The Danish design giant got a few hard truths from the students on Marketing & Communication. Truths that were backed by valuable facts, but accompanied by suggestions for new events and not least a new tagline.
How is it that there is no sound in the headphones on display in a B&O shop that just markets itself on sublime sound? And what does it mean when they use the EXIST TO CREATE tagline – does anyone even understand it?
"Ouch...," René Christoffer, Global Senior Art Director at B&O, said to Group 4. "But it's so cool that you're collecting data, so we've got it in black and white."
Group 5 was also commended for the extensive research work they had done prior to their proposals to the company:
"I'm completely blown away by the huge amount of research you've done, along with an unparalleled output - it's absolutely incredible. Challenges and solutions are astonishingly close to our reality," the B&O people said about the huge idea catalogue for activating the target group created by Group 5.
A catalogue that puts action behind the tagline Exist to Create and includes creative artists and craftsmen, unfolded as interviews, videos, picture series online as well as concerts, talks and exhibitions in B&O's flagship stores.
B&O is challenged in relation to reaching the female audience – today most customers are men.
Group 4 accepted this challenge by e.g. proposing silent yoga events, where participants are equipped with headphones. And it is precisely calm in combination with quality experiences that form the basis of the group's solutions.
Everyday life is an inferno of noise, and people are increasingly looking for chances to 'un-plug' – just as quality and sustainability are important elements. Group 4 has therefore created the tagline MORE SOUND – less noise. The vision behind are products that replace everyday noise with quality sound.
" MORE SOUND - less noise is great. It is very much to the point in its appeal to today's consumer and constitutes a valuable added value for B&O," said Mia Elisabeth Tvenge, from Global Marketing at B&O.
"That's exactly what a brand like our's can own. But the most exciting part is silent yoga. This gives B&O a voice and something to offer. Bringing service in as a core value on an equal footing with design, craft and sound is crazy" René Christoffer said in response to the group's focus on increasing the service that you as a consumer should expect – not least in B&O's own shops where the group experienced a somewhat rigid environment without the opportunity to test the sound of the products.
"We can see that it is not the price as such that is crucial for non-purchases – 52 per cent think B&O's prices are okay. On the other hand, the physical shops affect up to 81 percent of all purchases and considerations."
A total of 65 students divided among 13 groups from the 4th semester on Marketing & Communication Design analysed the market and created a range of promotional proposals and brand books for the company from Struer.
Translated into English by Camilla Reslet
