New Harman Promo in Time Mag

[johnaec]

'Latest issue of Time magazine, (Nov. 10, 2008), came today and there, next to page 4 - a full-page promo for Harman International, including all their named brands, and featuring a Soundcraft console, front and center. A little online search at harman.com found the actual ad copy itself in .pdf.

Here's the link to it at Harman's site - it would have to be resized down just a little to meet the forum's actual posting size limit - maybe someone else will do that: http://www.harman.com/advertising/recorded_note.pdf (note - 3.2 meg size)

Anyway, it's nice to see that Harman may be realizing/recognizing the strength and quality behind its brands and start getting them out in front of people, (how much more mainstream than Time mag can you get?), instead of constantly getting slammed up side the head by Bose, etc., at every turn of the page...

Of course - there are still those nasty stock price issues they do have to deal with that may have more to do with this than anything...

John

[doodlebug]

From a former high-tech marketing guy, I find this ad curious. It appears to be a Brand Name ad, which I believe we have seen elsewhere from Harmon in recent months. Perhaps we're seeing some sort of marketing effort but its not clear to me why now and what compelling reasons.

Differentiation....

Who do you suppose the competition is for this Brand Name? What compelling differentiators do we see in the ad? This usually doesn't come up in Brand Awareness campaigns but it begs here since I'm not clear who a competitor is at this level. Harmon Int'l has always appeared to me to be a holding company more than a brand.

The Target Customer....

Who are they selling to? Given the placement in such a consumer news weekly like Time, it must be consumers - but of what nature? Why would they care about things like Studer? Why would they care about the Harmon brand since it isn't prominent on the gear they'll see at Best Buy?

I don't get it....what am I missing here?

Cheers,

David

[Titanium Dome]

As a first step in brand awareness, it makes sense, but only if it's followed up with some actual product positioning. I can understand Harman wanting to establish some credibility by stating essentially "We are all these things, and we touch your life in many ways." Okay, fine. Harman is big and it plays a big role in things that I experience.

Now what does Harman want the consumer to do about that? It better be more than, "Thanks, Harman, keep up the good work."

[hjames]

As a first step in brand awareness, it makes sense, but only if it's followed up with some actual product positioning. I can understand Harman wanting to establish some credibility by stating essentially "We are all these things, and we touch your life in many ways." Okay, fine. Harman is big and it plays a big role in things that I experience.

Now what does Harman want the consumer to do about that? It better be more than, "Thanks, Harman, keep up the good work."

Well, I told you all about the odd 20 second Harman ad I saw about a month or so back during our local evening news show. It was similar to this - mostly small logos and a voiceover that "we are the brands you know" or something to that effect. Low key and not particularly effective, I thought - but at least they are presenting the company and the related brands. Like you, I wasn't sure what the ad's point was ...

Maybe it was meant to be an addition to the local presence they have with the new Harman Center for the Arts in DC

[BMWCCA]

I just converted it to a JPG:

[johnaec]

Well, it seems obvious to me that they really wanted to make some kind of splash, putting it so prominently in a mainstream mag issue featuring the presidential runoff finals this particular week.

It could be as simple as Harman betting that regardless of who wins [the election], people are going to start feeling good about "consuming", (more incentives?), and start thinking about stuff like upgrading their home theater, etc, especially when you know Bose, etc., is just walking away with a significant segment of that market, low end though it might be. I definitely have to side with Harman here, at least in terms of selection and quality.

It just seems like Harman wants to actively/agressively get involved into selling into more of this market, though I certainly don't have the background to know if this is the best way to start. 'Guess we'll just have to see what they follow it up with...

John

[Mr. Widget]

As a first step in brand awareness, it makes sense, but only if it's followed up with some actual product positioning.

I think it depends on what they are selling... I'd guess they are not trying to sell tape decks, speakers, or amps... they are selling a company. They want someone to get excited about their market dominance, drive the stock price up, buy them out and strip the company of it's worth...


Haven't any of these guys learned anything?


Widget

[Titanium Dome]

Unfortunately, the crowd in the ad doesn't seem too excited about anything. In fact they look rather bored.

[BMWCCA]

Unfortunately, the crowd in the ad doesn't seem too excited about anything. In fact they look rather bored.

Maybe if the dork was actually playing that Les Paul instead of just wearing it like jewelry . . .

[scott fitlin]

Maybe if the dork was actually playing that Les Paul instead of just wearing it like jewelry . . .

[BMWCCA]

It looks like a John McCain rally. Hey, isn't that Joe the Plumber over there in the puff of smoke? Joe, are you here? Joe??

Hell, they're ALL Joe the Plumber.

[Horndriver]

I seem to remember using many of those brands for 35 years or more. Just think how many people that are reading that magazine see those brands for the first time. Just think of how many think that the Bose table radio or whatever the heck it is has room filling sound.

I am picking up today a pair of MR645a Horns. I scored them on Craigslist in a trade .

I am building boxes to go with a pair of Bi-axial 12" Drivers( Soundcraftsman) and matching passive woofers....these will eventually mate with the horns if I can ever get my wife to let me have them in the house. For know they will remain as part of my ever increasing " Garage " system...which does feature a HK amp.

Nice to be here cool site...

[jblsound]

As a first step in brand awareness, it makes sense, but only if it's followed up with some actual product positioning. I can understand Harman wanting to establish some credibility by stating essentially "We are all these things, and we touch your life in many ways." Okay, fine. Harman is big and it plays a big role in things that I experience.

Now what does Harman want the consumer to do about that? It better be more than, "Thanks, Harman, keep up the good work."

From what I was told a week or so ago, the JBL brand isn't getting a boast in public awareness, as far as the new LS series is concerned.
The LS is going to be "brought to the US market" in '09. The reason I put that in parenthsis is because JBL is going to use the same dealer system as they did with the PS, that being Synthesis dealers. Most of which have no showrooms, which means, as with the PS, most American consumers will know nothing about the LS when it does get here.

Yes the PS did show up on the harmanaudio.com site, about 4 years or so after the PS was first released, but doesn't do the buyer any good who likes to be able to audition speakers before he/she buys. Which I think is very important when you're talking about the list price range of the PS and LS.

[Andyoz]

Unfortunately, the crowd in the ad doesn't seem too excited about anything. In fact they look rather bored.

Yes, the singer is so bad that his own drummer appears to have left the stage!

[JBL 4645]

Well done congratulations Harman. I’m proud to be part of legendry name.