Case study provided by The Brand Council.
We are blase about radio these days, with more stations than you could name, tiny FM receivers and music blaring from speakers and earpieces all around us. So it's easy to forget that radio was once at the cutting edge of technology. People expressed doubts about the future of radio, just as later they were sceptical about the future of TV and, more recently, the internet. One newspaper wrote "radio is a fashion trend, a phenomenon, which like spiritualism, jazz and embezzlement is a result of progress".
That "fashion trend" has stood the test of time pretty well. Along with it, Bang & Olufsen's reputation for quality has been forged, dating back to those earliest days in the 1920s when Danish entrepreneurs Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen created a radio with a natural sound. But they did something else too: they housed it in a walnut cabinet with maple inlay, transforming a quality radio from a merely utilitarian device into a piece of designer furniture. A status symbol that exuded style.
Although Bang & Olufsen has since diversified and now has a wide product range, everything the company produces remains based on the principle of combining state-of-the-art technology with innovative design. This has led to the inclusion of many thoughtful extra features such as glass doors that open at the approach of a hand or CD clampers that rise up to accept a disc and hold it in place while it spins.
Bang & Olufsen's range of TVs is strong from a technical standpoint, with features such as complete surround sound systems and a motorised stand that will turn to meet you when you switch the system on. This is combined with a range of options in terms of colours, screen sizes, formats and capabilities to suit a variety of tastes.
As the CD started to replace the LP, Asian competitors were producing stacks of hi-fi sets, anonymous black boxes which were almost indistinguishable from each other. Bang & Olufsen, with its emphasis on individuality, responded to the challenge by launching itself onto the CD market with a design classic: the upright, all in one Beosystem 2500.
Integrated systems which incorporate TV, DVD,VCR, radio and CD have also been developed, some with two motor-driven loudspeakers that stretch silently out to each side of the system. A step further on from this is BeoLink, which can operate equipment throughout the home and can even be used to control domestic lighting. Bang & Olufsen are also at the forefront of telephone technology, not only in terms of design but also by incorporating the latest ISDN technology into some models.
And last, but not least, Bang & Olufsen also has an ongoing vision to create the first truly invisible loudspeaker and to exploit the new world of sound that digital technology has opened up. In parallel with attention-grabbing advances in technology and design, Bang & Olufsen has not neglected the need to reach its customers. The brand's stylish uncluttered advertising reflects the attitude of its style conscious consumers and also mirrors design elements used on the Bang & Olufsen website.
The brand has improved its distribution in the UK and can now boast a network of 50 stores, in addition to availability through independent shops and department stores.
漏 2002 The Brand Council