Hi-fi Shows In The U.k.

Simon, increasing the price isn't suddenly going to make them more attractive . Anyone who was interested has probably seen them already and anyone with serious interest would have just phoned up to drop-ship demo a pair.

Anyone who's still interested probably isn't going to like the idea of seeing them go up by 30-40%, they'll feel betrayed. Phone up the guys at Zu and ask them what they think about retail vs direct sales.

 

The problem is the B&W Zeppelin project was the most expensive brand-building exercise the company had ever done. It took two years of almost breaking the company to get where it is now with the iPod stuff.

It now has to face a game of endless-money-pit keepy-uppy. Six months without the billboards and poster campaigns, something else takes away the Zep's top-slot. That said, those headphones it sells in the Apple Store fly out the door, and almost without marketing support.

Ultimately, that game is too rich for most audio companies blood.

 

in a way simon i think that your idea of selling direct to dealers by-passing an uk distributer is more attractive in the sense that those of us who will take them on will be in direct contact with you and customers alike, by-passing a rep or distributer will make things more connected to the source and we , as stockists and customers would feel more intouch with any help or advice they request and need rather then being passed from hand to another and wait for sec's and rep's to get back with response via who knows how many parties,

 

If one of your 'sold direct' products were suddenly to become a 'hot' item the dealers would want a piece of that (selling at the same price) for continuing to support & stock your other products.

I think you may find that its difficult to keep dealers happy supplying them products that may be perceived as being expensive when looked at alongside other, less marked up products that you sell directly.

Maybe a very strong well known brand could pull this off but it would be difficult for a smaller brand.

There is still some value in having products widely available for audition across the country particularly if one of the selling points really is a sound quality that needs to be demonstrated properly to be appreciated. That's not to say the situation isn't changing, and the selling direct approach is certainly gaining popularity. I still think it'd be a shame if there weren't good specialist dealers around to allow consumers to hear a range of products & offer advice. Indeed, I think the good ones will survive & thrive. The less good, me too ones won't & will struggle particularly when much of what they sell can be bought more cheaply online.

Its an interesting time.

 

It's pretty certain we'll see fewer bricks and mortar dealers in the future. Those who stay will increasingly also become importers, brand managers, brand owners themselves as they strive for further differentiation.

The ipod and the internet has commoditized music, made the process of acquiring music have zero value for the majority, and it's almost impossible to sell quality against this trend.

 

It will change when this generation grows up.

This generation is what I call an *out* generation, it is all down the pub to the clubs, on the move, personal music goes with them, the ipod generation. When they settle / marry etc they will still want *their* music, and their tastes in music will change. That is the point someone has to create the bridge between the out and the in. The ipod doc is the beginning of this and who knows what this will look like or sound like in 10 years, things are changing so quickly. Now will it be the present hi-fi companies we so cherish that will provide this, well I doubt it, we will just have to hope that a small percentage will become hi-fi train spotters and find us, there is always a need for diversity, and good *anything* will always find a market.

Now my generation was not an out generation we were an *in* generation with our music gathering at different friends places sharing a joint or a trip, prog rock in the foreground, so we had "stereos". So we had a very natural progression to where we are now.