Jerry Del Colliano of HomeTheaterReview.com wrote a great article about how AV brands look to dealers to "push" their products over creating new consumer demand. A link to the full article is below.
Here is a direct quote from his article: "Many companies looking for an easy way out of marketing their products to consumers think that salespeople control every element of what a consumer buys and can therefore push the company's products or brands, as opposed to the company itself presenting consumers with a compelling reason for purchasing their products and thus driving them to the retailer"
I couldn't agree with Jerry more! Most consumers want AV equipment which sounds great and looks good at a reasonable price. They perhaps also "expect" the salesperson is going to recommend something which the average consumer will recognize.
As a consumer you may go to your local specialty AV store and are seeking to part with $1200 for a pair of speakers, after all, there is comfort in spending $1200 for a recognizable brand of speakers. Not saying here that a recognizable brand is providing you more bang for your buck. I'm just saying that consumers are more willing to part with their cash if they are comfortable with their purchase. Now an educated salesperson will certainly provide and explain to the consumer why brand xyz is a better and valid investment over what the buyer was originally interested in.... and the salesperson will pitch the logic behind their personal recommendation. Yes, it is up to the salesperson to meet and deliver the individual needs of each consumer, and to provide equipment that meets or exceeds the consumers criteria. But all things being equal (and that is the important part), the final sale will almost certainly lean towards the brand recognition. I am not opposed to pushing a set of SpeakerCraft speakers, I love them, they are very robust in design, sound great and I have never had a complaint. Now try selling them to an average consumer that has never heard of SpeakerCraft. I spec them into almost every proposal because they are a proven source of quality, affordable custom speakers. I take the time to explain their history, market share, and warranty info. Now open any Home Theater magazine, or go to any Home Theater website or domain, you rarely see any mention of SpeakerCraft either online or in print. This creates somewhat of a "burden" on the salesperson, who does think the brands they carry are market proven, quality tested and un-matched in value, this is why they offer them. The salesperson must now (usually in minutes) pitch a marketing campaign equal to the marketing campaign the consumer has been listening to or seeing in magazines for years on competing products.
Good job Jerry, you were right on!
Jerry's full article can be found here
Marc
http://www.hometheaterintegrators.com/
