In my quest to keep meeting consumer electronics (CE) marketers and understand the obstacles they face at retail, I was recently able to have an hour-long conversation with Mike Culver, president of Libratone. He is responsible for sales, marketing, customer service/support, operations and P&L for the company. When Mike was offered the position at Libratone, he … [Read more...]
B8TA: The Try-and-Buy Technology Retailer
"b8ta stores are designed for discovering, trying and buying the latest tech products." I finally visited a b8ta store in Santa Monica, California last week. It is exactly how I imagined it would be. For those of you who aren't familiar with the retail chain, it is a store that is designed to give customers hands-on access to all of the products they sell. They focus … [Read more...]
CES Themes Through the Years: From Booth Babes to Bots
I've been going to CES for well over a decade. Each year provides great opportunities to network, meet face-to-face with clients, and observe how the show and technologies change. For instance, there are fewer booth babes, with more robots and drones drawing attention to the booths. This year, I thought I would travel back in time and note the prevailing CES themes, as well as … [Read more...]
The Death of the Brand at Retail For CE Products
In a market where there are many similar products, such as in consumer electronics, how important is the brand? I want to say it is VERY important. However, it is difficult for any brand to stand out in-store or online in this ever-evolving retail world. This blog explores how online shopping has changed how brands present themselves and the retailer's role in downplaying the … [Read more...]
What CE Independent Retailers can Learn from the Corner Bicycle Shop
My son has a dream of owning his own bicycle shop. I figured there has to be a book about how to start your own retail bicycle store and sure enough I found one: "Leading Out Retail: A Creative Look at Bicycle Retail and What All Retailers Can Learn From It" by Donny Perry. (Published in 2014). Perry foreshadows a lot of what is happening to independent retailers today and … [Read more...]
SYNQY Uncomplicates the Online Path-to-Purchase
There are several ways to reach your potential customer online but which ones really work? This blog explores how SYNQY technology can capture your customer's attention during the path-to-purchase process and increase your brand's awareness and sales using your own rich media content. What is a SYNQY? I have written about this technology before, but for those of you who … [Read more...]
Great Packaging Tells a Story About Your Brand
Whether a customer bought your product online or at the store, your package has an impact on your brand. Consumer technology manufacturers should look outside of their category to get inspiration. This blog will highlight a product that has done a great job defining their brand through their package design as well as some packaging within the CE … [Read more...]
How Not To P!#$ Off Your Dealer Network If…
So what are some of those things that can cause conflict between a dealer network and the CE manufacturer? ...you both want to drive traffic to your website. A marketing director for a manufacturer of high performance car audio equipment, shared with me his frustration that he needs to raise awareness for products outside of their own core competency. After 45 years in … [Read more...]
What is Hindering Your Product’s Success in Retail Outlets?
I asked many of my LinkedIn connections in the CE industry what is hurting the success of consumer technology products at retail outlets. I received several insights and I thought they are worth sharing to a larger audience. High Costs, Low Margins, Counterfeit Products, and Amazon are Major Obstacles at Retail Outlets An EVP of Sales & Marketing and Operations at a … [Read more...]
The Independent Dealer Can Prosper in the Age of Amazon
There is a place for independent dealers (regional and local) in the consumer technology world. Some chains have failed or are trying to restructure such as HHGregg and Radio Shack. Best Buy is making a comeback and doing battle with Amazon and Walmart. Can the independent dealer claim their place in the evolving retail world? I think they can and in fact, they may be able to … [Read more...]