ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Just in from work, switched on TV and qvc has beoplay s8 and others for sale.I am all for getting the brand out to the masses if it helps develop models in the mainline range.
I am on the fence, it feels like a sellout like Versace in h&m.When a brand is absorbed by the masses it loses its exclusivity and desirability in my eyes.Granted it's the play range but I don't see qvc,richer sounds etc good to be associated with the company.
Qvc partner with Bose but that's another story.
What is worst?
Discovering Beoplay on QVC, or finding that the wife has spent the afternoon on QVC?
Graham
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
In my eyes, high end brands should stay true to their ethos, forget about cutting corners to reduce price just to appeal to the masses.Everyone goes on about the price of beolab 90s, they won't sell, nobody can afford them etc, TVs too expensive.
My local linn dealer has sold and installed over 70 £50k linn klimax systems, my watch dealer has sold numerous £25k plus watches and I don't see a shortage of £100k rangerover bent sold.
You would never see the truly high end companies being associated with qvc.They know people will pay whatever to get into the brand they desire.
Videos here:
http://www.qvcuk.com/B&O-PLAY-by-Bang-&-Olufsen-S8-Subwoofer-System-with-2-Satellite-Speakers.product.507646.html
http://www.qvcuk.com/B&O-PLAY-by-Bang-&-Olufsen-A2-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker-with-True360-Sound.product.507645.html
Martin.
butch1: In my eyes, high end brands should stay true to their ethos, forget about cutting corners to reduce price just to appeal to the masses.Everyone goes on about the price of beolab 90s, they won't sell, nobody can afford them etc, TVs too expensive. My local linn dealer has sold and installed over 70 £50k linn klimax systems, my watch dealer has sold numerous £25k plus watches and I don't see a shortage of £100k rangerover bent sold. You would never see the truly high end companies being associated with qvc.They know people will pay whatever to get into the brand they desire.
Don't get things mixed up - we're talking B&O Play.
I simply fail to understand your argument.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
It's just a very very different world now compared to even five years ago for material products. With so much online shopping now, I guess you have to get your brand absolutely everywhere, especially when it's not selling too well. I buy everything on line now because I don't particularly like dealing with sales people and I like having the choice of buying say a surfing T shirt from Hawaii or a pair of swimming trunks from Barcelona etc. It was one year ago when I last entered a shop apart from my local deli's or cycle shop :) And I prefer it that way as I have the world to browse from if I want to :) In a way, I feel sad for someone who needs to spend £50k on a sound system, there's a whole world out there, and I'd rather live it :)
Millemissen:Don't get things mixed up - we're talking B&O Play. I simply fail to understand your argument. MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
StUrrock: MM love you, but please do not apply for the B&O CEO job.
MM love you, but please do not apply for the B&O CEO job.
Appreciate your love ;-))
Don't worry - I won't apply for that job.
No need to - Tue is doing well ;-)))
w5bno123:I wonder how much Sally is prepared to pay for Ben
Yeah - perhaps B&O could solve it's financial woes by selling it's dealership staff on QVC
Why do you feel sad about anyone wanting to spend £50k on a sound system , it's their choice.
Its my passion so I spend what I can comfortably afford.I do not live above my means in anyway, but £50k to one person is £5k to another.
You have always got something to say about Range Rover drivers too, I drive and sell them, try living in the country with horse boxes to tow, with a Audi A3?You remind me of the Hollywood Toyota Prius owners with ferraris in their garage.
You choose to spend your income on travel, some travel, have the cars, watches, expensive materialistic things as well ,because they can.It does not make them a bad person, so much jealousy in the world saddens me.
Back on topic, the usual qvc buyer will not differentiate between play and mainline they just want the brand.I am surprised they don't sell the brand in some little woods catalogue were some scroat on benefits can pay it up weekly at 50% apr.Look at what happened to Burberry check with chavs got a hold of it.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and this is mine on the matter.I want things in my house that are niche not the same TV as 80% of the neighbours.
I won't were my Rolex watches anymore as the last time I went to a car launch, 70% of the room had the same sub on.I don't want b&o to end up like this.
butch1: I am on the fence, it feels like a sellout...
I am on the fence, it feels like a sellout...
Quite literally, it *is* a sellout. They are shifting product, so your choice of phrase is perfect.
I know an established tech dealer who reluctantly accepted an invite went on QVC to shift his products. I met up with him 3 months later and claimed it was a revelation. Sales rocketed. So much so, he started loving QVC and ended up presenting sales for other brands, such was his enthusiasm.
The Bath B&O store has opened. I've not been in (for various reasons - search this board), but when I walk past at lunch, I never ever see anyone in the store. It's dead. I bet B&O shift more product in a single QVC show than a single store does in a week, sadly.
I caught it last night whilst browsing the channel planner - they featured the A2, H2 and A9. They reinforced over and over that they were " real" B&O, feel the materials, touch the quality, listen how loud it can go without distorting etc.
I'm sure it will have generated sales, whether the market for these products is big enough to make a difference in the big picture remains to be seen.
Ban boring signatures!
we tend to forget there is more to design than designing.
If it sells and it works then I cant see the problem - the high end stuff is still high end and aimed at a different market. Most likely the profits from the play range help pay towards the huge development costs of high end products.
I think the reason some of the high end companies do not need to advertise on QVC is because they already have footballers, baseball players and celebrities advertising their products for free. However they seem to have sold out to that market with 4x4's just getting more and more blinged up and looking like something Ali G would drive. Maybe, B&O have got it right, produce products for two markets and retain the exclusivity of the high end products to a small market. Let the Play range drag in the masses that want a bit of B&O?
Not all PR can be good - it didn't do much for Burberry when the chavs started wearing it!
Andrew:Not all PR can be good - it didn't do much for Burberry when the chavs started wearing it!
Exactly my point.The Burberry Chav check baseball hats and scarves were affordable to the masses.I stopped wearing my shirt because of it becoming to common.
Burberry has done well in the discreet prorsum range and the massive Asian market
True high end brands don't need to advertise as much, and if they join forces it's normally with another high end brand with similar customer base.
Linn/Aston Martin/ highland park
Naim/Bentley
meridian/jaguar Land Rover.
b&o/audi/bmw/merc
lexus/levinson
b&0play and qvc
bose and qvc.
I very much doubt that the customer base who would buy bang&olufsen main products would shop on qvc, but I could be wrong
.As I see from other posts on this forum, most members and buyers are into expensive watches, cars, nice houses, clothes and holidays as well as luxury TVs and audio systems.I doubt you buy any of qvc.
Yes, but I think we are kidding ourselves if we think we think high end is exclusive or has a certain cache - these days with interest rates being low and borrowing high, practically anyone can afford anything. There is no shortage of expensive clothes watches and cars in the south of England and London in fact people seem to thrive on their vulgar displays of wealth.
I suppose my point being, how does B&O survive without pandering to the masses and make money at the same time to develop awesome products. If to survive they have to produce vulgar products similar to the new range of tacky rolexes and blinged out Range Rovers then what's the point? Maybe the Play range shouldn't be marketed as B&O - the same way Technics and Panasonic were the same company but different strands. Although Panasonic survived and Technics is just making a comeback now.
Not sure I know what the answer is, on the one hand we want them to survive, on the other we want them to be exclusive in a world where that is rapidly disappearing.
I really hope that the Play range does support the rest of the company and that by having it they do not cheapen the higher end products, no matter how they choose to market them.
Have to admit that I buy from Amazon as I like the choice, fast delivery and the fact that products are reviewed by people who have bought it - I always read the reviews before ordering.
I agree with the tacky rolexes and blinged out Kahn range rovers etc flash culture brigade that's not b&0, labels on the outside and all that.
Look at brioni suits, john lobb shoes, patek watches, de sede sofas, Rolls Royce etc, no compromise in quality and prices,and they still sell.
When I bring a blinged up range in as trade, I put it back to standard
.I love linn as much as B&o, but you would never get them on qvc to get people into the brand, and their systems are still build in Scotland not outsourced to China to save money, also they have audio to concentrate on and record label not TVs etc to lose money on, there profits are through the roof from years ago due to their exakt technology taken off, they sell as they have respect and reputation for world class audio but you would only know of them if you were in to hifi.
Ask anybody on the street what the best audio company and watch company is and they would probably say Bose and Rolex.To me that's marketing at its best.
jean Claude biver has took hublot, which are rubbish watches in my eyes,to being everywere, as he is excellent at marketing, tying in with sportsman etc, they have no history but sell because footballers or basketball players were them.Speak Marin is a better watch but hardly anyone outside of watch enthusiasts would have heard of them.
B&o should have stuck to their roots in Denmark and just produced quality iconic items to a niche market.
@Butch1
"B&o should have stuck to their roots in Denmark and just produced quality iconic items to a niche market"
I couldn't agree more!
The problem is, - once you go Chinese discount, there is no turning back !
Case and point, last Friday the S3 could be yours for just 1490 skr or roughly 110 gbp..
Would you buy a product at list price ?
BEOVOX141: The problem is, - once you go Chinese discount, there is no turning back ! Case and point, last Friday the S3 could be yours for just 1490 skr or roughly 110 gbp.. Would you buy a product at list price ?
Hmmm. I guess not. Paid A6 full price as an early buyer, 14 days later available on ebay 100 EUR cheaper.
Unfair play, I thought - but also a lesson for me. NEVER again buy Beoplay @ list price (if that was the learning B&O wanted me to take - no problem).
Since 2001, hourly manufacturing wages in China have risen by an average of 12% a year so the gap is narrowing. From what I read it's still cheaper to build in high volume in China as efficiencies are better, probably semi due to companies building new factories and facilities and forced working hours. Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia are now starting to pick up electronic work from China due to labour issues and costs.
But Europe is still king for:
Unless you want to sell into China at high volume I feel its a false economy to manufacture there for the like of B&O but a different story for say Samsung, BEKO etc.
So true. The poor workers are treat like slaves. It is the slave trade in 2016. China is the only country that allows it's workers to be exposed to benzine, the chemical that is used to clean micro chips etc, There's a video on YouTube that showed 20 year old workers making iPhones dying from work related leukaemia caused by benzine. One guy who was suffering from it on the interview later killed himself. It's truly horrible. If people realised how humans are being treat like scum, some of them may take a moment and decide not to buy into this greed.
I always choose European made, small companies when it comes to my spending wherever I can. I think the only made in China things in my house are a MacBook Retina, iPhone, Apple TV box and a B&O A8 and that's it. I feel that i'm very ethical in my spending and that I choose very very carefully and make it last! :)
BEKO are a true disgrace. Some of their gas cookers caused quite a few deaths by leaking carbon monoxide.
Sorry for jumping in late on an older post, just read your reply that online purchases are mostly for B&O Play. I hate to burst anyone's bubble... If you're in need of a brand new pair of Beolab 90's you can find them online @ abt.com. Go to the site click on floor standing speakers, scroll down and there they are with a complete description, pictures, videos, and of course the price (same as any other dealer). And since Abt is an "authorized" B&O retailer you get the three year factory warranty. Site says speakers ship in 2-4 weeks, with free shipping, I'm guessing USA only? Today you can custom order a brand new Tesla or Volvo without seeing the vehicle or driving it. Why would it be any different with brand such as B&O? Now, where did I put my checkbook???
Not that I would defend 'dirty business' in China, but this is going on everywhere:
You will probably have to use Google Tranlate to read it - it is about the ever-so-green-windmill-industry in Denmark.
For years Siemens has been using dangerous chemicals, when making the mills - causing severe trouble/health problems for workers there.
http://www.business.dk/arbejdsmarked/ansatte-hos-siemens-wind-power-er-blevet-kronisk-syge-af-farlig-kemi
That's awful MM, Siemens are huge in the UK right now with their off-shore wind power in Yorkshire.