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
ouverture: it does seem an odd mix, Sharp, Apple and Loewe, but I don't think for a minute that Apple have gone into this blind, I have a feeling Sharp and Apple are looking at ways to increase market share, and Loewe needed to be taken out of the equation !
it does seem an odd mix, Sharp, Apple and Loewe, but I don't think for a minute that Apple have gone into this blind, I have a feeling Sharp and Apple are looking at ways to increase market share, and Loewe needed to be taken out of the equation !
a reasonable analysis - and as you say, for someone like Apple with an enormous war chest, an easy move - they have paid more for niche software players
But it can't be for anything much except elimination of the weak or acquisition of patents
I can't see what else Lowe brings to the equation
BeoNut since '75
I really don't know anybody who can afford to pay for these installations in lots of rooms of their homes these days.
That's why my friends and myself love the B&O Play range
that's the point, it is a niche market that B&O could have dominated if they wanted to, yes it is high end, but high margins too, and London is full of homes with B&O gear, the Russians love all that :-)
B&O definitely will survive if they'll take care of dealers. What I mean?
I have 3 different type of dealers close to my house. The first one just B&O Shop, second one is a mid size exclusive shop for premium brands like B&O, Loewe etc. and the last one is a big shop where you can buy everything ( from 10 Euro products to 20.000 Euro products). Please guess which is the most succesful dealer? The last one of course. What I've seen is that they have sold just last week 2 Beovision 10-46, 1 Beovision 7-55, 2 Beolab 11, 4 Beolab 3 and some Beotimes, beosund 3s etc...
The reason of this succes is simple. When you get in to this shop you will see first B&O, Loewe and Hi-Fi products. Many people whos has no idea what B&O is looking at the products asking why they are that expensive and few of them getting in to this world and most of them start to dream of.
I would suggest to B&O to thing on this point again. Exclusivity has nothing to do with an exclusive shop. They do not have enough budget to advertise their products all over the world over the media so it is the easiest way to reach the people on the street and to the people who has money and having no idea about B &O.
When this big shops selling and doing well, other 2 dealers are letting their products get dusty at the corner...
Beovision Avant 55 / BV 11-40 / BV7-40 / Beovision Avant / Beosound 9000 / Beosound 5 Encore / Beosystem 4500 / Beosystem 6500 / Beocenter 9000 / Beolab 5000 / Beolab 18 / Beolab 19 / Beolab 11 / Beolab 17 / 3 sets of Beolab 4000 / Beovox Red Line 60.2
beopiranha:The reason of this succes is simple. When you get in to this shop you will see first B&O, Loewe and Hi-Fi products. Many people whos has no idea what B&O is looking at the products asking why they are that expensive and few of them getting in to this world and most of them start to dream of.
I agree with this. You have a valid point. Getting people *in* to a B&O store is immensely difficult. They associate the brand with owning an Aston Martin or something and, although we all know there are some affordable products, it's getting people in to the stores to see the likes of the V1. As the V1 is B&O showroom only, they will have the problem where they are displaying it to their existing (and, frankly, ageing) customer base.
Not sure if I've mentioned this, but my Uncle owns a specialistic hi-fi store in Darlington. He also used to have a store in Middlesbrough in the 70/80s which sold a range of products, including B&O. When B&O changed their retail policy a few years ago, they decided they wouldn't renew his contract....even though the B&O brand represented his best-selling products (not hard, he had the only B&O products in the North East). Eventually, he closed the store after an offer from another retailer.
When he went to open his Darlington (see http://www.musicmatters.co.uk), he wanted B&O. B&O refused. He once told me he mad a real effort to get B&O products in the store, but they wouldn't help him at all. Note at the time, there was no Yarm B&O dealership, so he'd have been the only B&O stockist. The nearest store was Harrogate or Newcastle - an hour away. B&O still refused. He never bothered again and has moved on. He's doing very well from installing other brands.
It's that arrogance that will potentially cause any downfall. Retailers who have experience with the brand, who want to stock the products, but B&O only want their retailers to do it their way (is it the right way?), so ignore these potential sellers.
Nice website , plus he sells loewe !!
How ironic :)
moxxey: beopiranha:The reason of this succes is simple. When you get in to this shop you will see first B&O, Loewe and Hi-Fi products. Many people whos has no idea what B&O is looking at the products asking why they are that expensive and few of them getting in to this world and most of them start to dream of. I agree with this. You have a valid point. Getting people *in* to a B&O store is immensely difficult. They associate the brand with owning an Aston Martin or something and, although we all know there are some affordable products, it's getting people in to the stores to see the likes of the V1. As the V1 is B&O showroom only, they will have the problem where they are displaying it to their existing (and, frankly, ageing) customer base.
Believe me there is no difficulty. There are many posibility to create their shop in a shop even in a very elegant way. In this retailer whom I was talking about they have relative small B&O corner. Bright, clean, informative and full of exclusive equipments like Beovision 12 with BL 12, Beovision 7-55 and 40, Beovision 7-32/40/55, Home Cinema with Beosystem 3 and of course all the speakers as well as Beosound 5. In addition to all they presents Busch-Jaeger Products and BUS system to their customers with demostration at the shop... Comfortable chairs, certificated stuff and some smile at their face enough to keep me happy there...
Can somebody tell me when was the last time one of B&O managers has been in a shop anywhere in Europe? I hope someone from B&O read this and wake up !!!
P.S. Rolex is a perfect example for this method. You can see thousands of shops selling different brands but just Rolex logo is hanging at the entrance and having special display just for Rolex...
beopiranha: Believe me there is no difficulty.
Believe me there is no difficulty.
See my reply to your comment in the other discussion about Loewe. You can apply the same answer to the above comment.
FYI the premium watch market - for which I'm a collector - in the UK is struggling. They are propped up by high-spending Chinese customers, not Brits.
Nice story, I too remember the early 80s as a kid were my Grandad took to to Berrimans in the North of the UK. They sold Technics hifi along with B&O and it was a shop offering a really great customer service.
The Bang&Olufsen stores are a real problem, as they have a real old dated image and when I walk in with friends, we immediately feel as though we are being judged and then feel awkward walking out of the showroom if we don't make a purchase. If you compare that to the Apple store which is full of vibrancy...
I liked Moxxey's comment the other week about having a B&O showroom. I guess it would be like comparing BMW & MINI showrooms. The BMW showrooms are conservative, seriously a little staid and then you walk into MINI and there is funky music playing from an iPod, a bright yellow colour scheme, glass door fridges full of cans of drinks, stools around a coffee bar, bright yellow MINI branded espresso cups and young sales execs. The atmosphere is funky and positive and creates a lasting, refreshing experience that does indeed make you want to visit again.
I really think that there is so much scope and positivity for the B&O brand. Not too keen on the cartoon style website. It would have been cool to have had groups of classy, international people or it or indeed illustrations of people by Jason Brooks (jason-brooks.com)
ouverture: I don't think it will be easy for B&O, now that Apple are buying Loewe for $113 million USD http://www.tchnws.com/tech-news/apple-linked-with-113-million-acquisition-of-german-television-manufacturer-loewe/ ... B&O will fade away into insignificance if this materialises on the 18th May.
I don't think it will be easy for B&O, now that Apple are buying Loewe for $113 million USD
http://www.tchnws.com/tech-news/apple-linked-with-113-million-acquisition-of-german-television-manufacturer-loewe/
...
B&O will fade away into insignificance if this materialises on the 18th May.
Hi
Even if this Apple-Loewe thing will be true, I think there is some room for B&O Play products. Of course it would not be great news for B&O, but there is always a place for alternatives. Everyone does not have iPhone and never will, though I must confess I do. The trick is is to provide something different and for many people better/more suitable products, then charge the products quite good. Not as much as BV7, BV10 e t c but some more. I do not see a reason why B&O should not be able to compete in this market.
BR
Clakke
I found the attached link somewhat interesting given the prevailing complaints here that B and O is not doing anything to attract younger buyers into showrooms.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151723759590637.855384.260322570636&type=3
Beolab 28s Beolab 9s Beolab 12-3s Beolab 1s Beolab 6000s 2 pairs Beolab 4000s Beovision 7-55 Beovision 10-40 Beoplay V1 32 inch Beovision Avant 32 inch Beosound 1 (CD player) Beosound 3000 Beosound 5 Core Essence MKII Beoplay M5
And these two also....
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151712468755637.853996.260322570636&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151677218295637.852361.260322570636&type=3
Yar Razlaw,
I saw the New york one last week and definitely a great step forward for B&O - pretty cool! Wonder if there's been any cool ones like this here in London, UK
Razlaw: ...that B and O is not doing anything to attract younger buyers into showrooms.
...that B and O is not doing anything to attract younger buyers into showrooms.
No-one said they were "not doing anything" (that's a tad extreme). You could argue that you've chosen selective post reading to come to that conclusion :)
However, those parties aren't happening in the UK so us Brits are right to say that nothing has changed too much here. There is some targeted advertising (Paul W mentioned the Coggles banners, which I also noticed), but they still need to get more people in to the UK stores (and also revamp the aging stores).
They are giving parties with free alcohol and nibbles, and the demographic has gone down. What's changed? Are they pushing the B&O experience?
moxxey: No-one said they were "not doing anything" (that's a tad extreme). You could argue that you've chosen selective post reading to come to that conclusion :) However, those parties aren't happening in the UK so us Brits are right to say that nothing has changed too much here. There is some targeted advertising (Paul W mentioned the Coggles banners, which I also noticed), but they still need to get more people in to the UK stores (and also revamp the aging stores).
So glad to see your unfailing ability to focus on a few words rather than comprehending an entire post as a cohesive thought persists, just so you can make a negative comment. Some things never change.
After all, if "No-one said they were "not doing anything" " how could I be selectively reading something that was never said, to come to a conclusion?
Razlaw I totally agree with Moxxey. I have the B&O America as a 'like' on my FaceBook and I saw the New York celebrations with the young crowd and immediately thought 'damn why isn't this happening here in the UK'.
There are many stylish, chic & funky venues to choose from here in the UK and maybe these should be chosen for such events because the USA events really seem to have got it right - but yes, it's lacking a bit here!
And I agree with you and Moxxey on that point. If it is good to be done in the US, which it appears to be, then it could or would be good elsewhere and if it is not being done, as you say, it is lacking.
Yes i agree Razlaw. I'd like to see Selfridges or Harvey Nics open their ground floor to a large B&O PLAY party with a cool crowd invited!
I work with classy ladies that are quite happy to spend £700 on a Mulberry or Louis Vuiiton handbag and I really see these ladies as being a BeoLit 12 customer. Mulberry is actually a wonderful English leather company, it's a shame the B&O can't team up with them for some promotion as being a marketing guy, i'm convinced that these ladies would welcome the BeoLit 12. A typical Mulberry customer is in her mid to late 20s, well educated, a professional, elegant with a decent amount of disposable income! (And usually very sexy & pretty ;) Sorry guys, didn't mean to excite you :)
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
Behave Chris and fly that plane safely ;) hehehehehehhehhe
Razlaw: And I agree with you and Moxxey on that point. If it is good to be done in the US, which it appears to be, then it could or would be good elsewhere and if it is not being done, as you say, it is lacking.
And it's frustrating how we aren't getting that over here. Frankly Razlaw, it looks like you guys are having a ball over there with B&O right now. Over here we have the same ageing stores, never-changing store-based marketing and, as a passionate B&O customer, I find it frustrating. It's not about being negative, it's more about wanting a bit of change.
But...my dealer mentioned today that he thinks they are getting a store update soon which will put some of the Play products in the forefront, which can only be a good thing. I believe that the play products should be at the front of the store(s), using the same playful design you see on the website, so the stores do not intimate younger users (they don't want to walk past BL9s and a BV7-55, which my dealer has in the entrance!).
True Chris, David Lewis was a great designer and I loved a lot of his designs (Ouverture, Century, BV10, BL6000/8000) but also at the same time, disliked quite a few of his too!
Don't forget that there are many, many, young graduate designers who are full of inspiring ideas and vision and indeed have grown up in the digital age out there so we shall see a new direction and approach!
Paul W: True Chris, David Lewis was a great designer and I loved a lot of his designs (Ouverture, Century, BV10, BL6000/8000) but also at the same time, disliked quite a few of his too!
And, IMHO only, I think they were quite "80s", which is a comment a lot of non-B&O users add when they discuss B&O kit. I don't miss some of the older Lewis designs. We need to move on. Although they were genuine design classics at the time, they need new fresh designers to meet the expectations of a younger generation.
I quite like some of the recent non-Lewis designs. Beocom 5, Encore (although I still think the functionality is poor) and, to a lesser degree, the V1.
Maybe They could give Jacob Jensen à call
YES!!!! I'd love to see a Jacob Jensen collaboration with B&O again!!!!
Paul W: YES!!!! I'd love to see a Jacob Jensen collaboration with B&O again!!!!
As much as I love his work for B&O it's even older than Lewis' designs. And quite frankly I'm not too impressed with Jacob Jensen's recent work.
Vähintään yhdeksänkymmentä prosenttia suomalainen!
beocool: Paul W: YES!!!! I'd love to see a Jacob Jensen collaboration with B&O again!!!! As much as I love his work for B&O it's even older than Lewis' designs. And quite frankly I'm not too impressed with Jacob Jensen's recent work.
I have to agree. While Jensen did some good work, IMO his style is a bit dated, I like the later B&O stuff better for the most part. And I think some up and coming hot shot with a good eye might be the answer.
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.