- Mr. Jacob, please tell me what exactly represents the Bang & Olufsen brand, known for its extraordinary technological concepts, in Dubai? And why in Dubai?
You know, today we are presenting in Dubai practically the same products that we presented in Moscow two years ago. It should be noted that we are a very small company compared to other market players, and therefore our target segment is at the very top of the technology industry. Of course, we are proud that our brand is well known, despite the fact that we, in the most approximate figures, are one hundred times smaller than our business colleagues - Samsung, Panasonic, Hitachi and so on.
We can say that we are trying to cover a completely different, narrowly targeted segment of the market and offer it our products, which brings its owners great pleasure and a completely new experience in communicating with high-tech innovations in their own home. This is the kind of products we present in Dubai. Why exactly in Dubai? Everything is simple - this is a rapidly growing metropolis in which all projects call for the use of the most advanced technologies. Therefore we are here. And, by the way, the Russian-speaking diaspora living in the UAE is a very important audience for us. I will tell you more - our company’s largest store is located in Moscow, entering the 15 largest Bang & Olufsen stores worldwide.
- Is it because today Moscow is one of the three most expensive cities in the world, along with New York and Tokyo? Or are there any other reasons?
In fact, our small company has a very interesting story. This year, November 26th, Bang & Olufsen turns 82 years old. In the first 40 years of its existence, the company mainly concentrated its activities on the market of Scandinavian countries. Then, for more than 30 years, it also covered the countries of northern Europe. And only in the last 10 - 15 years, the Bang & Olufsen brand began to present its products in other European countries, and today also in the Middle East. In the USA, for example, Bang & Olufsen is not very widely represented - it is not the most important of our markets, since in North America other television standards are used that are different from those adopted in Europe.
And, again, I repeat - our company is too small to cover all interesting markets. But, nevertheless, we are present in Japan, and in the United States, and in Canada, and in some other countries. And Moscow is the capital of a great power, therefore for us the presence in the Russian capital is, above all, prestigious. Well, it’s very interesting, of course, because Russian buyers are very demanding. This makes us keep the bar very high. I think that our experience and our products that we offer in the Russian market are already quite well known, and now we present our latest developments here in Dubai.
In fact, we started supplying our products to Dubai almost 30 years ago with the support of our local partner, who owns a large number of electronics stores, for example, in the BurJuman Center shopping center. Today we continue to cooperate with this partner, but at this stage we are setting up a company under our own brand, opening a Bang & Olufsen subsidiary in Dubai, knowing that the target audience that this audience is currently living in in this part of the world our products are wealthy people who want to have all the best.
- Everyone knows that Dubai is currently experiencing a new era in its development. We saw advertisements of modern Dubai new buildings, in which your company acts as partners. Please tell us more about which projects and how Bang & Olufsen participates?
We offer leading Dubai developers the full technological equipment of their projects. Moreover, our product comes directly from the factory. That is why we are in a better position compared to different electronics dealers. The fact that we are manufacturers of plasma televisions, home cinemas, speakers and smart home systems allows us to conclude contracts with such large developers as Emaar, Nakheel, Trident and others.
In addition, our participation in the project begins at the drawing phase, as our experts can immediately advise architects and designers what needs to be done so that all possible technological innovations from Bang & Olufsen can be installed in the new house. We offer ready-made technological solutions to future owners of apartments and houses in Dubai, and we are ready to explain how we see their future apartment in terms of audio and video content.
We believe that it will take us two to three years to begin to present concepts for comprehensively filling the entire building with audio and video equipment. And our main goal is not only to present to people what modern technologies are capable of. After all, everyone knows that modern technology can do everything or almost everything. The main thing in the science of arranging a modern home is the reverse choice, that is, the rejection of the equipment that is not really needed by a person. All that remains is what is really necessary for a comfortable life. We immediately calculate the options - where TVs can be installed in the living rooms, and immediately make recommendations where there are wiring, electrical outlets and so on.
For example, having created our remote control almost 20 years ago, we can proudly say that it is still relevant and with its help you can control almost all home appliances. Personally, I don’t like, when traveling to a new country and staying at a hotel, I spend half an evening looking for the remote control I need from a TV or, for example, a CD player. Our remote control can be thrown to the floor, hit it against the wall - and nothing will happen. It is convenient and easy to operate, even for those people who are equipped with the “you” technique, durable and versatile. The remote control is a means of communication between a person and technology, and it should not confuse you, but is intended to help. That is the point. We allow technologies to be invisible, and everything that depends on them is demonstrated by our technology. For example, the TV that you see behind me has the function of adjusting the colors on the screen depending on the saturation of lighting in the room. This allows a person not to think that he spoils his vision by watching a television program in the dark.
As for audio systems, from the very beginning we recommend to developers what the level of sound insulation between apartments in a residential building should be like so that the neighbors do not interfere with each other, even using the “sound around” effects and subwoofers. This slightly increases the cost of construction, but after putting the facility into operation, you do not have to redo anything. And the residents have no reason to complain about the developers. They paid for luxury housing - they got it. With our help, including.
- How do you manage to convince developers that all your recommendations are worth being implemented?
Smart developers are well aware that the better their new home will be built and equipped, the more profitable and expensive they will be able to sell housing in it. In addition, all our consultations are provided free of charge. Many of our colleagues spend huge amounts of money on self-promotion; we cannot afford this as a medium-sized company. Therefore, we spend our money focusing on specific projects.
For example, we are partners of Trident in the Pentominium project, where all apartments will be equipped with us. Our marketing specialists advise serious developers, and we consider this a part of our corporate marketing culture. And on the other hand, the developer does not spend huge sums, since wiring and installing outlets is not a very big cost. But, feeling that he can show his competence in matters of modern equipment to future tenants, the developer, of course, chooses Bang & Olufsen as a consultant and as a partner. By the way, we begin to consult even before signing a contract with a developer who has the right to choose a different brand for installation in their apartments or houses, but we are sure that no one else can offer such an acoustic and visual experience as we and Bang & Olufsen.
- But modern technology does not stand still. Every day something new appears on the market or someone new. How do you update your current Bang & Olufsen product line?
Design is one of the most important components of our products. You can be sure that once the developed design of a certain Bang & Olufsen TV model will be unchanged, but the "filling" will certainly undergo changes. Therefore, if this TV set will be installed in the apartment or hotel room, which will fit perfectly into the interior, then when it is replaced with a newer one, nobody will notice anything, since there will be no external differences, but the image quality and sound will be improved. This is Bang & Olufsen's philosophy - all of our products are recognizable and very ergonomic. They serve as a wonderful complement to the interior, and there is no need to hide them in cabinets or drawers. Thank you, Jacob. We are waiting for new ideas from Bang & Olufsen and their incarnations.
