What’s in a name? We live in a culture of branding and brand names. We wear company logos and names on practically every piece of clothing we own. From bags and jewelry to T-shirts, jeans and footwear, we have all become walking advertisements for clothing manufacturers, loudspeaker companies, microphone producers, bands, audio consoles, speaker cables, beer, motorcycles, cars, sports franchises, cymbal makers and on and on ad infinitum. In the last millennium, there was a phrase, “you are what you eat,” which was used to describe the pitfalls of choosing the wrong diet.
Today, it seems that we are what we wear, or better yet, we are what name brands we attach to ourselves. Most brands are marketed to a certain demographic, and therefore, come attached with a specific profile. An example of this profiling is found in automobile marketing, which can influences the way we, as consumers, approach certain vehicles. We are what we drive, or sometimes we aspire to be what we drive, but nonetheless, certain characteristics are associated with the type and name brand of the car one might own. Ironically, these associations and attachments to certain pieces of mass marketed merchandise speak volumes about a person’s individuality and character. It’s not difficult to profile people — at least not our image of certain people — by the car they drive, the cigarettes they smoke or clothes they wear. A guy who drives a Mercedes projects a different image from the Volvo- or Prius-driving man.
Let’s Play a Game
A fun game to play is to start naming brands (it doesn’t matter what the product might be), and without giving it too much thought, try to describe the type of person you might associate with the product or brand name you have chosen. Then try to imagine what other products might be used by that same person. We can also play the game a different way and build a personality by the products we assign to each character. For example, we have two different men who both drive a Mercedes SL550 Roadster, but one of them wears Ralph Lauren jeans and the other wears American Eagle jeans. Now imagine what cigarettes they would smoke — if they should smoke — or what beer they might drink, etc. It’s a Rorschach test without the inkblots.
While this might be a fun game to play on the bus to pass time, most manufacturers consider this game to be a serious business and are willing to pay good money to a person who is able to profile a specific demographic of buyer for whatever the product might be. If these high-paid profilers are doing their job then we the buyers don’t stand a chance and will respond to the sales pitch with a knee-jerk reaction. Advertising and marketing do not necessarily sell a superior product as much as it sells an attitude and/or lifestyle. This is not to say that the merchandise at the top of its field doesn’t deserve to be there, or that the quality is not as good as advertised, but there are other products that do not get the same recognition even though they are just as good, if not better, than those better-marketed products.
Here Versus There
For some reason, maybe a particular marketing plan or profiling, certain audio equipment plays better in Europe or Asia than in the United States. There are specific line arrays that, while being a No. 1 choice on European riders, only show up as a last alternative, if at all, on U.S. riders. Of course, word of mouth is a valuable way for any product to be sold, and if the quality of an item is as good as it is rumored to be, then there is a good chance it will start replacing other competitors on specific riders. I bring all of this up because, as an audio provider, it’s important to be able to determine what gear is best for your targeted clientele. Of course, money is always an issue no matter how large or small the company, and while the best equipment is always desired, financial consideration needs to be taken into account. A few questions to ponder while browsing for new gear might include: Does the system that is twice the price of another system deliver twice the performance? Can it be rented at a competitive price to the existing clients and will it bring in new clients? Can the lesser system fulfill the necessary requirements? Are there other vendors in close proximity that have an identical system in case there is a need to enhance what you have purchased?
Many product choices and loyalties come from fond childhood memories such as, “My father drove a Chevy and so do I” or “everyone in my family drinks Coke, therefore, I’d feel like a traitor if I ever switched to Pepsi.” “My grandfather was a Yankee fan, my father is a Yankee fan, I’m a Yankee fan, and I’ll be damned if my son or his sons become Boston fans!” “My family has always been Democrat and so am I.” Granted, it’s a bit different in the field of audio where our product attachment is not as tied to our childhood memories, but I do know engineers that grew up using certain consoles, microphones and speaker companies, and still remain loyal to the brand name despite the fact that a superior product may have come along.
Choice Is Good
Speaking of superior products, in my experience, I have found that it is usually the better equipment that rises and stays at the top of the band riders. Of course, there are exceptions, and sometimes it’s just a new technology that edges out the competition, as in the case of certain analog consoles that still have a sonic edge, but — due to technological convenience — have been replaced by digital boards as the desk of choice. I am not suggesting that these digital consoles are bad products, on the contrary, they are great, which is why they are in demand. After all, I would assume that, as an equipment owner, one would not keep a piece of brand-name equipment that, in one way or another, kept failing. I would also assume that one wouldn’t care to take a chance buying any more equipment from the same company due to the negative experience. While most brand name companies are honorable about repairing or replacing their faulty product, I would think that most people would be hard-pressed to support any company if they sold a bill of goods that, in one way or another, failed on a frequent basis.
All this brings me to my final musing regarding two of the largest brand names of them all… “Democrat” and “Republican.” What I find interesting is that, in this very important election year and in a country that provides us with so many brand name products to choose from, we still only have two brand name choices in regard to electing a new commander-in-chief. These brand names have been around longer than most, and in so many instances, both brands have provided us with some great products. Unfortunately, I often feel as if I’m choosing between Coke and Pepsi when I really would prefer a Dr. Pepper, or to keep the analogy in perspective, I feel that my choice is between two line-array systems when I really prefer a front-loaded cabinet. That said, may I suggest that we all choose wisely in the same way we might when selecting an expensive piece of equipment and ask the same questions. “Is it functional, adaptable and profitable, and will it enhance my business and make life better for not only workers, but my clients and me as well?” If the answers to these questions is no, then it just might be time to switch vendors.
