General Asylum

Objectivism Killed the Musical Star... .

71.161.235.249

In Reply to: RE: Is Timbre Audio still in business? posted by Quint on May 25, 2007 at 15:20:29

A sad story indeed.

An object lesson in how difficult it is to keep your nose above water when:

• You are a start-up company

• With only one product

• A minute dealer base and

• Trying to sell to people who in many cases either don't know how to listen or lack the courage of their convictions.

Full disclosure: at a time I was not writing for Stereophile, I cooperated with various companies at several CES and HiFi Show events, providing program material, and Timbre Technologies was involved in at least one of those group displays.

TT is also a good example of what John Atkinson means when he says he does not want Steerophile to be the beginning and the end of a product's marketing strategy.

Here's an excellent bit of marketing advice: rather than spend a fortune on magazine ads, run very small ads, but sign up dealers by telling them that if they meet their sales target, they and a friend will be your guests at a hot-air balloon ranch in Arizona or an oceanfront villa in Newport or whatever. You don't have to shell out for the weekend until you have sold enough widgets to cover the cost, as opposed to signing an ad contract, which in Irish is called throwing your hat over the wall and none of your friends has a ladder.

And I am not taking a position adverse to Stereophile's owners; I am sure they are better off when companies can stay in the race over the long haul.

This is also a good example of what might look expensive today is a bargain tomorrow.

Or, pay more, get more.

What a funny/dysfunctional industry.

The opinions expressed are only my own.

JM

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