Bang & Olufsen signs Gosh for stepped- up brand drive

SINGAPORE: Luxury audio and video company Bang & Olufsen (B&O) plans to strengthen its brand building programme in Asia following its move to establish its regional headquarters in Singapore. B&O bought out the local franchisee last year because it wanted to invest in building up the B&O brand in the region, according to Claire Leong, B&O retail and brand manager. The company has appointed Gosh Advertising to handle its branding assignments. The agency's first project is to create promotional materials for B&O's upcoming regional sales conference, which will be held in Australia. Leong, who was previously Mercedes-Benz marketing manager at local distributor Cycle & Carriage, said Gosh's appointment was the result of the agency key executive having worked with the luxury car brand in the past. Gosh's chief executive officer, Theodore Choo, previously handled the Mercedes-Benz account at Spenser/BBDO and Monsoon/Lowe respectively. According to Leong, B&O faces a similar challenge as Mercedes-Benz and other luxury brands in the current economic climate. Leong, who helped launch Mercedes-Benz' entry level A-Class model, said B&O needed to make itself relevant to new consumer groups by launching more affordable products without eroding the brand's aura of prestige. For example, it recently launched the BeoSound1 - a CD and radio player priced at S$1680 (about US$958) - aimed primarily at men between 20 and 28 years old. "Some people feel the brand isn't relevant to them because of the high prices," explained Leong. She also said B&O was product-driven in the past, but would now focus its efforts on customers and marketing. But rather than communicate product features - that can be copied by cheaper rivals - Leong wants the brand's advertising to emphasise B&O's unique user experience.

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