于提供市场上完全缺失的多种尺寸和色号。

Building a product that simply doesn't exist in the market with the customers' needs in mind, focusing on creating an assortment of sizes and shades that were nowhere to be found in the market.

所以，这是第一个教训。

So here's lesson one.

在花出每一英镑或每一美元之前，问问自己：我正在解决什么问题？

Before spending a single pound or a dollar, ask yourself, what problem am I solving?

我的客户真正需要的是什么？

What does my customer actually need?

这些答案会明确告诉你钱应该花在哪里。

Those answers will tell you exactly where your money belongs.

正如知道该把钱花在哪里很重要一样，你也需要知道不该把钱花在哪里。

Just as it's important to know where to spend your money, you also need to know where not to spend your money.

我们从这里开始。

Let's start here.

你不需要完美。

You do not need perfection.

你不需要在第一天就看起来像一个大品牌，你也绝对不能仅仅靠花钱来获得客户。

You do not need to look like a big brand on day one, and you definitely cannot simply pay your way to a customer.

即使你拥有世界上最好的市场，如果产品不对，也不会有忠诚度。

You can have the best market in the world, but if the product isn't right, there is no loyalty.

创始人常犯的一个错误是过度订购库存。

A common mistake founders make is over ordering inventory.

他们在尚未测试需求之前就假设客户会购买。

They assume customers before they've tested demand.

在Good American，我们迅速学会倾听客户反馈，并让反馈指导我们下一步的产品开发。

At Good American, we learn quickly to listen to customer feedback and let it guide what we produce next.

我们在牛仔裤之后推出的第一个产品是连体衣。

The first product we launched after denim was bodysuits.

但几个月后，我们在社交媒体上发现，客户实际上把我们的连体衣当泳衣穿。

But after a few months, we could see on social that customers were actually wearing our bodysuits as swimsuits.

现在，我不需要向任何穿紧身衣的人解释为什么这其实是个糟糕的主意，但这对我们来说也是一个关键的洞察。

Now, I don't need to explain to anyone who wears a bodysuit why that's a really bad idea, but it was also a key insight for us.

我们意识到，在泳装市场中，存在着一个空白，那就是我们早已在生产、并已建立起声誉的版型和面料。

We realized that there was a gap in the swim market for the fit and the fabrications that we were already making, the ones that we were already getting known for.

于是，Good American的第三个品类由此诞生，并且已经有一个现成的受众群体随时准备购买。

So category number three for Good American was born, and there was a built in audience that was ready to go.

另一个早期的支出陷阱是相信一次大规模的发布能解决所有问题。

Another early spending trap is believing that a massive launch will solve everything.

它并不能。

It won't.

我经常说这一点。

I say this all the time.

社交媒体、公关或一场发布活动本身并不能创造客户忠诚度。

Social media, PR, or a launch event alone does not create customer loyalty.

真正能让客户持续回来的，是产品本身。

The product is what keeps customers coming back.

你必须专注于你的价值主张。

You have to obsess over your value proposition.

客户从你这里获得的东西，在这个价格区间内是不是最好的？

Is what the customer is getting from you the best in class for the price?

这是你需要花时间去思考的核心问题，而且这笔时间投入绝对值得，因为说实话，举办发布会的预算并不是你时间和金钱的好用途。

That is an essential equation that you need to spend your time on, and it will be time so well spent because, honestly, a launch party budget is not a good use of your time or your money.

最后，你不需要庞大的运营成本。

And lastly, you do not need a big overhead.

在你尚未取得进展之前，不需要庞大的团队或豪华的办公室。

You don't need a big fat team or a fancy office before you have momentum.

创业的早期阶段应该是灵活务实的，也理应如此。

The early days of entrepreneurship are scrappy, and they should be scrappy.

我们大多数人起步时都是身兼数职。

Most of us start small wearing every hat.

Good American 最初是在另一家公司的办公室里起步的，我参与过的每一个品牌，都是在别人闲置的办公空间里诞生的。

Good American started in the office of another company, and every brand that I've been part of started life in somebody else's dead office space.

你找一个角落，占一张桌子，拿到什么就用什么。

You take a corner, you take a table, you take whatever you can get.

这并不重要。

It doesn't matter.

最重要的是保持势头和持续前进。

What matters most is momentum and constant forward motion.

所以，我把这当作允许你保持极度简化的许可。

So take this as permission to keep things super simple.

不要投资那些只看起来成功的东西。

Don't invest in things that only look successful.

投资那些能帮助你真正成功的东西。

Invest in things that help you become successful.

一旦你知道了什么不该做，真正的问题就是：你应该把资源投入到哪里？

Once you know what not to do, the real question is, where should you put your resources?

答案是：投资于你的客户真正能感受到的东西。

And the answer is this, invest in the things that your customer will actually feel.

首先，投资于你的产品。

First, invest in your product.

投资于你的独特卖点。

Invest in your USP.

投资于优化你的产品服务。

Invest in refining your offering.

如果你从事的是创意型业务，确保你的产品服务清晰明确，能够用一句话或更短的话表达出来。

If you have an ideas based business, make sure your offering is crystal clear, something you can say in one sentence or less.

当你把产品或服务做对时，一切都会变得容易得多。

And when you get the product or the offer right, everything becomes so much easier.

品牌和包装是另一个明智的投资方向。

Branding and packaging is another smart place to invest.

从安全性到简约风格，拥有一个定义品类的美学风格能为你铺平成功之路。

From safety to skims, having a category defining aesthetic can set you up for success.

但这是一项专业技能，如果这不是你的强项，最好引入专家来协助。

But this is a specialized skill and a great area to bring in expertise if it's not your strength.

因为当你与一个能从各个角度思考品牌和包装的合作伙伴合作时，这是对资源的绝佳利用。

Because when you work with a partner who can think through branding and packaging from all the angles, that is a great use of your resources.

我甚至曾向合适的合作伙伴授予股权，以确保打造一流的视觉形象。

I've even given equity to the right partner to ensure a best in class visual identity.

其次，投资于了解你的客户。

Second, invest in understanding your customer.

你需要与他们交谈。

You need to talk to them.

你需要倾听他们。

You need to listen to them.

你需要研究他们。

You need to study them.

你需要彻底了解你的客户。

You need to know your customer inside out.

当你真正理解你所服务的对象时，你就能做出更好的决策，更聪明地花钱。

And when you truly understand who you're serving, you make better decisions, and you spend smarter.

这从第一天起就塑造了Good American。

This shaped Good American from day one.

在早期阶段，当你在完善、测试和学习时，我发现研究和调查机构是非常明智的资金投入。

I found research and survey agencies to be a really smart use of money in the early days when you're refining and testing and learning.

第三件事是投资于你的数字形象，但要保持简洁。

Now the third thing is to invest in your digital presence, but keep it simple.

你不需要在第一天就拥有一个庞大的网站或庞大的内容引擎。

You don't need a massive website or a huge content engine on day one.

你需要的是一个能让你看起来可信的家，即使幕后只有你一个人。

What you need is a home that makes you look credible even when it's just you behind the scenes.

Shopify能立即为你提供一个精致的在线商店，而他们的AI工具Sidekick确实是一个革命性的改变。

And Shopify gives you that polished storefront instantly, and their AI tool, Sidekick, is genuinely such a game changer.

这就像随身携带了一个小团队，帮你撰写文案、整理网站、保持客户体验的敏锐度，而这才是关键。

It's like having a tiny little team in your pocket that help you write copy, tidy up your site, and keep your customer experience sharp, and that's what matters.

在社交媒体上，你也应该保持简洁。

And on social, you should keep it simple too.

在你的客户已经存在的地方出现，并保持活跃。

Be where your customer already is and be present.

一个渠道做得好，远比五个渠道做得差要强大得多。

One channel done well is so much more powerful than five done really badly.

让你的早期客户告诉你该在哪里出现，你只需要倾听他们。

Let your early customers tell you where to show up, and all you need to do is listen to them.

最后，我要说，投资于你的社群。

Finally, I would say invest in your community.

你与客户的沟通方式很重要。

The way you speak to your customer matters.

每一次沟通都很重要。

Every single communication counts.

收到订单的邮件、订单正在路上的邮件。

The we received your order email, the your order is on the way email.

每一次互动都是你提升品牌体验、营造情感而非仅仅完成交易的机会。

Every interaction is a chance for you to elevate and brand the experience to create a feeling, not just a transaction.

你回复的评论、你逐步建立的信任，社区并非靠巨额预算打造，而是通过持续的关注与用心，一位顾客一位顾客地建立起来的。

The comments you respond to, the trust you build over time, community isn't created by a big budget, it's created by consistency and care, one customer at a time.

这些是随着你的品牌共同成长的投资，尤其是在早期阶段。

These are the investments that grow with your brand, especially early on.

现在我想谈谈一件非常重要的事情。

Now I wanna talk about something so important.

看起来有价值的东西和真正有价值的东西之间有着巨大差异。

There is a big difference between what looks valuable and what actually is valuable.

仅靠精美的品牌设计，只是感知到的价值。

Beautiful branding alone is just perceived value.

它可能有价值，但前提是那些更重要的投资已经完成。

It can be valuable, but only if the more important investments have already been made.

明确你的使命和存在理由、创新的设计，以及对服务客户的执着追求。

Clarity around your mission and reason for existing, innovative design, and an obsession with serving your customer.

这些才是真正带来影响的因素。

Now those things bring actual impact.

一个精美的广告活动可能会吸引顾客进门，但只有优质的产品才能让他们成为回头客。

A polished campaign might get someone in the door, but only a good product will make them a returning customer.

一款完美契合某人需求或让他们感到被理解的产品，才真正具有影响力。

A product that fits someone perfectly or makes them feel seen, now that has a real impact.

我很容易就能数出有多少顾客告诉我他们喜欢我们做的广告活动，但我无法统计有多少女性主动拦住我，感谢我们的产品让他们感受到被重视。

I can easily count the number of times a customer has told me that they love a campaign we did, but there is no way I can count the number of times a woman has stopped me to say thank you for how your product made me feel.

这种感觉、这种忠诚度，以及由此产生的口碑效应，是无法用金钱购买的。

And you just can't buy that feeling, that loyalty, or what happens when that just becomes word-of-mouth.

顾客总会记得你的产品带给他们的感受。

Customers will always remember how your product makes them feel.

他们会记得版型、面料，也会记得服务体验。

They'll remember the fit, the fabric, and they'll remember the service.

正是这些让他们不断回来。

That's what keeps them coming back.

所以在你打造品牌时，请记住这一点。

So remember this as you're building.

有疑问时，回到你的基础。

When in doubt, go back to your foundation.

我们正在解决什么问题？

What problem are we solving?

我们为谁服务？

Who do we serve?

这总会引导你做出正确的投资决策。

That will always point you towards the right investments.

今天创业最好的一点是，你可以从精简做起，但仍能强劲起步。

The best part about building a business today is that you can start lean and still start strong.

你可以从一个精简的产品线、一个简单的网站和一个虽小但活跃的受众开始。

You can begin with a tight assortment, a simple site, and a small but engaged audience.

你不需要把一切都想清楚。

You don't need to have everything figured out.

像Shopify这样的技术，当你创业时，真的是你最好的朋友。

Technology like Shopify truly is your best friend when you're starting a business.

它承担了过去创业者需要整个部门才能完成的大量繁重工作。

It takes care of so much of the heavy lifting that founders in the past needed entire departments for.

过去需要大量资源才能完成的事情，现在有了合适的工具，只需一台笔记本电脑就能实现。

What once required massive resources can be done from your laptop with the right tools.

你只需要一个精简的团队，也许只有你自己，再加上几位自由职业者，以及迈出第一步的勇气。

You just need a lean team, maybe just you, a couple of freelancers, and the courage to take the first step.

将你的资源集中在客户、产品以及你成长过程中获得的洞察上。

Aim your resources at your customer, your product, and the insight you gather as you grow.

刚开始时，感到恐惧是非常自然的。

And when you're starting out, it's so natural to feel fear.

我实际上认为这是好事。

I actually think it's a good thing.

我会留意恐惧，因为当我感受到它时，我知道自己正在突破可能的边界。

I look for the fear because when I feel it, I know I'm pushing the edges of what's possible.

但恐惧并不意味着混乱。

But fear doesn't mean chaos.

你不需要在每个地方都重新发明。

You don't need to reinvent everywhere.

有些事情已经有现成的方案了。

Some things already have a playbook.

客户服务、运营、企业运营的基础，这些问题之前就已经有人解决了。

Customer service, operations, the foundations of running a business, people have solved these problems before.

Shopify 被成千上万的创业者使用，他们已经验证了哪些方法有效，它从第一天起就为你提供顶级工具，让你减少不确定性，专注于只有你能做的部分。

Shopify is used by thousands of founders who've already tested what works, and it gives you best in class tools from day one so you can reduce the unknowns and just focus on the parts that only you can do.

专注是商业中的倍增器。

Focus is a force multiplier in business.

刚开始时，你专注的事情越少越好，使用 Shopify 这类可信赖的工具是明智的商业选择。

The fewer things you focus on in the beginning, the better, and using trusted tools like Shopify is just good business.

那么，在打造品牌时，你应该把钱花在哪里？

So where should you spend when you're building a brand?

记住，把钱花在产品上，花在客户洞察上，花在社群和连接上，花在能创造真正影响的事情上。

Remember, spend on your product, spend on customer insight, spend on community and connection, and spend on what creates real impact.

不要，绝对不要把钱花在分散注意力或只看起来花哨的事情上。

Do not, never ever ever, pour money into distractions or things that just look flashy.

我本周给你的挑战是，诚实地审视一下你的时间和金钱都花在哪里了。

My challenge to you this week is just take an honest look at where your time and your money are going.

它们是在支持你业务的核心，还是实际上在把你从核心拉开？

Are they supporting the heart of your business, or are they actually pulling you away from it?

我本人每个星期五都会这样做。

I do this personally every single Friday.

我会回顾这一周我的精力和资源都用在了哪里，并问自己：这是否与真正重要的事情一致？

I look back at where my energy and my resources went that week, and I ask myself, is it aligned with what truly matters?

如果你准备好了开始你的事业，并为自己做出最好的投资，Shopify 是一个绝佳的起点。

And if you're ready to start your business and make the best investment in yourself, Shopify is a brilliant place to begin.

你可以免费试用，亲身体验可能性——从你的第一个产品页面，到完成第一笔支付，再到处理物流，Shopify 承担了所有运营的繁重工作，让你能专注于自己的愿景。

You can start a free trial and actually see what's possible, From your first product page to taking your first payment to figuring out shipping, Shopify handles all the operational heavy lifting so that you can stay focused on your vision.

访问 shopify.com/aspire 开始吧。

Visit shopify.com/aspire to get started.

非常感谢您参与本次《Aspire》特别迷你剧集。

Now thank you so much for joining me for this special mini episode of Aspire.

我迫不及待地想与您分享更多故事、工具和对话，帮助您创造梦想中的生活和事业。

I can't wait to share more stories, more tools, and more conversations to help you create the life and the business that you've been dreaming about.

直到下次再见，保持专注，保持灵感，并将资源投资在真正重要的地方。

Until next time, stay focused, stay inspired, and invest where it truly matters.

如果您喜欢这个播客，请务必在您最喜欢的收听平台上点击关注。

If you're loving this podcast, be sure to click follow on your favorite listening platform.

同时，别忘了为我们留下评价和五星评分，并与朋友分享您喜爱的一集。

While you're there, give us a review and a five star rating and share an episode you loved with a friend.

您一定会心怀感激。

You'll be so grateful.

《Aspire with Emma Greed》由Audacy出品。

Aspire with Emma Greed is presented by Audacy.

我是您的主持人，Emma Greed。

I'm your host, Emma Greed.

我们的执行制片人是科琳·吉拉德·费舍尔、德里克·布朗和我。

Our executive producers are Corinne Gilliard Fisher, Derek Brown, and me.

来自奥德赛的执行制片人有马迪·斯普伦格凯泽、利娅·里斯·丹尼斯、阿尔沙·萨卢贾和詹娜·魏斯·伯曼。

Our executive producers from Odyssey are Maddy Sprungkaiser, Leah Reese Dennis, Arsha Saluja, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

斯蒂芬·基是我们的高级制片人，音效设计与工程由比尔·舒尔茨负责。

Stephen Key is our senior producer, sound design and engineering by Bill Shultz.

安吉拉·帕卢索是我们的节目统筹，原创音乐由查尔斯·布莱克创作。

Angela Paluso is our booker, original music by Charles Black.

视频制作由埃文·考克斯、库尔特·考特尼、安德鲁·斯蒂尔、卡洛斯·德尔加多和阿尔内·阿尔古斯负责。

Video production by Evan Cox, Kurt Courtney, Andrew Steele, Carlos Delgado, and Arne Argusy.

社交媒体由奥利维亚·霍曼负责。

Social media by Olivia Homan.

特别感谢布里特尼·史密斯、悉尼·福特、我在Lead Company的团队以及WME。

Special thanks to Britney Smith, Sydney Ford, my teams at the Lead Company, and WME.

莫拉·柯兰、约瑟菲娜·弗朗西斯、希拉里·舒夫、埃里克·多内利、凯特·哈钦森·罗斯、蒂姆·米科尔、肖恩·切里和劳伦·维拉。

Maura Curran, Josefina Francis, Hilary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson Rose, Tim Miekoll, Sean Cherry, and Lauren Vieira.

如果你有问题问我，可以给我发私信到 aspirewithemagreed。

If you have questions for me, you can DM me at aspirewithemagreed.

Greed 的拼写是 G R E D E。

Greed is spelled G R E D E.

那是 aspire，A S P I R E，加上 emigreed。

That's aspire, A S P I R E, with emigreed.

或者你也可以在我的网站 emigreed.me 上提交问题给我。

Or you can submit a question to me on my website emigreed.me.