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ARCHIVED FORUM -- April 2007 to March 2012
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This is the first Archived Forum which was active between 17th April 2007 and 1st March February 2012

 

Latest post 06-08-2011 6:48 PM by RWST. 57 replies.
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  • 06-03-2011 5:10 PM In reply to

    • pf85
    • Top 500 Contributor
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    • Joined on 04-21-2007
    • Posts 145
    • Founder

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    "question about lack of CRM / communication / interaction with owner base"

    Example:

     Beosound 5 which requires a registration process with email address. By default, B&O has a communication channel to a specific owner group. When is B&O starting to use this user base to communicate about the product, preferences, needs, etc. and importantly to provide heads up on upcoming sw updates? So far nothing.

     

  • 06-03-2011 5:36 PM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Excellent argument Sergio!  I totally agree, it is the beautiful design and the way the 'product' worked which first made my Grandad buy a 1900 BeoMaster etc in 1979. I was born a few years after and B&O has been in my blood ever since I would like to see an entry level television though that is beautifully designed a reflects all what B&O stands for. Maybe that would be the product that all of the true loyal B&O customers may fall in love with too!

  • 06-03-2011 6:34 PM In reply to

    • moxxey
    • Top 25 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-14-2007
    • South West, UK
    • Posts 2,360
    • Bronze Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Guys, I think Lee is seeking direct questions, not opinions or a debate :)

  • 06-03-2011 6:59 PM In reply to

    • Michael
    • Top 500 Contributor
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    • Joined on 05-20-2009
    • Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia
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    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    How often is international pricing restructured?  For example, B&O in $AUD is quite high compared to $USD and pricing doesn't reflect this

  • 06-03-2011 9:01 PM In reply to

    • RWST
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 01-12-2010
    • Amsterdam, NL
    • Posts 50
    • Bronze Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    1) As a shareholder of the company, I would like to know what you think could be done to increase shareholder value? Is there a need for strategy change, if so, how?

    2) With the current global economical challenges, is it possible for a company like B&O to keep producing high end products without compromising on its pricing strategy?

    3) From what you have seen from the company so far, what in your point of view, could be changed? Especially with regards to its product range.

    4) B&O products are known for its beautiful design and high quality. Is it possible to not compomise on both and still be able to adapt the rapid changes of technological trends?

    Thank you,

    Richard

  • 06-04-2011 4:39 AM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    RWST:
    1) As a shareholder of the company, I would like to know what you think could be done to increase shareholder value? Is there a need for strategy change, if so, how?

    Same here: thankfully just a small ISA holding in my case. The near 90% share price drop since Jan 2007 must have been devastating for longer term major shareholders, who also no longer get what was once a tremendous annual dividend.

    Graham

    I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure. [W C Fields]

  • 06-05-2011 6:18 AM In reply to

    • akoro
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-07-2008
    • Espoo, Finland
    • Posts 88
    • Gold Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    My question would be a small design detail: How come the power supplys are ugly generic models instead of more brand aware ones? Example BeoSound 3, BeoSound 5 Encore power supplys are not anything one would think is made by or made for B&O.
  • 06-05-2011 4:13 PM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    The future of B&O audio will consist in its perception of the cloud-based environment. What will really be the interface B&O wishes to offer to its clients for listening to music taking into account high expectations in terms of quality, design, convenience and price. Personally I believe all mentioned criteria should be met on a high level. This means very nice products, of an excellent production quality, very convenient for wife and kids, and at a really high price. Thus please no entry-level televisions, medium-priced loudspeakers or beosound 4 alikes anymore. We aren't asking Porsche neither to produce cheaper cars, it's like destroying the brand and the pleasure of all current Porsche drivers. Just some thoughts.

    BC2 DAB, Lab 1, Lab Penta, beo4, beocord 1101.

  • 06-05-2011 5:06 PM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Im not sure I agree with Pauliander. Yes people will always buys Porsches but will they spend a fortune on hifi or video? I know from my radio experience as Brand Manager and Marketing Manager that from our research over 97% of young people believe that music is free - download and unlike myself, would not pay to buy off iTunes. When asked, they simply say "Why should I pay when I can get it for free?"

    I remember the days when B&O was double the price and not a penny more than top manufacturers (Technics) and this was when B&O made some really, really good products! Let's be honest how many people would spent £17000 on a television? Personally, I think that amount of money is a crime! How many future B&O customers would spend that? I can't think of one. So how could a company like B&O in todays recession survive if that was its' direction? Well, financially it hasn't has it? At the end of the day there is quality and then there is pure greed!

  • 06-05-2011 5:22 PM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Well, I do. I know that buying such a TV I will have a top quality components, a very good customer service, incredible integration...

    Selling the same stuff as Sony/Samsung/etc... is not the future of B&O, it is a dead end. Today you have clearly a market for high end product. It is a small one, I agree with you, but it exists.

     

    You are right about music. People get it free now. I do not enter the legal aspect, but now, the CD is dead and products like Beousound 5 represents an interesting evolution for B&O music system.

    It is not rare to have all of our audio/video content in a digital form. Just as an example (not representative, I agree), I have a +30TB NAS which handle all my files. As soon as the Beosound 5 Encore is out, I will get one!

     

    Finally, the questions for the new CEO will be around the future of B&O. What will be the direction ?

     

    sergio

  • 06-05-2011 5:43 PM In reply to

    • Karla
    • Top 500 Contributor
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    • Joined on 08-19-2008
    • USA
    • Posts 81
    • Bronze Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Why do they keep building “dead end” systems which do not connect to the multi-link? B&O might call it a stand alone system and that it is designed to draw the customer to the B&O stores, but all it really does is create a substandard product which is expensive and doesn’t integrate with future purchases, and it discourages the customer from buying more products. It is sort of a bait and switch with the customer dollars.

    Are there any plans for a really affordable television? It is a real crime that the best value for the dollar is a used Avant.

    Apple? Get on board with this brand and stay there. They have proven that design and reliability can be had a moderately higher price point, and now they are reaping the rewards. Support the Apple products with amazing sound and design and the future of B&O will be assured. And please give us an affordable gateway for the apartment or condo owner which will integrate the iPad or iPhone with the B&O. The price point of $3500 is just to high, and you would capture the imagination of MILLIONS of Apple devotees who could now use the B&O app for their daily lives.

  • 06-05-2011 5:47 PM In reply to

    • Chris
    • Top 200 Contributor
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    • Joined on 03-19-2010
    • Corbridge, UK
    • Posts 353
    • Gold Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Porsche release their budget model sometime in 2012-13, following in the footsteps of far wealthier and more expensive car manufacturers. Mercedes A Class, Audi A1, BMW 1 series, the new Aston Martin(Toyota Aygo). Get the small business, and the large will be much easier to secure.

    I started out in the mid 80's with a "budget" B&O TV. I now have a Beovision 7-40 and 6, Beolab 6000/8000/2/4, Beosound 3 and A8's.

    A Beovision 10-40 in black and red fret on order, Beo4, Beo6, many A8's, a pair of white and yellow Form 2's, Beocom 4, 28 inch Avant RF DVD, Apple TV and a wife that loves this stuff as much as i do! 

  • 06-05-2011 5:58 PM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Karla:

    Apple? Get on board with this brand and stay there. They have proven that design and reliability can be had a moderately higher price point, and now they are reaping the rewards. Support the Apple products with amazing sound and design and the future of B&O will be assured. And please give us an affordable gateway for the apartment or condo owner which will integrate the iPad or iPhone with the B&O. The price point of $3500 is just to high, and you would capture the imagination of MILLIONS of Apple devotees who could now use the B&O app for their daily lives.

     

    Does the future lie in being dependant from another brand with an incredible closed system? Doesn't sound good to me.

     

  • 06-05-2011 7:55 PM In reply to

    • RWST
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 01-12-2010
    • Amsterdam, NL
    • Posts 50
    • Bronze Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    6) When you were CEO at Truimph Motorcycles, a company you revived from almost being dead, you more than doubled its turnover. With now being the CEO of B&O, a company in a far better shape than when you started with Truimph, do you expect to have the same impact?

    7) With respect to revenue, how is the volatility in the currency market effecting the company?

    8) What do you expect to be the biggest challenge in running B&O?

    9) In your opinion, what would be the biggest threat for B&O?

    10) What target have you set yourself while being the CEO of B&O?

    11) The BeoVision 4 85-inch plasma TV is the latest member of Bang & Olufsen’s home cinema family and the first Full HD screen with 3D, can you confirm the introduction of other models with 3D?

    Thank you,

    Richard

  • 06-05-2011 8:30 PM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    "B&O always used to be 'space-age' and cutting edge with its design and function (think sliding doors, etc). When are they going to go back to having the 'wow' factor? At the moment everything is sort of becoming 'MOTS'....."

    My B&O: 2009 Catalogue and Pricelist

  • 06-05-2011 8:46 PM In reply to

    • RWST
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 01-12-2010
    • Amsterdam, NL
    • Posts 50
    • Bronze Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Jonathan:

    "B&O always used to be 'space-age' and cutting edge with its design and function (think sliding doors, etc). When are they going to go back to having the 'wow' factor? At the moment everything is sort of becoming 'MOTS'....."

     

     

    Agree!

    I love the design of BeoCenter 2.

    12) Any chance of introducing BeoCenter 2 with BluRay drive?

  • 06-06-2011 4:19 AM In reply to

    • akoro
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-07-2008
    • Espoo, Finland
    • Posts 88
    • Gold Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    RWST:

    Jonathan:

    "B&O always used to be 'space-age' and cutting edge with its design and function (think sliding doors, etc). When are they going to go back to having the 'wow' factor? At the moment everything is sort of becoming 'MOTS'....."

     

     

    Agree!

    I love the design of BeoCenter 2.

    Could you please introduce BeoCenter 2 with BluRay drive?

    I would prefer DVD2 design - it would look super with BeoSystem 3. Ultimate solution would be both of these BeoCenter 2 and a DVD2 Blu-Ray. And now that I started dreaming - how about a DVD3 with Blu-Ray and BeoMaster 5 functionalities built-in?

    Also a second question: Should there be a successor to BeoLab Penta / BeoLab 1 series of tall and powerfull speakers? I know that there is BeoLab 9 with good sound quality - but for some these round and oval design's just doesn't cut the mustard like retangular and mininal shapes does. Heck - just look at this idea that I have been playing with.

    BeoVision 10-40 with BeoLab 5000

  • 06-06-2011 5:25 AM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Not bad at all. It distantly resemples to my eyes to this:

     

    -Dimitris

  • 06-06-2011 7:00 AM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Karla:
    Why do they keep building “dead end” systems which do not connect to the multi-link? B&O might call it a stand alone system and that it is designed to draw the customer to the B&O stores, but all it really does is create a substandard product which is expensive and doesn’t integrate with future purchases, and it discourages the customer from buying more products. It is sort of a bait and switch with the customer dollars.

    I think something like a BeoSound 8 is extensible IFF B&O produce something like these ideas:

    • a Masterlink (or the new Beolink) black box that interfaces via the Apple iPod interface
    • an iPod shaped device that behaves like a Beolink Wireless 

    WHat I am trying to say, is produce a standalone box with industry standard interfaces ... but then provide black boxes like the BeoLink Active or ML/MCL Convertor to connect the industry standard interface into the B&O world

    I am sure no one would complain at pay $500 to extend their $2,000 investment 

     

    On the other hand it would be nice if B&O learnt to price things like the BeoLink Active at a price point like the $150 for an Apple TV G2 !

    First B&O (1976) was a Beogram 1500 ... latest (2011) change has been to couple the BL11 with the BL6Ks *sounds superb*

  • 06-06-2011 9:29 AM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Paul has a point , I was at my beoshop last week and had a demo of the 7-55 , lovely tv , it looked amazing. Until I found out the price.

    £17k ..

    I thought it might be April 1st.

    Somehow I doubt if that one flies off the shelves...

  • 06-06-2011 9:40 AM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Great points from Karla and Chris!

  • 06-06-2011 10:05 AM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    For most of B&O's history, media moves slowly. Decades of vinyl, a decade plus of tapes, two decades of CDs. A form factor could be introduced and stay relevant for the life of the media it dealt with, which helped to justify the price. 

    Now media moves quickly. A large investment can seem out of proportion with speed at which media formats are updated and new services come online and go dark.

    How do you plan to keep an "investment quality" brand relevant during times of rapid innovation?

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 06-06-2011 10:40 AM In reply to

    • akoro
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 08-07-2008
    • Espoo, Finland
    • Posts 88
    • Gold Member

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    DrDimitris:

    Not bad at all. It distantly resemples to my eyes to this:

     

     

    Design wise yes - sound... well I have to be honest - I have never heard these loewe speakers so this is purely speculation but I highly doubt that those speakers are any good, even compared to the old BeoLab 5000.

  • 06-06-2011 4:00 PM In reply to

    • ®
    • Top 75 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-01-2007
    • UK
    • Posts 970
    • Founder

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    Q. Why can't I buy new B&O online, view prices and avoid the dealers?

  • 06-06-2011 7:49 PM In reply to

    Re: Any questions for the new CEO ?

    ®:

    Q. Why can't I buy new B&O online, view prices and avoid the dealers?

    Yes -  thumbs up

    My B&O: 2009 Catalogue and Pricelist

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