Didn't see this mentioned anywhere on BeoWorld so I thought you guys may be interested.
B&O is phasing out the BeoPlay subbrand. Current and future products will be rebranded to Bang & Olufsen.
https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1531897371
johnnielse: Didn't see this mentioned anywhere on BeoWorld so I thought you guys may be interested
Didn't see this mentioned anywhere on BeoWorld so I thought you guys may be interested
We've discussed it a few times - they are also bringing BeoPlay and B&O together and launching a brand new e-store next March.
LOL@Paul's comment, the first comment of the article! I guess I am one of these "...old men" but I like you're take on it either way!
You are also a part of this forum Paul as many times you have harped on about your A1 since purchase and how much you love it. It's good to criticise constructively as there are many B&O products I too dislike for different reasons.
I think many of us would agree that the 90s were the golden era for Bang & Olufsen but I disagree that Tue alone knew the right way forward, or that the younger generation do. I don't think anybody really knows or can project as we are all so different in what floats our boat and live in a time of rapidly changing products and fashions compared to a generation or two ago. It's guesswork at best, but at the very least products should be fully up to date and rigorously tested before release.
Cheers,Simon.
BV11-46, BV8-32, V1-32, BS2, P6, A1, E8
New: Beovision Harmony, Beolab 50's, Beolab 18's, Beolab 17's, Beolab 3's, Beosound 9000 mk3, Beosound Stage & LG, Beosound 2, Beoplay M3, Beoplay A1, Beoplay H4 gen 2, Beoplay E8 3.0
Mikipedia on YouTube (finally )
https://www.youtube.com/c/Mikipedia
Old: Beovision Eclipse, Beolab 1's, Beolab 2, Beovision 10-46, Overture 2300, beolab 8000's, Beolab 4000's, Beovision avant 32" etc. etc.
Hoping that in such case online prices will go down as there will be no more intermediate for B&O to whom they are paying sales rebates?
Could this be the most inaccurate pitch ever, then?
LINK
Lee
Mikipidia:I was told with the new web store you’ll be able to order everything, even bl90’s online... It’ll be “something” for dealers, that’s for sure
It’ll be “something” for dealers, that’s for sure
Well, as many dealers now employ external installation engineers, rather than install themselves, I can see the new B&O website simply offering an "install" feature, much like when you purchase software online - you are offered the option to purchase "installation support".
I'm pretty convinced B&O has realised opening franchised stores isn't the future. I'm sure they'll support existing franchises, but they clearly realise people don't like walking in to stuffy stores or, worse, there isn't one anywhere near their home.
For anyone who remembers "Paul" and "Flappo" on this site, the comments on the flatpanelshd article are hilarious. Leopards don't change their spots.
Looks like B&O is turning into DAK!
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
AnalogPlanet:Hoping that in such case online prices will go down as there will be no more intermediate for B&O to whom they are paying sales rebates?
9 LEE: Could this be the most inaccurate pitch ever, then? LINK Lee
I think the accuracy is dependent upon what their passion might be...AT BANG & OLUFSEN, WE’RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO SHARE OUR PASSION.
Stan: For anyone who remembers "Paul" and "Flappo" on this site, the comments on the flatpanelshd article are hilarious. Leopards don't change their spots.
Just took a look. Hilarious! Paul going on about Youf .... I was disappointed though that he forgot to mention Pipe and Slippers.
Graham
johnnielse: Didn't see this mentioned anywhere on BeoWorld so I thought you guys may be interested. B&O is phasing out the BeoPlay subbrand. Current and future products will be rebranded to Bang & Olufsen. https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1531897371
Today, Lenbrook runs BeoPlay distribution in North America. Wonder if they would get the entire line? It would probably also be easy to do it through a Amazon Store. On the other hand, Apple direct ships from China and you can get an iPhone in very few days. Anything is possible.
Nice to know that Paul and Flappo are OK. Paul was always insightful when the 'roid rage wasn't kicking in. Flappo, on the other hand, is a scary dude.
poodleboy: Nice to know that Paul and Flappo are OK. Paul was always insightful when the 'roid rage wasn't kicking in. Flappo, on the other hand, is a scary dude.
To be fair, he does have a point about TrustPilot. wow: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.bang-olufsen.com
Looks like B&O stopped replying 6 months ago as most feedback was so negative.
moxxey: poodleboy: Nice to know that Paul and Flappo are OK. Paul was always insightful when the 'roid rage wasn't kicking in. Flappo, on the other hand, is a scary dude. To be fair, he does have a point about TrustPilot. wow: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.bang-olufsen.com Looks like B&O stopped replying 6 months ago as most feedback was so negative.
Most of the Trustpilot poor feedback seems to be about Play products.
vikinger: moxxey: poodleboy: Nice to know that Paul and Flappo are OK. Paul was always insightful when the 'roid rage wasn't kicking in. Flappo, on the other hand, is a scary dude. To be fair, he does have a point about TrustPilot. wow: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.bang-olufsen.com Looks like B&O stopped replying 6 months ago as most feedback was so negative. Most of the Trustpilot poor feedback seems to be about Play products. Graham
Correction. After more reading..... the whole range?? And the occasional 5 star rating is just general... about how wonderful B&O are.... so maybe desperate plants by employees and dealers trying to lift the overall rating.
vikinger: vikinger: moxxey: poodleboy: Nice to know that Paul and Flappo are OK. Paul was always insightful when the 'roid rage wasn't kicking in. Flappo, on the other hand, is a scary dude. To be fair, he does have a point about TrustPilot. wow: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.bang-olufsen.com Looks like B&O stopped replying 6 months ago as most feedback was so negative. Most of the Trustpilot poor feedback seems to be about Play products. Graham Correction. After more reading..... the whole range?? And the occasional 5 star rating is just general... about how wonderful B&O are.... so maybe desperate plants by employees and dealers trying to lift the overall rating.
Can't believe those trustpilot commenters are so negative. They need to share the corporate passion and open a store.
This bit made me choke on my dinner!!!
Bang & Olufsen Brand StoresIdeal for major cities and key retail destinations, the Bang & Olufsen Brand stores offer the full product portfolio. And with our new Sensory store concept, customers can immerse themselves in the full brand experience.Initial investment: €225,000 to €375,000Expected return: 3-5 years
GO on Lee, apply, just for a larf and let us know what the business plan is!!
How many people out there have a desire to be a naked bee keeper?
The two comments on that killed me. Both posted "8 hours ago", bet they're the same person 😂
vikinger: Stan: For anyone who remembers "Paul" and "Flappo" on this site, the comments on the flatpanelshd article are hilarious. Leopards don't change their spots. Just took a look. Hilarious! Paul going on about Youf .... I was disappointed though that he forgot to mention Pipe and Slippers. Graham
Wasn't he irrationally against Chinese involvement with the brand? Interesting that he feels vindicated in his views now that not only the manufacturing but the engineering and a significant chunk of the ownership is Chinese!
Ban boring signatures!
StUrrock: Bang & Olufsen Brand StoresExpected return: 3-5 years
Bang & Olufsen Brand StoresExpected return: 3-5 years
Based on the current climate and the uncertainty over Brexit (for all of Europe), who would put that kind of cash in to a store with 'expected' returns of 3-5 years, not forgetting B&O has just announced a brand new e-store launching next March?
KMA
B&O product history since 1991: Ridiculously long to list in a signature.
leogoeswild:Rebranding Beoplay to Bang&Olufsen won’t make the problems disappear.
And those TrustPilot reviews *are* for Bang & Olufsen (the website) not just BeoPlay. So, if the e-store is part of www.bang-olufsen.com, those TrustPilot reviews are attached to that domain.
8
There are no problems - people here keep telling me so.
9 LEE:Could this be the most inaccurate pitch ever, then? LINK Lee
Puncher: 8 leogoeswild:Rebranding Beoplay to Bang&Olufsen won’t make the problems disappear. There are no problems - people here keep telling me so.
Hey, the stock price is up! Apparently product quality doesn't matter as long as the numbers look good.
It will be interesting to see just how long a "premium lifestyle company" can survive based on twitchy products, lack of product planning and integration, but ever changing color schemes. The thing about the "old" B&O is that they occasionally had weirdness, odd ergonomics that came to make sense after a while (mostly), the odd peculiarity in products that seemed to just be the Danish way, but by and large everything worked, and worked together, and lasted. Product life cycles were in decades not in months or a year or two.
Sandyb:Given the carnage on the high street these days, you'd have to be very brave to open up anything other than a Cafe these days. Hell, even Gaucho is going bust, according to the news today! The estate agents are surely next - there are 14 of them of my high street unbelievably!
Hell, even Gaucho is going bust, according to the news today!
The estate agents are surely next - there are 14 of them of my high street unbelievably!
Completely agree Sandy and share your views entirely. Yes I do believe the estate agents will be next although those that have been (or are) quick enough to compete with the likes of Yopa, Purple Bricks and many others may still survive online, albeit with only a very small slice of the property cake. the high street mostly comprises of betting shops, charity shops, estate agents (for the time being) and restaurants/cafes. I can see the likes of Apple and John Lewis closing within the next few years too as I simply don't think the high street is sustainable anymore. Add to that high car parking costs, restricted parking with private operators who can't wait to get £100 off you for going a minute over 1.5 hours in their monitored spaces etc... there's nothing really encouraging about shopping outdoors these days.
Jeff: Puncher: 8 leogoeswild:Rebranding Beoplay to Bang&Olufsen won’t make the problems disappear. There are no problems - people here keep telling me so. Hey, the stock price is up! Apparently product quality doesn't matter as long as the numbers look good. It will be interesting to see just how long a "premium lifestyle company" can survive based on twitchy products, lack of product planning and integration, but ever changing color schemes. The thing about the "old" B&O is that they occasionally had weirdness, odd ergonomics that came to make sense after a while (mostly), the odd peculiarity in products that seemed to just be the Danish way, but by and large everything worked, and worked together, and lasted. Product life cycles were in decades not in months or a year or two.
I am afraid that reviews such as those on trustpilot show that the Play range has a lot of poor quality products. So this sort of thing will ultimately kill the 'Lower priced' B&O range. Then, who is going to invest in the good quality end of the range once the general public view B&O, in general, as rubbish?
B&O has, historically, always had the position that you were paying a lot extra for design and appearance. Now it would appear that for a lot of the range you are overpaying for poor quality with a short life.
PS. I've noticed that flatpanels have removed the third poster's comment that Paul should keep taking his meds.
Since the flatpanels.com site seems to be a couple of days behind the danish mother site, you may expect this news there tomorrow/later today:
https://www.flatpanels.dk/nyhed.php?subaction=showfull&id=1531827918
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV.
Sandyb: Ultimately though high streets shopping is a poor experience - Apple stores may survive, its served them well, and some luxury brands will maintain a presence in high footfall tourist centres.
Ultimately though high streets shopping is a poor experience - Apple stores may survive, its served them well, and some luxury brands will maintain a presence in high footfall tourist centres.
The Apple stores will easily continue - just look at the footfall and revenue (see https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/29/apple-top-retailer-per-square-foot/). Also, they are revamping them, too.
Very negative thinking to say that the entre store experience will fail in a few years. Have you ever shopped in London on a Saturday or here in Bath on a Saturday afternoon? Town is rammed and they aren't all sitting in coffee shops.
Apple isn't regarded as a 'luxury' brand either. You see an average student doing work in a coffee shop and they nearly always have a MacBook Pro, an iPhone and decent headphones. Everyone appears to be able to "afford" a MacBook Pro!
Millemissen:Since the flatpanels.com site seems to be a couple of days behind the danish mother site, you may expect this news there tomorrow/later today: https://www.flatpanels.dk/nyhed.php?subaction=showfull&id=1531827918 MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
Livingroom: BL3, BL11, BV11-46 Kitchen: Beosound 1 GVA, Beocom 2 Bathroom: M3 Library: A6, Beocom 6000 Bedroom: M5 Office: Beocom 2 Travel: Beoplay E8 2.0, Beoplay P2
Hiort: But that’s probably a consequence of the “soundbar focus” that I think is coming.
But that’s probably a consequence of the “soundbar focus” that I think is coming.
And that again may be a result of a small company trying to focus on what they are best at.
After all there are - according to Jeff (read in another post) - only three guys left in Struer ;-)))
I’d say - let’s see what comes. Bang & Olufsen has surpriced people before.
Means in the future people are sitting in cafés or are travelling..........ordering stuff online.
All I can say is, if B&O want to go primarily "online' as a retailer they need to sharply focus on the fact that people (whilst online, shopping for their products) can type a quick "Bang & Olufsen Reviews" into the searh bar, then click, then find out that the many products in the Play range can be unreliable, buggy and poorly made. They can then also read that when they have a problem, they're on their own.
The next search will be "Beats" which has double to quadruple the rating level B&O has, and that's where the money will go....
In response to MM's reply about being surprised, I hope so, Really. I do.
However, the last "turnaround" was in a market which wasn't changing at such a rapid pace. It's much easier to turn an oil tanker around in still waters than it is in a storm.
B&O keep constantly "missing the point" with existing 'legacy' customers, who matter little to them now - and focussing on the new, younger customer... and missing the point there, too. Younger buyers generally have NO brand loyalty whatsoever. They want what's cool, they want what gets great reviews, and they demand the very best for the smallest amount of money they can possibly pay.
Back to Play becoming just 'Bang & Olufsen' - I just see the B&O name being ridden like a mule, with the sticks to hit it getting bigger and bigger. Eventually the mule will fall over.
Try as I may, I just cannot see a bright and rosy future for the brand. The cards are in the air, for the whole industry, and I think it's a case of the last man standing will reap the rewards.