Published : Dec. 26, 2013 - 16:50
닥터드레 첫 단독매장 오픈 (연합뉴스)
유명한 랩퍼이자 음악 제작자인 닥터 드레(Dr. Dre)의 이름을 사용한 비츠 바이 드레(Beats by Dre)는 가장 인기 있는 헤드폰으로 떠오름과 동시에 세련된 헤드폰의 대명사가 되면서 르브론 제임스, 피 디디, 레이디 가가, 저스틴 비버 등 많은 연예인들이 자신의 라인을 내놓았다. 또한 다수의 연기자, 운동선수 등 세계적 명사들의 이용으로 비공식적인 홍보도 이뤄졌다.
이런 성공에도 비츠 일렉트로닉(Beats Electronics)과 몬스터(Monster) 그룹의 계약은 작년에 종료됐다. 2012년 초, HTC가 3억 달러 상당의 주식을 매입하면서 비츠는 몬스터와 분할됐다.
헤드폰으로 많은 평판을 얻은 몬스터 그룹 CEO 노엘 리(Noel Lee)는 닥터드레와 인터스콥 레코드(Interscope Records)의 회장인 지미 러빈(Jimmy Lovin)을 내세운 비츠 일렉트로닉스의 마케팅 전략이 제일 큰 기여를 했다고 말했다. “비츠는 마케팅을 공급했고 우리는 모든 유통과 제품에 필요한 기술을 맡았다. 우리가 가지지 못했던 것은 마케팅 영향력이었다”라고 말했다.
리는 “우리는 다른 모습을 보여줄 수 밖에 없고 그럴 계획 이다”라고 말했다.
몬스터는 현재 헤드폰, 태블릿, 배터리 어댑터, 휴대용 디제이 턴테이블 등 다양한 제품들을 쏟아내고 있으며 마케팅 전략으로 샤킬 오닐, 닉 캐논 등 유명인들을 섭외했다.
올해부터 회사 공동 소유권을 가지고 있는 음악 제작자 스위스 비츠(Swiss Beatz)가 참여하기 시작했다. 그는 닥터드레 헤드폰 를 모방하거나 금방 새로운 제품을 만드는 것 보다는 몬스터 브랜드의 매력을 소비자들에게 보여주는 것에 초점을 맞추고 있다고 전했다.
몬스터와 계약을 맺은 샤킬 오닐은 “제품이 믿음이 가야 선택을 한다. 돈, 시간을 투자할 때 믿음이 있다면 장기적으로 좋은 결과를 가져온 다는 것을 오래 전 배웠다. 몬스터는 이미 입증됐다”고 이유를 설명했다.
1978년 설립된 몬스터는 고급 오디오, 비디오 케이블을 파는 것으로 유명해졌으며 이후 비츠와 계약을 맺어 2008년 비츠 바이 드레 제품을 출시해 5년간 호황을 누렸다. 시장 조사 그룹 NPD그룹 조사에 의하면, 이 제품은 2012년도 10억 달러 규모의 헤드폰 마켓의 53%를 차지했었다.
현재 몬스터는 비아콤(Viacom), 클리어 채널(Clear Channel), UFC와 계약하며 여러 행사를 통해 브랜드가 다양한 매체에 노출 되는 것을 겨냥하고 있다.
스위스 비츠는 “무선 디제이 세트가 생긴다면 더 이상 디제이가 부스에 들어가 있지 않고 다 같이 춤추면서 디제잉을 할 수 있을 것입니다. 그게 우리가 지향하는 것입니다”라며 애플과 같이 혁신가가 되고 싶다고 전했다.
(코리아헤럴드 성진우 인턴기자)
Monster looks to rebuild brand after loss of Beats
The audio cable company was in a coveted position as the decade began after launching what became the hottest headphones on the market, Beats by Dre. The audio devices had hip-hop/production legend Dr. Dre as a namesake and soon became synonymous with headphone chic. Celebrities like LeBron James, Diddy, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber launched their own signature Beats by Dre lines, and a host of other performers, athletes and entertainers became unofficial representatives as the most famous faces on the planet sported Beats on their ears.
But Beats Electronics ended its partnership with Monster last year. Even though Beats is still superhot, Monster CEO Noel Lee believes his San Francisco-based company has the proper pieces in place to regain its mojo.
``It left us having to reinvent ourselves, and that’s what we are going to do,‘’ said self-proclaimed ``Head Monster‘’ Lee.
Monster is pushing out headphones, tablets, slim battery power adapters and portable DJ turntable mixers. The company is also tapping stars like Shaquille O‘Neal, Nick Cannon, Jason Aldean, Meek Mill and Drew Brees as its pitchmen.
Lee, who often rides a gold-plated Segway because of a neurodegenerative disease, is seen as an eccentric champion of the privately owned Monster. A confident individual, he takes a lot of the credit for the stylish Beats by Dre headphones. He said the key contribution of Beats Electronics, founded Dr. Dre and Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine, was marketing (though he allows that Robert Bruner, chief designer at Beats, did the industrial design).
``People have to realize that them was us,’‘ Lee said. ``Monster did that. Beats supplied the marketing. We supplied all the distribution, all the technology, all the engineering that went into the product. What we didn’t have was the marketing clout before.‘’
Now, Lee says he does with music producer Swizz Beatz, who purchased a co-ownership stake in the company this year. But don‘t expect Swizz Beatz to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Dre and release his own line anytime soon. His focus has been to make the Monster brand appealing to consumers in the same way he helped in Reebok’s return to relevance.
``I‘m here to show the world who we are,’‘ said Swizz Beatz, who has appeared in a commercial with A$AP Rocky to promote Monster’s DNA headphones. ``There are so many being powered and plugged by Monster, but hardly anyone knows that. It‘s all about getting back to the roots and showing people what we’re all about.‘’
After Swizz Beatz was brought into the fold, he persuaded retired basketball champion O‘Neal to be part of the Monster team. It was an easy decision for O’Neal, who still has strong marketing power.
``People ask me all the time, `How do you pick a partner?‘’‘ O’Neal said. ``It‘s simple. I’ve got to believe in the product. I believe in this. For me, it‘s never about money starting off. I learned a long time ago, when you invest your money, time and it’s something you believe in, it will hit in the long run. Monster is proven.‘’
Monster, which was founded by Lee in 1978, became known for selling pricey video and audio cables. Monster eventually partnered with Beats, launching Beats by Dre in 2008. Both companies flourished together over the next five years. In its last year with Monster, 2012, Beats by Dre captured 53 percent of the $1 billion annual headphone market, according to the NPD Group, a market research group.
But Beats decided not to renew a five-year contract with Monster in early 2012 after HTC bought a majority stake in the company for $300 million (it later sold half the shares back to Monster). Since the split, Beats‘ market share has increased to 57 percent.
Lee said the buyout with Beats was ``amicable.’‘ He said the company paid to retain the name, audio, patents and designs. He said he was paid ``very generously’‘ in royalties and a percentage of the Beats company, but declined to say how much.
Looking back, Lee said he made a mistake by not building his own company’s brand while working with Beats. He‘s now looking to gain more exposure by partnering with Viacom, Clear Channel and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which will be marketing Monster on their networks or at events.
Beats by Dre declined to comment for this story.
``My team really ... focused our attention to develop Monster-owned products and branding our own,’‘ Lee said. ``We bled Beats, designed and marketed Beats. I never thought it wasn’t our brand. That was probably our mistake for some people who think about going forward and doing licensing. ... We won‘t make the mistake again.’‘
Meek Mill is playing a big part in marketing Monster through his millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter. The rapper has posted a number of photos of himself along with Diddy, Rick Ross and Tyson Beckford sporting the 24K gold headphones, which were recently released.
Monster is trying to widen its demographic with various headphone lines for business travelers, fitness enthusiasts, video gamers and listeners of different music genres.
``They are looking at the headphone market and the way people are wearing them,’‘ said Ben Arnold, director of the NPD Group. ``We know people have multiple pairs of headphones for different listening occasions. They are working on so many different spaces. It says to me that they are trying to forge a new name for themselves.’‘
But it’s not all about headphones for Monster. Swizz Beatz sees enormous value in creating other products, such as the pocket-sized GO-DJ, a portable turntable mixer.
``We want to be innovators like Apple,‘’ he said. ``We want to introduce people to a DJ production set that‘s wireless. A DJ doesn’t have to be in the booth no more. He could be in the middle of the dance floor, rocking all of his records. ... That‘s where we are going. Everything we’re doing is going to feel organic.‘’ (AP)