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Not advertising is not always the smart choice--LONG




Well, IMHO, even though the Shahinians are lovely people, they are not the only people I know (many of whom are performing musicians) who suffer from the "If I build it they will come" school of thought. Conducting well or playing a concerto well is a given, thousands of people can do those things. The jobs go to people with great people skills who nurture their careers as fervently as they strive to improve their art. IMHO Itzhak Perlman could have made a great businessperson or a great politician.

Getting back to audio, I myself think that it is tragic that Shahinian has no US dealer base. Building great loudspeakers, on its own, is not enough. And I have to think that the Shahinian historical anti-marketing posture is in some respect at least partly responsible for that. Dealers cannot do all the selling themselves. Customers need education and customers need their good impressions validated. Ads--good ads--can help educate and validate, and help drive showroom traffic. (Well, at least in the old days.)

I think as many companies have failed because of not advertising (and I think one must conclude that at present Shahinian is not successful in the US) as from advertising with poor ads, or buying too many ads while having not enough dealers (e.g., Timbre Technologies).

Ads are NOT just payoffs to the magazine, and ad copy is not always mere self-congratulation. Ads at best are educational in that they connect the product's benefits with the prospect's needs.

One of the most effective ads in history is Ogilvy's Rolls-Royce ad. Everybody remembers the grabby headline, but most people don't remember that the guts of the ad was 13 factual statements of Features, Functions, and Benefits. "This is what's in it for you."

Instead of running a product shot with a couple of unsupported self-serving conclusions, audio manufacturers would do well to use Ogilvy's Rolls ad as a template.

Do you disagree?

ATB,

John

PS: Yes, you once could buy a Rolls-Royce for $13,995. LBJ and Nixon and Ford and Carter fixed that! (Asbestos cassock and surplice on...)

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