When I say Rolls Royce, Rolex, Jaguar, Bose most if not all people will recognize these brands. If I say Patek Philippe, Cirrus, Spectral not many will know these brands.
The point is advertising. Let’s be male centric for a moment. Has anyone ever seen an advertisement for Krell, Bryston, Kef, VPI, Transparent, MBL, Focal, insert your favorite manufacturer in Sports Illustrated, GQ, Esquire, Muscle & Fitness, insert your favorite men’s magazine.
Let’s move into generic, away from men’s magazines: has anyone ever seen an advertisement for any high end audio gear in:
1. People: 93.9 million
2. Allrecipes: 62 million
3. AARP The Magazine: 55.4 million
4. Sports Illustrated: 43.4 million
5. Good Housekeeping: 40.4 million
These magazines are 5 of the top sellers. The numbers following the magazine are print and digital readerships.
Until the general public is made aware of our unique and niche hobby, the chances are we will continue to decline.
Bose, a household name advertised in many places. I’ve seen their ads in airline magazines aboard US carriers for Bose, but never for Grado. Nor, never have I seen an advertisement for Magico, Wilson Audio, Air Tight, Weiss, Canton etc. in any magazine other than audio magazines.
To raise interest in this or any hobby, the general public needs to be made aware of its existence. When something in my house needs service that I am unable to do, the person that comes over is blown away by my systems. Common comments are “I’ve never heard music so clear” and my favorite, “I didn’t know there was equipment like this”.
What are your thoughts?