When we ask integrators or installers how they get business, we’ll often get the same one-word answer: referrals. This is not a huge surprise. But what is a little surprising is that when we ask how they go about getting referrals – we often get nothing but perplexed looks.
Marketing
Uh-Oh, Consumer Adoption of Tablets Slows in Q2 CEA Says
In new data released today by the Consumer Electronics Association, consumer adoption of one of the hottest technologies in tech today – tablet computers – actually (and unusually) slowed in the second quarter of 2013. This unexpected downturn comes after several consecutive quarters of growth for a product category that the CEA itself identifies as one of the two major drivers (along with smartphones) for the entire electronics industry.
What does this unexpected downturn mean?… [Read more…] about Uh-Oh, Consumer Adoption of Tablets Slows in Q2 CEA Says
Further Industry Consolidation as ‘Home Theater’ and ‘Sound & Vision’ Magazines Merge
Finding themselves at the crossroads of two struggling industries – consumer electronics and traditional publishing – Source Interlink Media, the owners of both Home Theater and Sound & Vision magazines, has decided to merge the two properties into one entity. The combined entity will be known as Sound & Vision – apparently leaving the Home Theater name plate to the annals of history.
This pivot point provides a sad demarcation in a once vibrant competition. See more below… [Read more…] about Further Industry Consolidation as ‘Home Theater’ and ‘Sound & Vision’ Magazines Merge
Does the Sound Pop’s Sound Really Pop? Or Is That Sound Just Their Bubble Bursting?
When I first learned about AudioSource’s new Sound Pop – a small, relatively inexpensive (around $40 street price) Bluetooth speaker – I assumed it was just like all of those thousands of other Bluetooth speakers introduced over the last couple of years. You know: convenient, portable, maybe a cutesy design and…sounds like crap. Later, I got a press release and saw some specs. They look promising but, still, I remained…shall we say…skeptical.
Then, at CE Week last month, I met AudioSource’s CEO Tom O’Mara. He gave me “the pitch” and – perhaps sensing my skepticism – beseeched me to “Just listen to it” as he handed me a little box not much larger than a Rubik’s Cube.
See what happened when I “Just listen[ed] to it”… [Read more…] about Does the Sound Pop’s Sound Really Pop? Or Is That Sound Just Their Bubble Bursting?
AudioSource: Keeping the Foundation, But Building a Whole New Business
The theme for CEWeek this year – as far as we’re concerned – was “CHANGE.” There were very few “traditional” products shown or updated – and a plethora of new products and categories, such as wireless systems, mobile devices, innovative [predominantly mobile] accessories, new app concepts, and more. And one interview we conducted – with AudioSource CEO Tom O’Mara – seems to embody that sense of change, as he seeks to – while keeping the company’s foundation – build a whole new (and changed) company.
See the dramatic changes at AudioSource as their smallest product has the biggest impact… [Read more…] about AudioSource: Keeping the Foundation, But Building a Whole New Business
Seiki Shakes Up Industry, Offers Inexpensive 4K Ultra HDTV; ‘Not Helpful’ Says Major Competitor
In yet another sign of an industry in transition, Chinese manufacturer Tong Fang Global – better known by the Seiki brand of A/V products it manufactures – has turned the typical industry model for introducing the latest and greatest technology on its ear. In the same show where Sharp rolls out a 70-inch 4K Ultra HDTV for $8,000, Seiki rolls out a 39-inch 4K Ultra HDTV for $700. How do they do it? Read on…
See more on this disruptive play from relative newcomer Seiki… [Read more…] about Seiki Shakes Up Industry, Offers Inexpensive 4K Ultra HDTV; ‘Not Helpful’ Says Major Competitor
Perfect Path Says It’s on the Growth Path at CE Week
As we walked the halls of CE Week, we kept running into old friends and well-known industry personalities. We met both at once when we ran into Eric Bodley of PPC/Perfect Path who was at the show to support various partners of the company. PPC was recently purchased by cable giant Belden, Inc. and we’ve been anxiously awaiting more details on how this consolidation would be implemented.
Bodley wasn’t in a position to comment on that quite yet, but we took advantage of the meeting to ask him about a couple of other recent issues.
See Bodley’s comments on competition heating up & the Belden/PPC connection… [Read more…] about Perfect Path Says It’s on the Growth Path at CE Week
Core Brands Kicks Off KORUS at CE Week
One of the more interesting developments we saw at CE Week was the launch of a new series of products from Nortek, Inc. in the Core Brands, LLC booth called Korus. Korus is a line of wireless speakers designed to work with content streamed from you favorite smartphone/tablet/PC. Another line of wireless speakers is not particularly newsworthy. But Korus has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that IS unique…
See more on KORUS…including what really separates it from other streaming products… [Read more…] about Core Brands Kicks Off KORUS at CE Week
Thought for the Week – July 8, 2013
Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business has two basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results, all the rest are costs.
Peter Drucker
Praying at CEA’s Church of Data Dominion
CE Week kicked off last week with a Research Summit where the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) market research experts presented the latest market data, along with their assessment of its meaning – and their prognostications for the future. In past years, this was a presentation that was included as part of the Line Show – now it has been split off as a separate day-long event including not only raw data, but various discussion panels as well.