Joining a superbrand

A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WORLD’S PREMIER AUDIO-VISUAL BRAND IS ONE OF FRANCHISING’S MOST HIGH PROFILE OPPORTUNITIES. JASON SMITH, BANG & OLUFSEN’S SALES AND DISTRIBUTION DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, ANSWERS PROSPECTIVE FRANCHISEES’ MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF BANG & OLUFSEN’S CURRENT UK RETAIL NETWORK IS REPRESENTED BY FRANCHISEES?

Today the vast majority, some 90 per cent of our store network across the UK, is operated by our franchise partners.

FOR SOMEONE WANTING TO JOIN THE NETWORK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE KEY REQUIREMENTS?

Obviously you need to have a strong interest in new technology, but I would say you also need a real passion and desire to deliver the ultimate retail and buying experience for customers. All this has to be underpinned with strong commercial acumen.

HOW MUCH SUPPORT CAN A NEW FRANCHISEE COUNT ON FROM BANG & OLUFSEN, BOTH IN THE SHORT AND LONGER TERM?

At Bang & Olufsen we view our relationship with our franchise distribution network as a partnership. Support is ongoing from the day someone joins us and for as long as that business relationship continues. Support comes in many different forms, far too many to list here, but each region is assigned a dedicated regional development manager who on average looks after around 20 stores. On a day-to-day basis, he or she is the point of contact for a franchisee and is there as a vital support mechanism to help to drive their business forward.

WHERE DO YOU FEEL THE MAIN GROWTH AREAS EXIST IN THE AUDIO-VISUAL SECTOR?

At Bang & Olufsen we have a unique ability to provide our customers with a total a-v solution on a bespoke basis. Our growth is therefore only limited by the ability of our partners to understand and recognise what customers require and the potential options available to them.

More specifically, multi-room, multi-zone audio-visual solutions are becoming an increasingly important part of our business as customers become more aware of the digital revolution. Customers today want an ‘intelligent’ home where their Bang & Olufsen remote control not merely turns their television or music system on and off, but can control lighting in a room, is able to close the curtains or blinds and at the same time adjust the heating. All of this is possible with Bang & Olufsen. The limitation is not with our customers, it’s with the franchisee and his or her recognition of what that customer really wants or desires.

WHY DO YOU FEEL BANG & OLUFSEN OFFERS BETTER OPPORTUNITIES THAN OTHER BRANDS IN THIS MARKET?

Bang & Olufsen is unique in its sector. Yes, of course we sell products that appear similar - they show a picture or provide sound or music content - but that’s where the similarity ends. Our product design and development is far more demanding. In a design sense our products must appeal to the eye and the heart and still look good in their changed environment and surroundings in five, 10 or even 20 years time. But they also have to deliver strongly in performance terms, and be durable and reliable enough to stand the test of time. But even that’s only part of the story.

Our products must work alone or together, satisfying the continuing needs of our customers to add to their collection of Bang & Olufsen products. Currently an amazing 55 per cent of our business comes from existing clients. What other a-v brand can say that? Did I also mention the profit margin that a franchisee partner with Bang & Olufsen can expect, compared to that offered by rival brands? Our business opportunity is unique and unparalleled in so many areas.

IS THERE A CHANNEL THROUGH WHICH FRANCHISEES CAN INFLUENCE DECISIONS ON ISSUES SUCH AS SALES AND MARKETING?

Yes. Bang & Olufsen consistently listens to what its partners have to say via dedicated marketing forums, general dealer meetings and on a direct basis through the regional development manager, or any of the senior management team.

GIVEN THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, WHY WOULD THIS BE THE MOMENT TO JOIN THE BANG & OLUFSEN NETWORK?

The economy has been turbulent for around three years and during this time Bang & Olufsen hasn’t been isolated from the effects of the downturn. However, this has meant we have had time to refocus, both in terms of what we are offering to customers and how we provide our products and services via our business partners. Those looking for a business franchise opportunity where the products and the brand offer unrivalled desirability and excellence in design, performance and integration need look no further.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to know more about becoming a Bang & Olufsen franchise partner call Jason Smith on 07702 861481 or email smt@bang-olufsen.dk.

Sound opportunity

The chance to become part of Bang & Olufsen, the world’s best known prestige audio-visual brand, is one of franchising’s more exclusive offers

Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, founding fathers of Bang & Olufsen 85 years ago, could never have imagined what a global success story their small Danish company would become or how dramatically the audio-visual world would change.

But what hasn’t altered in more than eight decades is the legacy both men left behind - Bang & Olufsen’s resolute commitment to quality, performance and customer care.

INNOVATION

In today’s ‘sell and forget’ world of electrical discount superstores, Bang & Olufsen has remained a successful beacon of innovation and individuality, and a company that still believes in a retailer network where product knowledge and customer satisfaction are everything. And, while its designers continue to deliver products that delight with their unique styling, Bang & Olufsen’s engineers remain committed to developing advanced user-friendly technology that surprises and delights rather than confuses and annoys.

Through the years Bang & Olufsen has continued to bring an innovative edge to everything it produces. In the early days that meant combining radios with record players, developing push-button radios and making breakthroughs in colour broadcasting, stereo sound and video. More recently it has led to televisions that turn to face you at the touch of a button, clever multiple CD players, loudspeakers whose performance belies their compact dimensions and digital music systems able to compile playlists to match your musical mood. Today the company is far more than an iconic producer of audio-visual products, as Jason Smith, Bang & Olufsen UK’s franchise manager, explains.

“Understandably the brand is still best known for the superb quality of its televisions - plasma, LCD and now 3D - along with its pioneering approach to music systems. But the company is also one of the key developers of high quality loudspeakers, whether to link with a computer or provide the ultimate surround sound cinema experience at home. Our acoustic laboratory facilities in Denmark are amongst the best in the world. We also offer a range of telephones that blend style and performance for both home and business use.”

Adds Smith: “One other area where Bang & Olufsen clearly demonstrates its lead in the market is in the growing field of seamless home automation and integration solutions. Customers increasingly want to enjoy the new entertainment revolution all around the home and we have the technology and know-how to deliver that and operate it, often via a single hand-held Beo6 remote. We can even integrate other functions to dim lights, close curtains and activate other equipment.”

SHOP WINDOW

Bang & Olufsen’s UK retailer network, its shop window, involves some 80 branded stores and multi-brand outlets, the majority of those franchises. Each provides an audio-visual experience for customers to demonstrate the performance capabilities of the company’s products.

“As well as assisting franchises with strong visual merchandising, Bang & Olufsen offers excellent training and marketing expertise as well as lead generation support,” says Smith. “It’s a partnership in which we offer all the essential tools and support in return for enthusiasm for the brand and a commitment to continue the company’s commitment to quality and customer care.”

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