Here`s - Zound Industries

Transcription

Over the last two years, Zound Industries has pioneered the fashion/technology crossover market,
surpassing all expectations of growth and sales.
During my years as a CEO and a member of the
board of directors for various companies, I’ve never
experienced or even heard of anything like this.
When first introduced to Zound Industries, I was
blown away. By discovering a gap in the market
for lifestyle headphones, they were miles ahead
of the electronics industry. The founders are all
accomplished entrepreneurs with excellent connections and team-building capabilities, each of
whom possesses an innate sense of brand building
and design. Their strong sales focus has helped
them build up a stable, worldwide distribution network in no time. All of the above, along with a great
concept and cost consciousness, has shot Zound
Industries straight to success.
Of course, a company with such rapid growth is sure to experience a few growing pains, but thanks to the enormous dedication and passion of everyone
involved, most issues are quickly resolved. I'm very thankful for the positive
attitude at Zound Industries, both internally and amongst our partners.
So far we’ve launched four brands and have many more in the pipeline. The main
challenge faced by the board of directors is handling a constant flow of new ideas
within the company while sales of our existing products increase dramatically,
both in established and new markets, which is a pretty pleasant challenge.
We have set ourselves a five-year growth plan, which we’ll achieve by tending to
and vitalizing our brands, launching new labels, and increasing our presence and
communication in both existing and forthcoming markets.
Zound Industries is the most fun and rewarding venture I've ever had the
pleasure of taking part in, and I look forward to the coming years when Zound
Industries will have gone from being an emerging power to becoming one of
the main players in the market – which is something I have no doubt we will
achieve
All information contained in this
publication is up-to-date at the
time of printing to the knowledge of
Zound Industries, however Zound
Industries shall not be held liable
for improper or incorrect use of
the information described and/or
contained herein and assumes no
responsibility for anyone’s use of
the information.
© Zound Industries 2011
— Christel Kinning,
Chairwoman of the Board
SETUP TABLE OF CONTENTS
SETUP TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Intro to Zound
06
A brief overview of what we do and why we do it.
Market Background
08
The relevant world according to Zound.
Production setup
58
Interviews
66
18
China is a wondrous world that we’ve gotten to know
a lot better than we ever thought we would. Here’s a
quick guide off the beaten path to the “factory of the
world,” Shenzhen.
Interviews
Molami
28
Oscar Axhede • Sandro D’Errico
Yvan Dieng • Vincent Skoglund
The Shop Front
68
A visit to a handful of the around 8,000 of the stores
stocking Zound Industries products.
The Zound Network
10
Interviews
12
Marcus Rudbäck • Niklas Bergh
House Brands
Coloud
30
32
On the streets
Urbanears
38
This is a preliminary edition of this
76
Eye to eye with the actual customers
of Zound Industries.
Private Label
84
The third leg of the business model of Zound Industries
is handling production for other companies.
publication, specially printed for
the Zound Industries’ 2011 October
Sales Meeting.
From the mind of a madman
•
Marshall Headphones
Photography credits
Konrad Bergström • Christel Kinning • Ben Preuss
Vincent Skoglund
50
86
A few words from the president.
Contacts
91
Jens Andersson
Hans Johansson
sections
Jonnie Craig
Per Englund
Andreas Kock
+ more
•
Text, layout and production
Setup
What’s under the hood of
Zound Industries.
HOUSE BRANDS
A deeper look into the
Zound Industries brand
portfolio.
Zound People
Who’s behind the wheel of
Zound Industries.
Zound World
The consequences of
Zound, what happens
when our products leave
our hands.
Produced in-house at Zound Industries together with Vice Media.
Kenneth Schönborg • Gustaf Jannerfeldt • Eric Conyers
•
Everything under one roof
Print
This edition was printed by the
16
Marketing, design, finance and sales – we do it all at the
head office, located in Stockholm, Sweden.
lovely people at Printworks,
Västerås, Sweden.
4
5
SETUP INTRODUCTION
BUSINESS MODEL SETUP
» Zound Industries embraces the
change of headphones from a
sound-source to a fashion accessory
– where quality is a prerequisite, and
progressive lifestyle values and selfexpression meet the contemporary
expectations of a modern consumer.
Zound Industries is a success story that is
still being written. A relatively young company,
its beginnings can be traced back to 2008,
when eight ambitious individuals with different
backgrounds in design, product development,
finance, marketing, sales and business came
together to form a company that would, in less
than two years, go from the scrappy underdog of
the headphone industry to shipping products in
81 different countries across the globe.
The idea of Zound Industries could almost be viewed
as a naïve business endeavor. After all, the headphone
itself is not a new concept, and venerable electronic
companies have dominated the industry for several
decades. What these “dinosaur” brands lacked however, was individuality in their products. According to
research done by Zound Industries, 60% of all consumers interviewed preferred fashionable or cool-looking
products. 80% of consumers from this same segment
were unhappy with their headphones. It was obvious
that end consumers already regarded headphones as
a fashion accessory – a preference the overall industry
had failed to recognize. With a gap to fill and a vast
market to tap, Zound Industries was created to give the
people what they wanted.
The Concept
Of course, combining fashion and function is not
unchartered territory. Both eyeglasses and watches
were originally sold single-handedly based on function
– aiding people’s vision or telling time accurately. Since
then, these businesses have transformed into complete
lifestyle and fashion driven markets – where functionality is often taken for granted. The headphone industry
is making this very same journey right now. To adapt to
this changing environment, Zound Industries created
a headphone fashion house in which several brands,
licensing ventures, private-label manufacturing and retail
concepts reside (see diagram on the opposite page).
6
Building this house was a no brainer, and yet a lot of
thought has gone into it. The in-house brands – Coloud,
Urbanears, Marshall Headphones and Molami all have
their own identity and target audience. From the time a
product is developed to the day it is sitting on a store
shelf, it has been strategically thought through how to
create it, market it, distribute it and which brand the
product will be sold under. This way, multiple demographics are reached. Zound Industries is continually
building this house – improving it, and creating more
brands that reach more people. You could say it’s an
on-going construction project.
THIS IS ZOUND
At the heart of all operations
lies Zound Industries. A growing
organization with a core group
of 30 individuals, who provide
sales, marketing, design and
finance expertise to each of the
brands represented in the headphone fashion house.
Coloud is the entry-level brand at Zound Indus-
Product Example:
Brand Logo:
tries. Working with bold graphic statements
and some of the strongest names in entertainment, Coloud appeals to a wide variety of
people. Coloud can be found in retail outlets
Price Range:
such as consumer electronic stores, toy stores
€20-50
and fashion retail chain stores.
HOUSE BRANDS
URBANEARS
House brands are simply
Urbanears headphones come in a multitude of
brands that are conceived,
colors and styles. Urbanears headphones sport
designed and developed –
a simple monochromatic look and borrow many
from idea to final concept. This
qualities usually found in clothing – fabric,
is the core business with eve-
matte finish, ingenious packaging together with
Price Range:
rything handled in-house from
some unique functionalities. Urbanears can be
development to distribution.
found in clothing stores, consumer electronic
€30-100
Product Example:
Brand Logo:
stores and phone boutiques.
LICENSING
licensing concepts export fully
developed and highly credible brands into the vast, but
unexploited market of designed
headphones.
The Vision
Today the Zound Industries team has grown from the
eight original founders to 30 talented individuals. More
employees are continually sought after and the offices
are constantly expanding, both in Stockholm and in
China, to meet the needs of this growing business.
There is a support team of multiple dedicated sales
agents, distributors and press agencies worldwide. You
can find Zound Industries products in 8,000 stores,
including Apple Stores in the U.S. and Canada, and
Selfridges, Colette, FNAC and Media Markt in Europe.
Thousands of articles have featured Zound Industries’
products, in publications such as Vogue (U.S.), Elle
(U.S.) and Time Magazine. And yet, the surface hasn’t
even been scratched. Zound Industries is an ambitious
bunch of individuals who aim very high. Sure, they are
still the underdogs of the industry, but they’re growing at
an incredible pace, and won’t stop until the headphone
industry is turned upside down. After all, the vision at
Zound Industries is to be the world-leading lifestyle
headphone manufacturer
COLOUD
MOLAMI
Molami is Zound Industries’ most ambitious
Product Example:
Brand Logo:
endeavor to date. Capitalizing on the need for
a female focused electronics brand, Molami
are fine-tailored headphones that incorporate the ideals of both fashion and industrial
Price Range:
design into three unique and conceptual
€150-500
headphone models.
PRIVATE LABEL
MARSHALL HEADPHONES
Private label represents the
Incorporating fifty years of rock ‘n’ roll herit-
services and products offered
age, Marshall Headphones embody the look
to other companies.
and feel of that iconic Marshall legacy. You can
Product Example:
Brand Logo:
Brand logo:
find Marshall Headphones in consumer electronic stores and stylish clothing stores and
Price Range:
boutiques.
Price range
€60-250
€60-100
RETAIL
Making the product available
and at the same time merchandising it the right way to create
the right image and to lead and
protect sales.
Zound Industries supplies headphones and
Client examples:
market knowledge to a number of com-
Matix, Pacemaker, Kenneth Cole, Bershka,
panies for merchandizing, promotion or
Levi’s & H&M among others.
accessories.
YEADIO
A future retail project that that will house all of Zound Industries’
brands, as well as other headphone manufacturers.
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Brand Logo
SETUP MARKET
MARKET SETUP
MARKET BACKGROUND
Zound Industries’ success is based on two key market insights:
From Function
to Fashion
IN NUMBERS
297,000,000
Gartner puts total 2010 smartphone sales at 297
million (19%) of the 1.6 billion mobile phones
1
People are using headphones more often, in
more places and with
more devices than ever
before. Headphones
are becoming lifestyle
products.
2
sold that year. It also expects the smartphone to
With lifestyle products,
or when lifestyle values
come into play, the
modern consumer does
not choose between
function and fashion: he
or she expects both.
become the highest-selling consumer electronic
device in the U.S. in 2011 (source: Gartner technology research, based on worldwide mobile
device sales for end users, 2010).
29,000,000
Morgan Stanley Research estimates total smartphone sales will exceed those of PCs by 2012.
It also predicts that the iPad will ship around 29
Zound Industries’ research indicates that
the majority of customers are searching for
fashionable or cool-looking products. We’ve
studied the headphone market for the best
part of a decade, to look for the opportunities. Though it’s a high-profile product,
with a big cultural impact, the market has
remained conservative. In many ways, headphones at the lower-end of the market have
not changed for decades. The market is ripe
for innovation, and is currently divided into
the following segments:
Free headsets includ-
Aggressively priced
The mid-range: prod-
High-end audiophile
ed with any number
headphones, maxi-
ucts with high quality
products sold in insig-
of technical products,
mizing functionality
electronics but gener-
nificant numbers at
mainly mobile phones
and minimizing cost.
ally poor fashion or
high prices.
design direction.
and portable music
players – quality and
design are poor, and
they pay no attention
million units in its first two years – more than the
to fashion, or to the
iPod Touch, iPhone and Nintendo DS – in its “base
positioning of the
case”, and up to 38.9 million in its more bullish
main product.
forecast (source: Morgan Stanley Research, Inter-
People now expect to be connected to their music, movies and to
the Internet – or to block off the outside world – wherever they are.
Music and video content are increasingly ubiquitous: contrary to the
industry’s claims, music and film are enjoyed today more than ever,
and are more accessible thanks to large hard drives, streaming and
the mobile Internet.
net trends, CM Summit-New York City).
135,000,000
Fashion headphones: the opportunity
By the end of 2010 there were more than 135
million smartphone users in the U.S. and the
The battle for the future of the headphone
industry will not take place in the technology
segment. Much like the average watch buyer
never doubts whether the watch runs correctly, and the sunglasses buyer does not worry
about UV protection, so the headphones buyer
will not question their purchase’s aural qualities. Rather, he or she will choose a design that
reflects his or her values, and promotes individuality and self-expression. We believe that
the fashion headphone (indeed, multimedia-
“big five” European countries (source: comScore
MobiLens three month average to Dec 2010,
Smartphone numbers are exploding across the world, augmenting
and eclipsing the standalone MP3 player as the device of choice for
music lovers on the go. Tablets too, will play an increasingly important role in our media consumption. Sound sources will always vary,
but our need for headphones will remain – and increase
Smartphone installed base by subscribers).
30%
Research carried out by the NPD Group found
that in the U.S., headphones priced $100 or more
occupied 5% of the market in 2010 – a jump of
two percentage points; overall stereo headphone
sales numbers increased 17% while the value of
headphones sales grew by 30% (source: NPD
ready headset) has the ability to not just create
an individual segment but also penetrate all
three existing segments (price-focused, midrange and high end) by introducing a new set
of values to the industry. In short, we are seeing
the last of the headphone industry as it exists
today and look forward to a fashionable future.
Existing headphone manufacturers – the “dinosaurs” – have not perceived this, leaving a giant
space for Zound Industries to fill
Group, Retail Tracking Service).
THE HISTORY
OF MOBILE
SOUND
1910
1958
1979
1992
2001
2007
2012<
THE FIRST HEADPHONE
PERSONAL HEADPHONE
SONY WALKMAN
MINIDISC
iPOD
SMARTPHONES
THE FUTURE
Invented by an eccentric American
named Nathaniel Baldwin in 1910,
the first modern headphones were
created in his kitchen due to his
frustration about not being able
to hear Mormon sermons over the
crowd noise at the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Armed with only a high school
education, entrepreneur and jazz
enthusiast John C. Koss partnered with Martin Lange in 1958 to
develop the first stereo headphone.
The success of the Koss headphone
was almost by accident, as the idea
to develop it came from an attempt
to market a portable phonograph.
The debut of the Sony Walkman in
1979 forever changed the personal
electronics industry. The Walkman
sold around 200 million units,
rocked the recording industry
and fundamentally changed how
people experienced music – and
headphones too.
Predicted to forever change the
way music was consumed, the MiniDisc was a fast fading fad. The
digitized cassettes were introduced
by Sony and could store up to 74
minutes of music. The unique selling point being it didn’t skip or
jump and was the first format to fit
in a normal sized pocket. It never
made it past “big in Japan,” but
wasn’t discontinued until 2011.
Released on November 10, 2001,
the iPod took the world by storm
and revolutionized the personal
electronics industry. Sure, the
MP3-player had been around for
a while but the iPod had capacity
enough to let you to store an entire
record collection. By 2010 Apple
had sold 225 million iPods. The
symbolic white earbuds packaged with the iPod were soon seen
on millions of people around the
world.
With the popularity of MP3 players and the rise of mobile phone
usage, consumers began to be weighed down with personal electronic
devices, often carrying several at a
time – enter the smartphone. The
smartness being the phone adopted
a number of additional functions
such as the music player, turning
it into a digital Swiss army knife.
Once again, Apple took the concept to a new level, and made it unbearable to live without it with the
introduction of the iPhone in 2007.
What the nearest future will hold
for music playing is most likely global Internet connection allowing
you to access a number of streaming services, letting you enjoy the
complete discography accumulated
by our species.
8
9
SETUP
SETUP
THE ZOUND NETWORK
During 2010 we launched in 45 countries, which in one year is extraordinary.
For 2011 our goal was to reach sales
in a total of 75 countries. We
are currently in 81 coutries.
With products in 81 countries and over 8000 stores
globally, its no wonder Zound Industries has a vast
and growing network of sales agents and distributors,
located in many countries around the world. Besides
the enormous sales team, the company works with
various public relations agencies based in seven
different countries. This way, the company can monitor media and maintain the presence of each Zound
Industries brand in markets that are far away, or unfamiliar to the main office based in Stockholm.
Without these partners the company would not be
what it is today.
REYKJAVÍK REYKJAVÍK
STOCKHOLM
STOCKHOLM
RIGA
RIGA
MOSCOW MOSCOW
COPENHAGEN
COPENHAGEN
BERLIN
BERLIN
AMSTERDAM
AMSTERDAM
GDYNIA
GDYNIA
LONDON LONDON
STUTTGARTSTUTTGART
PRAGUE PRAGUE
KIEV
KIEV
ANTWERP ANTWERP
VIENNA
VIENNA
VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER
BUDAPEST BUDAPEST
TIMISOARA TIMISOARA
ZURICH
TRZIN
TRZIN PLOVDIV PLOVDIV
VERONA VERONA ISTANBUL ISTANBUL
MILAN
MILAN
BARCELONA
BARCELONA
MADRID
MADRID
AMMAN
AMMAN
ATHENS
ATHENS
CASABLANCA
CASABLANCA
BEIRUT
BEIRUT
TEL AVIV TEL AVIV
PARIS
PARIS
ZURICH
NEW YORK NEW YORK
LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES
VIRGINIA
MIAMI
VIRGINIA
MIAMI
DUBAI
DUBAI
SEOUL
SHENZHEN SHENZHENTAIPEI
TOKYO
TOKYO
TAIPEI
HONG KONG
HONG KONG
MEXICO CITY
MEXICO CITY
BANGKOK BANGKOK
Head office
Production office
Sales representative
PR Agency
Warehouse
SEOUL
MANILA
MANILA
CARACAS CARACAS
BOGATA
BOGATA
JAKARTA
JAKARTA
SAN PAOLOSAN PAOLO
JOHANNESBURG
JOHANNESBURG
SANTIAGO SANTIAGO
SYDNEY
BUENOS AIRES
BUENOS AIRES
SYDNEY
WELLINGTON
WELLINGTON
10
11
ZOUND PEOPLE
ZOUND PEOPLE
competitions in Sweden, which meant a
lot to the scene at the time. That genuine,
heartfelt understanding of how, in order to
sell a brand, you have to build it first, most
likely lies at the core of Konrad’s success.
Konrad Bergström
President & Co-Founder
“I’ve been an entrepreneur since I
was five years old,” says Zound Industries’ charismatic founding father,
Konrad Bergström, reminiscing about
how, as a child, he collected cans and
used the money to start up a makeshift beach kiosk, buying candy and
hot dogs in bulk and selling them at
a profit. In the 90s, Konrad was a key
player in the snowboarding scene and
introduced many streetwear brands to
the Swedish market.
In his relaxed, yet enthusiastic tone, he
explains how he thinks it went well because
he had spent years on the consumer side,
working in his dad’s surf shop, “so I understood why and how brands become popular
and that there’s a whole lifestyle surrounding
them.” His agency used to arrange the two
biggest annual indoor snowboard
How did you get the idea to start Zound
Industries? After years in boardsports,
I went from being on the front page of
business magazines to having people I
saw as friends pretending like they didn’t
know me. A successful marketing guy told
me, “Konrad, just remember one thing,
no one can take your knowledge away,”
which changed my perspective. I knew I
had the knowledge and network to make
something big happen. The idea to make
headphones first sprung to mind when
I was working with a phone project for
Nokia and discovered a gaping hole in the
market for earpieces you wouldn’t mind
being seen with in public.
How come you’re still a relatively
small team, considering how quickly
the company has grown? I’m against
the business bureaucracy of having a
bunch of people sitting around administrating. Everyone at Zound Industries,
including myself, has to get their hands
dirty doing some of the groundwork.
Sometimes it’s more efficient to do things
yourself. Everyone working here gets a lot
of space to do his or her own thing. Even if
they make mistakes, we’d rather deal with
that than having them not make any decisions at all. When you run a business you
must be prepared to face problems on a
daily basis. It’s how good you are at solving them that will determine your success.
Often problems will even lead you to better solutions.
What’s the key to being successful in
today’s market? The market is constantly
changing, but it’s also becoming more and
more alike all over the world. Everything
is becoming more global. We had that in
mind when launching Urbanears. We made
sure to reach out to all markets simultaneously. Today, our brands have distribution
in 81 countries in some of the biggest and
most prestigious stores, and we’ve been
around for less than two years
» Everyone at
Zound Industries,
including myself,
has to get their
hands dirty doing
some of the
groundwork.
Background
Konrad started working in his dad’s
surf shop when he was 10. Years later, he took on the Scandinavian
distribution for Quiksilver. He has
also exported Thule roof racks to
New Zealand, as they didn’t have
any there at the time. In the 90s
he ran Sweden’s biggest streetwear
distribution agency, representing
Airwalk, Volcom, Dickies, Burton
and about 25 other brands.
Background
Christel has been head of sales
and marketing at the Swedish fashion chain Solo, and president
of Swedish kidswear company
Polarn O. Pyret. She created the
fashion group RNB in 2001 and
became one of only 32 women
ever to head a company listed on
the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
If that isn’t enough to convince
you of the powers of this business
wonder woman, she is a member of
a team who has managed to build
up one of Russia’s leading fashion
groups, which today has more than
500 stores.
Listens to
Right now it’s mostly yoga and
meditation tapes.
Headphones
Urbanears Tanto in Orange.
“I like these best.They’re neat and
spring-like.”
You have quite the history of
turning companies around and
making them prosper. How
do you go about that? I think
it’s mainly gut feeling; daring
to believe in that what you feel
could improve the product will
make it more relevant to the
consumer. Then you have to
translate that to facts and figures
by doing consumer studies and
market analysis. It’s also vital
that everyone in the company
has the same vision and goal. In
1996 I was asked to take over
as president of Polarn O. Pyret,
back when they were on the
verge of bankruptcy. I kept the
name but created a new concept
and market position: focusing
on making life easier for parents,
and made the whole company
work around that.
Christel Kinning
Chairwoman of
the board
“The health food place
down the road is amazing, you
should try it!” says the vibrant
Christel, as she enters the
office after her lunch break,
with a big catching smile on
her face. She’s such good
vibes it’s no wonder her colleagues have nothing but warm
words of admiration for her.
Are there any jobs you
wouldn’t take on? If I can’t
envisage how to help a company, I don’t take the job. I’ve
said no to many assignments.
Zound Industries is the first
company I’ve been approached
by that has a vision of its own,
strong ideas, and the ability to
package them. Here my role is
applying the brakes, rather than
pushing things forward, which is
liberating, for once, and so much
easier too!
How exactly do you apply the
brakes? I make sure we don’t
produce too much too fast.
When you grow as rapidly as we
have, you need to buy a lot of
raw material to ensure you can
deliver. But once you’ve delivered the goods you have rather
short credit periods, so you
need to make the factory orders
and deliveries in the shortest
possible time.
Listens to
Motörhead, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Monster Magnet, and The Rolling Stones, to name a few.
Headphones
Marshall Major in Black.
“They make me look
[laughs].”
good
Ben Preuss
Boardmember
Background
When he joined Zound Industries,
Ben had been the Vice President of
Adidas Originals for seven and a
half years. Starting out as a professional snowboarder, his career naturally progressed behind the scenes of the sport, as the marketing
and brand manager for companies
like Salomon and Bonfire.
Listens to
CCR, Mötley Crüe, Bob Dylan,
Sebadoh, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce
Springsteen, SIA, Ozzy Ozbourne, The Doors, NAS, Jay-Z,
Led Zeppelin. And that’s just to
name a few.
Favorite headphones
Urbanears Medis in Tomato.
12
Christel is a master of consumer
strategy with the ability to rescue companies from crisis. She
joined Zound Industries’ board
of directors as the chairwoman
in 2009 and likes it so much she
now spends several days a week
in the office.
“What worked yesterday
may not work today, but what
failed might,” says a keen Ben
Preuss with a confident smile.
He is adamant that each day
you need to approach the
business and the market as
if they were brand new. With
over a decade of experience
in the business, and having
called many cities in the U.S.
and Europe his home, Ben
Preuss has an intuitive understanding of brand building in a
global market.
» What
worked
yesterday
may not
work today.
What would you say is of key
importance when running a
successful business? There
aren’t any definite rules; you
need to keep reinventing yourself
or someone else will take your
13
place. If you’re in second place,
you shouldn’t try to do what the
market leader’s doing because
it’s already been done. Also, you
should let the best idea win: ego
wars won’t help improving the
product. And keep in mind that
consumers don’t know what they
want until they see it. So don’t
follow them, lead them.
What’s the best thing about
working with Zound Industries?
I like creating great products,
developing new segments, brand
building, and working with great
people. Zound Industries has all
that and more
ZOUND PEOPLE
ZOUND PEOPLE
“We have a strategy for
where to go next. We know
what we want,” says Kenneth,
a friendly and focused man
who, despite his calm appearance, is an adventurous and
experienced entrepreneur
who has had many successes,
both with big-box electronics
stores and in the bar and restaurant business. Kenneth’s
aim is to make Zound Industries the major player in the
worldwide market.
Kenneth Schönborg
CEO & Co-Founder
Gustaf Jannerfeldt
Purchasing and
Logistics Manager
Combining fashion and electronics, which we’ve managed to
accomplish at Zound Industries,
is bound to be successful. We
work at high volumes while still
making good margins on our
products, as people are willing
to pay for the brand.
You have a background in
electronics. Is working at
Zound Industries different?
There’s no hierarchy at Zound
Industries. I might have CEO
written on my business card,
but I still interact with everyone.
We’ve chosen to remain a small,
tight team and to outsource
everything we don’t need to deal
with day-to-day.
What would you say is the key
to Zound Industries’ success?
Fashion and electronics work in
completely different ways. The
fashion industry knows how to
build brands and set prices to
make a profit. In the electronics
business, you make fantastic
products but you don’t get as
good a margin because the
market is tough and you have to
push the prices down to compete. Only a couple of brands
– Apple, for instance – manage
to get away with high prices.
What’s next for Zound
Industries? We’re on our way
to becoming a major player in
the worldwide market. We could
choose to stay on the level we
are today and still make money,
but we aim higher
Background
Having been in charge of one of
Sweden’s largest electronics chains’
computer and phone division,
Kenneth knows how to manage
logistics and handle high volumes
of product. His career began with
the family business Schönborg’s
(a home electronics chain), and he
eventually ran all their 18 stores.
Before joining Zound Industries,
he ran a chain of successful bars
and restaurants in his hometown,
Jönköping.
Listens to
A bit of everything. Lately it’s been
a lot of Coldplay and U2.
Headphones
Urbanears Medis in Mocca.
“They’re very convenient for me as
I travel a lot.”
eight years ago and currently resides in both
Berlin and Stockholm. Aside from having
remarkable marketing skills, Eric developed
Zound Industries’ Private Label business
that, thanks to his many contacts within
streetwear and fashion, quickly made an
impressive turnover.
How many Private Label productions
have you overseen? So far, we’ve produced headphones for 30 different brands.
H&M, Bershka and Matix, to name a few.
Background
Eric has been European Brand Manager for luxury denim brand Citizens of Humanity, and European
Marketing Director for Podium
Distribution (DVS Shoes, Lakai
Footwear and Matix Clothing). He
has also worked for notable brands
such as Fenchurch, Seven for all
Mankind, Nudie Jeans, Freshjive,
Xlarge, and WeSC.
Listens to
Mainly classic rock but also bands
like the Felice Brothers.
“Nothing, literally nothing, would be able to happen
if I wasn’t here,” says an
energetic and slightly jittery
Gustaf Jannerfeldt, while
stroking his ash blond bangs
behind his ear, and, maybe in
an attempt to make up for his
jumpiness, lies down on the
cushioned kitchen sofa in the
Zound Industries’ Stockholm
office. This efficient young’n
started at Zound Industries
as an assistant, but soon his
business expertise and talent
naturally led him to become
the manager of Zound
Industries’ ERP (Enterprise
Resource Planning) system
and reinvent it to boost its
efficiency. Now, he supervises the entire supply chain.
collective effort we managed to
pull it off, and now we have several people from other industries
approaching us to learn about
our unique set-up.
You mentioned that your ERP
system helps you predict the
market’s movements? Yes.
Accurate forecasts and strategic
market analysis are both key elements in our business. Without
them, we would have to resort to
guessing and estimating which
products are in demand in different marketplaces.
The consumer electronics and
fashion industries have very
different operating cycles.
How do you manage to provide service to both? That’s
actually been my major challenge here at Zound Industries
because, as you said, they work
in their own separate ways. If
you promise both of them that
you will deliver on their terms,
then you just need to figure out
a way of doing it
What exactly does your ERP
system do? In short, it enabled
us to accurately ship products
worth €12,000,000 last year. A
lot of its functionality and logic
is unheard of. When we started
briefing our programmers with
what we wanted to do they said,
“You’re crazy, this is never going
to work.” But after a massive
14
Background
After having worked as a production assistant for the PR firm Jung
Relations, Gustaf did marketing
for Rodeo, and was later recruited
to J. Lindeberg as marketing coordinator. Before starting at Zound
Industries, he worked at WeSC.
Listens to
Dark country music, Detroit techno, acid house and experimental
pop.
Headphones
Urbanears Medis in Dark Grey.
“I think the EarClick function on
Medis is great. Color-wise I also
love them in Raspberry and Turquoise. I have turquoise paintings
in my house.”
Headphones
Urbanears Medis in Mocca.
“I favor the Medis because I don’t
like wearing big headphones.
They’re very comfortable and the
EarClick function works very well
for me. The color I’m wearing most
right now is Mocca, but I also have
an orange pair and a red pair.”
Eric Conyers
Marketing & Private Label
Director
“For some reason I was always asked
to be the door guy at VICE parties during fashion week,” says the poised and
towering Eric Conyers, explaining the
circumstances under which we first met,
while pensively stroking his short beard.
It’s not hard to imagine, though, why someone with his presence and networking skills
would be handed such a task. Eric has over
14 years of experience in fashion, streetwear
and boardsports, and his broad network of
contacts spans all aspects of the market,
from the aforementioned industries to press
and trendsetters. “I grew up in Los Angeles,
so I started skating at a young age,” says
Eric and goes on to tell how he considers
skateboarding to be his most important
education. Skateboarding is also what first
brought him to Europe; he moved to London
What do you like most about working with
Zound Industries? I like that we’re more
than mere electronics. We consider Zound
Industries to be a lifestyle company, and we
mix in with fashion and boardsports. In 15
years I’ve never had a job that wasn’t a part
of my lifestyle. People in the industry are like
an extended family that I’ve gotten to know
through skateboarding. To me, it doesn’t feel
like a job at all.
What are the dos and don’ts of running
a successful business? Don’t be afraid to
make mistakes!
How important is a good network? It’s
very important, especially in our industry. To
me it’s always been about who you know
and having common sense: to be street
smart rather than book smart. That’s something I learned from skateboarding
» So far, we’ve produced
headphones for 30 different
brands. H&M, Bershka and
Matix, to name a few.
15
SETUP IN-HOUSE
IN-HOUSE SETUP
EVERYTHING
UNDER ONE
ROOF
A Zound Industries product begins with
one simple question: how and why is a
headphone used? The answer may come
from within the Stockholm office space
or from consumer feedback. With this
information as the initial building block,
the team works out a rough sketch of
functionality, price point and production
possibilities. All design and development
is done in-house and hands-on, monitoring development to uphold key concepts.
Developing a new headphone takes the
better part of a year; from the time the idea
meets the drawing board until the final
product is plugged in and powered up. And
feedback is no small matter either – each
batch of headphones are fine-tuned and
perfected before they hit the street.
At the core of Zound Industries’ brand strategy lays expertise in marketing, product design
and technology.
Each product is looked after with meticulous
detail, from its tiny beginnings at the Zound
drawing board to its grand entrance in the
world outdoors. This process includes supervising everything from the first idea through to
choosing colors, materials, even characters,
and carries through to the managing of logistics, sales and marketing.
Having total control over each step of the
headphones’ journey to your ears is what
makes Zound Industries brands both credible
and a pleasurable experience
16
17
SETUP PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION SETUP
» Two years after
starting our operations
in China, we have
an amazing team
of dedicated and
professional people
working around
the clock to ensure
everything runs
smoothly.
—Oscar Axhede
The
Production
SetUp
01
18
19
“Made in China” is a label most
companies wouldn’t particularly
want to brag about. However, Zound
Industries is proud of the business
they set up in China. Dealing in highdemand, fast-moving consumer goods
requires efficient and well-functioning
production and delivery systems,
which is why in the early days of
Zound Industries, Product Director
and Co-founder Oscar Axhede was
sent to China with only 24 hours notice
to set up a Zound Industries office in
Shenzhen. His mission: to monitor all
operations out there, and make sure the
factories manufacture Zound Industries’
headphones according to the highest
standards.
SETUP PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION SETUP
» Our China office is
situated in Shenzhen –
the so-called ‘factory
of the world’ – in the
Guangdong province.
MONGOLIA
NORTH
KOREA
CHINA
JAPAN
Anyone who has ever dealt with China will know one
thing: shaking hands and saying, “Let’s do this!” doesn’t
work over there. You need to put in the hours to build
up personal relationships and this is exactly what Oscar
has done through close, daily communication with all of
Zound Industries’ factories.
The China office is situated in Shenzhen; the so-called
“factory of the world,” in the Guangdong province,
where between 70 and 80 percent of all electronics are
manufactured. 30 years ago, Shenzhen bay was lined
with numerous small fishing villages. Today, it’s one of
the fastest-growing cities on the planet, with a population of 10 million and counting. Shenzhen also hosts the
world’s fourth busiest container port, Yantian, where the
main logistics hub is situated. From there, Zound Industries ships tens of thousands headphones every week
to warehouses in the U.S. and Europe, or directly to the
ever-increasing worldwide distribution network.
The Zound Industries team in Shenzhen, China, ensures
that headphones are packed, delivered and shipped
on time, with the price, quality, volume and level of efficiency we enjoy today. Zound Industries products are
all about attention to detail, and the care taken at every
stage of the manufacturing and shipping process makes
sure that no defects slip through the net. Communicating daily with the factories through the China office is a
big part of this. It’s also a great way to get a head start
on new techniques, materials and ways of developing
products. In turn, this simplifies communication between
the development team in Stockholm and the engineers
at the factories, sparing project managers the stress of
receiving cryptic, poem-like emails from Chinese factory
employees.
SOUTH
KOREA
SHENZHEN
02
the right partners – factories that can maintain stable
production processes, good prices, a stable supply
chain, reliable quality control procedures and qualified
engineers proactive in communicating with the offices
back in Stockholm. In return, a little extra is paid for
products, but that’s OK.
Quality control and environmental impact is extremely
important to the team at Zound Industries, which is why
all products produced conform to REACH (Registration,
Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals, European
Union Regulation) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive). Zound Industries is also
dedicated to safe recovery and disposal of electronic
equipment waste, as outlined in the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive)
03
REPUBLIC
OF CHINA
(TAIWAN)
04
01
In-line quality control
testing of Plattan headphones.
02
The China office is on
the 38th floor of this
building, which is called Neo. It’s located in
the heart of Shenzhen’s
business district,
Futian.
03
Shenzhen is the third
busiest container port
in China, ranking
closely behind Shanghai
and Hong Kong.
04
The brand new
Shenzhen office was
designed, from scratch,
by Product Manager
and Co-Founder
Oscar Axhede, and its
panorama windows are
facing Hong Kong. It’s
an oasis for the team.
Another measure taken to secure qualitative and quantitative deliveries is to work with three different factories
– each with different fields of expertise and levels of
security to protect the developing ideas and products.
Dividing the production between several factories is also
a good way of spreading the risks, should any of the
factories’ production be delayed.
05
The team visits the
factories on a weekly
basis. There is even a
production office for
the Zound team in one
of these factories, for
when things get hectic.
Countless factories have approached Zound Industries,
all promising incredibly cheap and quick deliveries. To
come across ones that meet the high standards that the
company expects, however, has proved extremely difficult. It took numerous visits to factories before finding
05
20
21
SETUP PRODUCTION
The Zound Industries team
in China ensures that the
headphones are packed,
delivered and shipped on
time, with the quality, volume
and level of efficiency expected by a global company
PRODUCTION SETUP
06
Oscar Axhede Product
Manager & Co-Founder
07
Jason Liu Quality
Engineer
08
Trinity Wei Production
Manager
09
Telly Zhao Logistics
Manager
10
Yullin Wu Senior
Engineer
11
Rubby Fu Project
Manager
12
Johnny Wen General
Manager
06
07
09
10
08
11
12
22
23
SETUP PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION SETUP
13
13
15
16
All plastic parts are
closely measured and
checked before mass
production.
14
Pre-assembly of Coloud
headbands before the
production line.
15
Marshall Headphones’
cables and plugs come
pre-assembled from the
cable vendor.
16
Brand new Marshall
Minor earphones waiting to be put in their
packaging.
17
Urbanears cables with
remote and microphone.
18
These golden plates
engraved with the
Marshall logo will soon
adorn Marshall Minor
cable clips.
14
17
24
18
25
SETUP PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION SETUP
19
Urbanears Plattan
headphones about to
get sent to the packaging section.
20
A morning shift load
of Coloud Colors
headphones. Once the
headphones are assembled, they are transferred
to another production
line and put in their
packaging, along with
warranty folders, and
sealed up before being
put in boxes and sent
off to the warehouse.
21
The warehouse gets
weekly deliveries from
our three factories.
Upon arriving at the
warehouse, they are
entered into the system
and shipped out to their
final destination. The
warehouse in China is
the main hub for the
warehouses in the U.S.
and Europe, or directly
to distributors.
20
19
21
26
27
ZOUND PEOPLE
ZOUND PEOPLE
» We’re not just
designing headphones;
we’re reinventing them.
Welcoming and colorful, Marcus Rudbäck’s eyes were filled with excitement
as he told me about all the different fabrics and materials in the “brainstorming
lounge,” complete with all sorts of inspirational gadgets, inviting sofas and even
videogames.
Marcus Rudbäck
Product Design Manager &
Co-Founder
Marcus and his inventive colleagues at
the product design studio Norra Norr have
developed all of Zound Industries’ headphones, alongside other projects. “But we’re
extremely excited about finally merging
with Zound Industries and focusing solely
on creative headphones.” Marcus and the
design team have built their own headphone
workshop and even developed soundtesting facilities.
You’re only going to design headphones
from now on? Well, we’re not just designing headphones; we’re reinventing them.
The great thing about working at Zound
Industries is that you can put all the good
ideas somewhere. If an idea doesn’t fit
with Marshall, it might fit with Urbanears,
or become a whole new label. Molami is
the coolest project we’ve worked with.
We’ve never worked on something like it
before, which is exciting.
What do you think headphones will look
like in the future? The time of standard
plastic and impersonal electronics was
up when Apple introduced designed
electronics. Now, everyone’s working in
that design language, and it’s going to
progress in the same way as clothing. You
can be a punk or you can be a businessman, and there will be something that fits
you. At Zound Industries we’re aiming to
take command of lifestyle headphones;
our new label Molami is a good example
of that
28
Background
Marcus Rudbäck started his
professional life as a surface
designer in the automotive industry and had a long career as
design consultant. Along with
two friends he then founded
Norra Norr, a product design
studio that worked with O2,
Absolut Vodka, Lego and others. Through a previous project,
Marcus came to know the other
founders of Zound Industries
and joined forces with them to
start the company.
Listens to
Reggae, country, hip-hop and
electronica.
Favorite headphones
Urbanears Plattan in White.
“Plattan is perfect when I’m on
the plane or in front of the computer. It’s the first headphone
we did for Urbanears, and I love
how simple and nice it looks.”
» Teal is the
default desktop
background
colour for
Windows 95.
It’s so goddamn
unsexy
it’s hilarious.
Background
Niklas co-founded the design
studio Post Creative, where he
worked with clients like Nokia,
Scott USA and SVT (Swedish
national television). Before he
joined Zound Industries, Niklas, together with Konrad and
Oscar, helped WeSC with their
headphone venture.
Listens to
Indie pop and audio books.
Headphones
Urbanears Tanto in Teal.
”It’s the most daring model
we’ve done and the fun thing
about our new colour, Teal, is
that it was the default desktop
background colour for Windows
95. It’s so goddamn unsexy it’s
hilarious.”
Luckily, it paid off. Why do you think
your designs are so popular? It’s all in the
details. From the tag and the way the packaging opens, to the marketing images and
the websites, it all works smoothly, like a
perfectly tuned engine. As a graphic designer, you’re sitting there agonizing over small
details while everyone’s saying, “Come on,
leave it.” But that final touch is what a fine
sandpaper is to a carpenter. It makes all
the difference. You might not be able to see
it but you feel it somehow. The details are
what set us apart. Have you heard of the
avocado principle?
Niklas Bergh
Creative Director
& Co-Founder
“My friends used to call me the professor,” confesses Niklas Bergh with
a proud smile, referring to his teenage
skateboarding days when his knowledge about the sport far exceeded his
skills (which doesn’t mean he wasn’t
a good skater). It’s hard to think of a
more suitable nickname for Niklas; he
wears thick glasses and colorful cardigans, has messy hair and an ability to
expand on any topic, touching on everything from interesting books and new
philosophies to music and business
strategies, all while holding your attention in a tight grip.
“Drooling over skateboard graphics and
logos is what instigated my interest in
design,” says Niklas, who skated and
snowboarded his way into design school,
before co-founding the graphic design
bureau, Post Creative, that made his name.
Niklas is the brilliant mind behind Zound
Industries’ design concepts; he has built the
trademarks from scratch and has done all
the graphic profiles except for Molami. He
is also ultimately responsible for all aspects
of Zound Industries’ communication: everything from packaging and advertising, to
websites and press releases.
How did you get involved with Zound
Industries? When I heard Konrad [Bergström] and Oscar [Axhede] were starting up
a fashion house for headphones, I talked
them into letting me be a part of it. I really
believed in the idea. The first two years I
worked 14-hour days for little or no pay.
29
No. I read about it in Daniel Gilbert’s book
Stumbling on Happiness. It starts like a
suspense novel: “It was a dark and cold
avocado.” By replacing “night” with something as unexpected as “avocado,” you
grab people’s attention. We’ve applied that
principle to our brands, for example, by
giving our Urbanears’ headphones a matte
finish; a surface one wouldn’t expect a
headphone to have. Doing things differently
from everybody else gets me going.
How did you come up with Urbanears’
design aesthetic? It was all clear from the
beginning: one color, simple headphones
without any branding. I admire American
Apparel because they have such a coherent
story: nothing goes the wrong way. There
are so few companies that really believe
in their own ideas and stick to them. We
made Urbanears in so many colors so that
everyone could find a pair they like, but
also because we wanted to make as great
an impact as possible. If you go to Elgiganten, a big electronics chain in Sweden,
to buy a pair of headphones, your eyes are
more likely to move towards Urbanears,
presented as a big pattern of colors, than
to headphones with less inspiring display.
After that, it’s all about the details.
But those small details are what give
a brand credibility. Exactly. It’s a nice
surprise for people when they eventually
discover them. It shows them how much we
care for our products. To give you an example, say you buy a jacket that you really like
and, after having worn it for three weeks,
you notice an inner pocket with a lining in a
different color; you’re most likely going to
think, “Awww, they cared about the lining,
how nice.”
HOUSE BRANDS
HOUSE BRANDS
HOUSE
BRANDS
If you ask your local librarian for books on brands and branding, he or she will lead you
to a bookshelf the size of an 18-wheeler. If you then go in search of literature on building brands from scratch, of starting with nothing and building it up to a great something,
you will be lucky to walk away with much at all. Zound Industries takes great pride in
concocting brands out of thin air and then filling them with content, connectivity and
relevance. The secret recipe is, obviously, secret. But some of the most important ingredients include time, hard work, design, revision, discussion and yes, more revision still.
The end result should feel like something that really comes together seamlessly - from
the product to the language, even the packaging, and everything along the way. The following pages showcase Zound Industries’ house brands. The much-adored love children
of the company - Urbanears, Coloud and Molami, along with the adopted Marshall Headphones – that are all handled with equal time and attention.
The idea of Zound Industries is to be a complete headphone house, offering something
for each and every potential customer. The brand portfolio is ever expanding through
new in-house ideas, licensing and a number of other possibilities. Zound Industries is
still a very young company, but has managed to release a number of brands that has
achieved impressive worldwide recognition. And no rest is on the horizon - fresh concepts are on the drawing board
COLOUD.................................. 32-36
URBANEARS........................... 38-49
MARSHALL HEADPHONES..... 50-57
MOLAMI................................... 58-65
This pyramid is a tool to grasp the scope of each of
our brands. The vertical axis denotes a level of consumer based on price, early adopter to laggers or just
as well from low to high-end fashion. A larger field of
target audience does not necessarily mean a bigger
audience, but rather it is less precise.
30
31
Since the publication of this book
Coloud has been re:launched.
Please visit www.coloud.com for a
current view.
current view.
32
33
HOUSE BRANDS COLOUD
COLOUD HOUSE BRANDS
Coloud brings you finely tuned design features and functionality
in a variety of bold graphics, colors, and styles. The affordability
of Coloud attracts a wide audience of individuals, who are all
looking for a good value for money product
E P OC T N
EC J AN F
E
GS
D
OV
AR APR M
BM
The ideas that have laid the foundation for the lucrative and
affordable headphone brand known as Coloud are to create an
affordable line of headphones that still offers the function, design
and quality Zound Industries is in the business of creating. Coloud
headphones can be viewed like a t-shirt – an empty canvas to which
fun designs and creative elements can be applied.
Product
Originally, the plan for Coloud was to collaborate with some of the
cycle
biggest names in merchandizing. The concept being these huge
companies, with their established audience of kids and collectors,
Coloud products are introduced in a perpetual and persistent flow. At any
had covered their iconic brands on everything but headphones.
given moment the assortment will appear like a recently stocked candy
Coloud launched with a bang in December 2009, starring the likes
store. Products are introduced in close harmony with the retail year, highof Hello Kitty, Star Wars and Marvel Comics. Over time a number
lighting annual sales peaks. Naturally one-offs occur from time to time, but
of in-house series were created in addition to collaborative efforts.
most commonly products come in groups. The different graphic themes
These in-house designs caught up with and eventually surpassed
are referred
to asbook
a series and may be distributed vertically over different
Since
of this
the licensed products in revenue. An amazing
feat. the publication
J
AY
U N J UL A
U
Coloud is easier to define by the few things that may not happen,
Coloud has been models.
re:launched.
than what actually does.
A great advantage of having a brand like Coloud in the product
visit
www.coloud.com for a
portfolio makes itself evident in situations Please
where you want
to be
view.
more selective in your distribution. While other brands undercurrent
the
Zound Industries umbrella are more specific in what outlets they
are placed in, Coloud is accessible enough to sustain its integrity
while being available on the shelves in almost any type of store,
such as volume-driven electronics chains, fashion chain stores,
toy stores and mobile phone retailers.
TRIANGULARITY
The triangle is a red thread consistently running
Coloud
throughout
has been
the brandre:launched.
Coloud. While not fitting the description of a logo, it is the strongest identity bearer
Please
visit
www.coloud.com
for
within the brand, as classic graphic branding
has been
given
no prominent
current
position on the product. The triangle, or triangular shapes
in general, view.
are found
in a number of details where you’d least expect it. It adorns the microphone,
buttons, packaging, plugs and even the graphics – creating a strong but subtle
identity in everything Coloud
a
Because of the popularity of the in-house series, a conscious decision has been made to restructure the Coloud brand, capitalizing
on the financial success of the bright colors and playful graphics
that have become synonymous with the Coloud name
Coloud packaging
COLOUD at a glance
Birthday
Target
MODELS
Web
Retailers
DECEMBER
2009
>700
twitter.com/coloudheadphone
Models
SKUs
Price Range
4
41
€20-50
Just like the C19 but comes
stocked with a Microphone /
Remote which is compatible
with most mobile phones featuring a 3.5mm plug, such as
iPhone, HTC and BlackBerry.
The basic model in the
Coloud headphone family.
It’s a one-size-fits-all headphone with a good sound
and quality materials.
www.coloud.com
34
35
This is the premium model
in the Coloud headphone
family, giving you all the
features you desire.
HOUSE BRANDS COLOUD
COLOUD HOUSE BRANDS
ASSORTMENT
This is an overview of the many
products created under the Coloud
brand, past and present. Just like
a candy store, there’s something
here for everyone. Because trends
come and go, some of the models
shown are no longer available, or will
no longer be available in the near
future. For more information, please
visit www.coloud.com
current view.
current view.
36
37
HOUSE BRANDS URBANEARS
URBANEARS HOUSE BRANDS
Urbanears makes headphones that fit your everyday
life. Supplying the perfect listening device for anyone with a pocket full of music and a wish to make
the most of it, Urbanears models are designed to
optimize sound and captivate self-aware customers
by matching preferences in size, style, design, function and relation to music. Other companies may try
to emulate the brand, but Urbanears is the original
in colorful headphones.
38
39
URBANEARS
SPRIN
G/S
UM
ME
R
Combining elements of fashion with the concept of performance is key to the brand’s
philosophy. The use of color, in addition to usable features is what makes Urbanears stand
out from other headphone brands. Urbanears makes products that feel more like clothes
than just chromed plastics, products that feel good to wear in a public space – no matter
who you are, or what background you come from. This is a brand designed for all, not just
for the exclusive few.
This is reflected in the vibrant online community that can be found on each of Urbanears’
various social networking platforms. With over 13,000 likes on Facebook (and growing), fans
interact daily with the brand, offering color and product suggestions, searching for retail locations and participating in contests. The brand’s website is ground zero for the latest in news
and information regarding Urbanears – including “behind-the-scenes” photos and a unique
online store.
Urbanears’ vision is to be readily available, and much time and attention is spent on making
products as affordable as can be. This is part of the reason Urbanears has been so successful,
generating skyrocketing sales from the moment the brand was introduced in late 2009, with a
perpetual growth ever since.
Great efforts are put into making Urbanears available in a store near you. In fact, stores
can be found in every single market that Zound Industries is in. That’s 81 countries, and
over 8,000 different stores worldwide. Because people are different, and tend to shop at a
wide-range of retailers, you will find Urbanears in department stores, phone stores, electronics chains and street wear and lifestyle boutiques
The
Collection
Cycle
»That’s
81 countries,
and over 8,000
different stores
worldwide.
It wasn’t long ago that electronic products could only be found in the gray
scale, leaving much to be desired by consumers. Urbanears recognized this
right away, and sought to capitalize on this hole in the market. Today Urbanears
headphones come in a variety of colors, featuring a monochromatic look, which
are exchanged in each collection.
Two collections of headphones are released each year according to season.
Each collection produced contains 10 different colors – five that are permanent
– and five colors that come and go. Because each collection is unique, some
colors that sell-out may not return – much like what you see in the garment
industry. New models are continually being developed and introduced, with the
goal of launching one each collection
FALL /
WIN
TER
Urbanears is spawned out of a number of ideas. Some that
were formed before the brand was launched, and some
that have developed along the way. The goal since day
one has been to produce headphones with a profound
understanding of how they are utilized and why – creating
functional products that people use on a daily basis.
SYMBOL
Color
Urbanears is serious about color, which
makes sense because it’s such an important
SAID ABOUT
URBANEARS
The Urbanears symbol is the result of two overlapping letter “U”s, turned around
to overlap each other forming a heart. The different sections of the symbol, six all
together, filter light to different extents. As you may be aware, color is often referred
to as different frequencies of light. With color being such a fundamental part of the
brand, rather than choosing a brand color like many others, the Urbanears symbol
allows any color to be applied to it. In short, it is a symbol and a filter. Urbanears is
made with the customer as the first priority, and this allows the symbol to be a layer
added to your own world
Urbanears [...] offer equal parts style and
substance for less than Apple’s aftermarket earbuds, and we recommend them for
casual listeners and fashionistas alike.
CNET May 28th, 2011
Our clients were delighted to discover
these headphones. Urbanears took them
by surprise with their great colors and good
quality materials.”
part of the brand. Colors are carefully chosen based on having a good and equal mix
between dark and light shades, feminine and
masculine nuances, and classic elementary
Pascal Vivier, Chief of EGP Sector, Fnac
colors as well as more unbalanced or experimental shades. Comments and suggestions
[We] couldn’t resist showing you the origami like unboxing experience and product
details. So much attention to detail, and
clean playful designs!
regarding color choices from consumers are
actively encouraged. Many times consumers
have sent in Pantone numbers, or descriptions of colors that have inspired current, or
Notcot.com January 11, 2011
previous color models
URBANEARS IN SHORT
Birthday
Target
Web
Shape Associations
While obviously hinting
at the heart, the Urban
ears symbol can hold
many
connotations,
all while having a clear
direct ion
expanding
from left to right.
Retailers
NOVEMBER
2009
14k
Construction
The shape is achieved by
overlapping two capital
“U”s, creating six indivi
dual parts which each fil
ter the background color
– either through white or
black – making them ligh
ter or darker.
Result
The symbol ends up
being a familiar shape
tweaked to a certain ex
tent. The uniqueness of
it however lies in the fact
that it can be used with
any color. Much like the
brand itself.
twitter.com/urbanears
Models
SKUs
Price Range
4
44
30-100€
www.urbanears.com
40
41
Urbanears Medis cling to ears like
Spiderman.
- Wired.com June 16, 2010
[Urbanears] have sold amazingly! The brand
has exceeded all our expectations; we can’t
even keep up with the demand. Customers
just can’t get enough!.
-Laura Robertshaw, Assistant Buyer, Selfridges
RASPBERRY
For each color Urbanears releases, a campaign
image is shot which features the current products
in one of the 10 colors, and arranged in it’s own
little world.
42
43
PRODUCTS
Keen attention to detail is critical to any brand, however Urbanears takes
this philosophy to heart. From the use of alternative materials and textilewrapped cords, to the smooth matte finish found on each product, these
features give Urbanears a feeling closer to a garment than a technological
product. There is even a jeans-like tab featuring the Urbanears name on
each model of headphones. Progression is key, and innovative features are
everywhere you look on each model of Urbanears headphones. Each item
has a little something extra – from the way it fits, how it works or a functionality you wouldn’t expect
FEATURES
EarClick Construction
EarClick construction ingeniously secures the earphone into
position in the outer ear canal.
It stays in place no matter what
you are doing.
Snap Construction
Snap construction is featured on
the Bagis model. The earphones
are designed to “snap” in place,
allowing you to carry them
around your neck when they’re
not in use.
ZoundPlug
This unique socket found on the
ear cup of each Plattan model
allows for a friend to plug in and
share your music – enhancing
the listening experience.
Microphone and Remote
All models come with a microphone and remote, utilizing the
3.5mm standard socket.
Awards
PRODUCT Names
Stora
Designpriset
IF DESIGN
Award
Designpreis
Deutschland
Urbanears Collection
People’s Choice
Urbanears Plattan
Design
Urbanears Plattan
Silver medal
“Urbanears challenges the grey-
“The evaluation criteria for the iF
“Urbanears has been selected
scale of the sound business.
product design award consists
as a winner of the 2012 German
With identity creating design,
of design quality, workmanship,
Design Award in the category of
Urbanears attract both our
choice of materials, degree of
Product and Industrial Design.
rational and emotional needs.
innovation, environmental friend-
Participating in the 2012 Ger-
Great looking details and smart
liness, functionality, ergonomics,
man Design Award means that
functionality, such as textile
visualization of use, safety, brand
the entrants are playing in the
cables and the ZoundPlug,
value, branding and universal
Champion’s League, with peo-
appeal to the wider mass. Urba-
design. The Urbanears Plat-
ple who are shaping the future.
nears is a strong and complete
tan contains each one of these
The competition honors top
design concept that has the
values, which is why we have
international achievements that
whole world listening.”
awarded it the 2011 iF Product
are already setting tomorrow’s
Design Award.”
standards today.”
44
Heritage is important to
Urbanears, which is why
each product is named after
places and districts where
the brand was founded and
is currently based – Stockholm, Sweden. This is also
what the coordinates on
the packaging refer to.
There aren’t any values in
the choice of locations, but
rather they are viewed as
important building blocks of
what an urban environment
is made up of. If you’re ever
in the neighborhood, punch
in the coordinates into a GPS
and explore them to get a
good idea of what this town
is about.
Plattan is Urbanears’ take on the classic on-ear headphone,
using the latest in audio technology. A lot of time and research was
devoted to creating the perfect on-ear headphone model. As such,
many different samples were developed. Turns out, the best design
chosen was the most simple and basic one, and it hadn’t even been
made before!
Plattan is named after the checkered square located at the heart
of Stockholm. It contains the full gamut of Urbanears design features,
including the ZoundPlug on the ear cap, allowing your friend to plug
in and enjoy your music with you. The full on-ear caps offer a rich,
perfectly balanced and secluded sound, giving the listener a music
experience way beyond any in this class. When you’re not using
them, Plattan headphones can easily be folded to fit into your bag
45
ZoundPlug – instant
music sharing. Plug
in a friend and share
your music.
Collapsible for easy storage.
The latest edition to the Urbanears’ family, Bagis is named after
the southern Stockholm suburb Bagarmossen. The commune of
“Bagis” was built in line with 50s functionalist urban planning ideals.
Coming at a low price point of around €30, Bagis is a compact
version of the full Urbanears experience. Nevertheless, the same
care and attention is given to its design as other Urbanears models,
with some neat features included in its compact casing.
Bagis’ innovative snap construction allows you to click the earpieces together and carry them around your neck when you’re not
using them. As a bonus, this also makes it easier to store them in
your pocket or bag without getting your wires crossed – literally!
Different sizes of earplugs keep Bagis secure in your ears. The
cord is coated in a combination of materials to eliminate friction distortion, and the earphones are encased on three sides in the same
smooth, matte rubber as Bagis’ big brother, Plattan
Light, comfortable and versatile, Medis features the dynamic
sound and sleek, minimal design that is synonymous with Urbanears. Its name comes from the biggest square in southern
Stockholm, Medborgarplatsen, or “Medis,” as the locals like to
call it. Medis comes with the unique EarClick system, which rests
in your outer ear, lightly securing the earpiece at two separate
points with rubber pads. EarClick makes better use of the bottom
of the ear, and utilizes an upward hook that secures the earpiece,
exponentially increasing how well it rests in your ear. The design
offers listeners a comfortable fit, no loss of balance (as sometimes
happens with in-ear headphones) and the ability to hear your surroundings
Snap construction.
Connect around your neck
when not using the Bagis.
Size adjustable with
S
M
L
enclosed sleeves.
EARCLICK
Ears come in all shapes and sizes, and many of them simply don’t work
with a standard earphone. Earclick construction makes better use of the
bottom of the ear and utilizes an upward hook that secures the earpiece
– exponentially increasing how well it rests in your ear. Even when you
are very active, EarClick construction keeps the earphone firmly in place.
Additionally, it allows you to hear your surroundings and doesn’t affect your
balance by closing the ear canal, making it perfect for use while you’re on
the move. It may look freaky at first glance, but once you try it you’ll never
go back. EarClick construction is featured on the Medis.
PLUS MODELS
Taking its design cues from the classic headphones of the 80s,
Tanto fills the gap between the widely available large on-ear headphones and the in-ear headphones that are routinely bundled with
mobile phones and MP3 players.
Named after Tantolunden, a park where Stockholmers like to
have picnics or outdoor parties in the summer, Tanto was the third
headphone to be launched under the Urbanears’ brand. Lightweight
and constructed for maximum mobility, Tanto will tag along with you
wherever you go
Pivoting ball joint
construction for
The exclusive Urbanears Plus edition of Plattan features an iPod, iPhone and
iPad certified microphone and remote, with an additional remote volume control
function. Plattan Plus can be found in Apple Stores in the U.S. and Canada, and
select retailers across Europe. More Plus products are currently being developed, with plans to expand the line and color range for 2012
optimized ergonomics.
Lightweight for a
comfortable fit.
46
47
EarClick construction
for ultimate comfort
and fit – this keeps the
earphone in place.
Interchangeable pads
in S, M, L and XL sizes.
Packaging
visual life
Encountering an Urbanears product is a well-directed drama. The
role of the packaging cannot be underestimated as this is the product’s first introduction. The colorful pattern created when Urbanears
products are on display in a store is meant to be a strong attention
grabber. The front of the package contains limited information in
order to highlight the product on an emotional level, while the back
is crammed with relevant information. The real beauty of it is the
surprise one gets when opening it up. Each model is enhanced with
a different origami-like solution, and unfolds like a carefully wrapped
present.
There are however more factors, equally important, to the design
of the Urbanears packaging concept. To minimize the environmental
footprint, the size has been kept to a minimum. It also contains no
more than one material – a recyclable paper – allowing you to throw
it away easily. The consistent measurements allow for standardized
product display and optimized shipping
Walking into any electronics store in the world, you would see each packaging adorned with a product image. What most people don’t consciously realize
is that these images are, with little or no exception, computer generated. In
Urbanears’ world all imagery is a result of actual photos of real life products,
lending them the imperfection needed to come alive.
An Urbanears image (still or moving) never portrays the product on people.
It is faceless. This is the result of the ambition to make the brand accessible to
any person, regardless of whom they are rather than connecting the brand to
a certain genre of music, fashion or subculture. Instead, Urbanears exists in a
visual landscape of its own. The images around Urbanears are a result of long
hours, tremendous efforts and an ample supply of fishing line, pins, tape and
other office gadgets
48
49
HOUSE BRANDS MARSHALL HEADPHONES
MARSHALL HEADPHONES HOUSE BRANDS
The heavy sound of Marshall has been carried over the world
for nearly 50 years. Breathless roadies and roaring trucks have
worked hard to make Marshall heard all across the globe. The
success story of Marshall Headphones is constantly being
written, as the brand continues to grow, and new products
are being launched each year.
THE STORY OF A PICTURE
This picture marks the most anticipated product release in the brief
history of Zound Industries, and is worth a mention. It came about in the
studio and wasn’t planned for. When the assistant, Carl Hasselgärde,
went to prepare for the next shot this image revealed itself, and was
quickly snapped. Ahead of the release this photo was all that was used
for the introduction of the Marshall Headphones brand. It spread like
wildfire over the web and on the site this was all you could find, along
with a newsletter signup. When the products were officially released, the
web traffic shut the servers down and the office was quickly drowned in
outgoing headphone packages. The amount, or rather lack of,
information was perfectly balanced to create buzz.
50
51
DEFINING
ROCK’N’ROLL
EMULATING MARSHALL
INTO HEADPHONES
THE HISTORY OF MARSHALL
» The Marshall amplifiers
were blessed with a sound
much heavier than anything
heard before.
The iconic heritage of Marshall was a natural fit for
headphones. With the amplifier being a rather expensive
outfit, and only for those blessed with the ability to handle
a guitar. Because Marshall expanded to headphones, the
brand became accessible for anyone to enjoy music, widening the audience to nearly everyone in the world.
02
01
Based on the signature of Jim Marshall,
the Marshall script is one of the world’s
most recognizable symbols. Since half
a century back Marshall has been the
major name in guitar amplifiers, and has
subsequently acted as a backdrop to an
immense number of artists, from the local
heroes to the arena rock giants. The
Marshall amps even cameo in the legendary rock mockumentary Spinal Tap, where
the featured band has had custom equipment that can be turned up to eleven,
rather than just ten.
The story of the brand is very much intertwined with Jim Marshall. Jim ran a drum
store in London in the early sixties. London
was the epicenter of rock ’n’ roll and the
store was the go-to equipment supplier
for many of the most renowned drummers
of the time. Often times the guitarists of
bands would tag along with the drummers
03
who came to the shop, and would ask why
Marshall was not selling or producing guitar equipment. Jim began to import guitar
amps from America, however these were
very expensive. Seeing an opportunity, Jim
set out to create a cheaper alternative to
the American-made guitar amps.
Through dissecting other brand’s amps and
recreating and perfecting them together
with guitarists such as Pete Townshend
and Richie Blackmore, the first Marshall
amplifiers were born. Through some certain twists of electrical fate, the Marshall
amplifiers were blessed with a sound much
heavier than anything heard before. The
overpowered valves generated that fuzzy,
broken guitar sound that has become such
an integral part of rock ’n’ roll
52
Marshall Headphones is Zound Industries’ premier licensed
brand, and although it is a license, it is treated with as much
care and thought as one of the company’s house brands.
Working closely with Marshall Amplification, two models
have been created to authentically represent everything that
Marshall stands for – the on-ear Marshall Major and the inear Marshall Minor. Even without the logo, the headphones
embody the brand. The greatest effort has been put into the
aesthetics of these headphones – making sure they ooze
that iconic Marshall look. You can see it on the vinyl material
covering the Major, and the appearance of the Minor, which
replicates the knobs found on a Marshall head.
01 Jim Marshall on his
mother’s knee.
02 Marshall on the drums
with an early incarnation
of the famous signature.
03 The store where the
Marshall
brand
was
started.
enjoyment of good music. Conceived from Marshall’s timetested fundaments of performance and endurance, they
are designed to thrive on daily use and to render music the
way it was meant to sound, no matter what your taste is.
Marshall Headphones come in black and white. The black is
a classic Marshall color, while the white option is a new and
fresh addition to the range.
Both the Major and Minor models have a microphone and
remote set on their cords, and are compatible with most
major brands of music players, phones, smartphones and
computers. A one-year premium replacement warranty
comes with every purchase.
When Marshall Headphones launched in mid-November
2010, over 1,000 headphones were purchased from the
online store in the first week alone. One year later hundreds
of thousands of headphones have been sold to consumers
worldwide and through Zound Industries’ vast network of
sales agents and distributors
Nothing has been compromised when expanding the Marshall heritage of big stage performance to the individual
MARSHALL HEADPHONES IN SHORT
Birthday
Target
Web
Retailers
OCTOBER
2010
11k
twitter.com/marshallHP
Models
SKUs
Price Range
2
6
€60-250
www.marshallheadphones.com
53
BLACK
BLACK
WHITE
WHITE
Marshall Minor is an advanced and hard working
in-ear model. In addition to its good looks, inspired by
the classic Marshall knob, it incorporates quite a few
exciting features.
The Major has received standing ovations from
critics and fans alike for its excellent sound detail
and functional, authentic design elements. The headband material mimics the texture of the vinyl used for
Marshall amplifiers. The ear caps bear the Marshall
emblem, and Jim Marshall’s signature adorns the
inside of the comfortably cushioned headbands.
Minor uses the same EarClick system – found on other
models in the Zound Industries family – to secure the
earphone so that it doesn’t fall out. The textile-wrapped
cord of the Minor comes equipped with a microphone
and remote, along with a branded cable clip
The cord is coiled, which gives a practical, expandable
cable length. It also has a knurled, gold-plated cable
jack imitating that of an electric guitar. An additional
cable adapter is enclosed for the consumer to use
with an amp or stereo using the 6.3mm format.
The Major headphones are foldable for easy storage
and transportation
On October 17th 2011 Marshall Headphones
launched the White series, expanding the Marshall
Headphones product line to four amazing models.
FX
MICROPHONE & REMOTE
FX
FX is a version of Marshall Headphones featuring
an Apple certified microphone and remote, with
the added functionality of a volume control.
54
55
01 This is Hutch, Queens
of the Stone Age’s legendary sound guy.
05 Jared Swilley of the
Black Lips.
02 Blue Cheer bottle flyer.
06 Jesse ’Boots Electric’
Hughes at his house.
03 On the Road host
Jesse ’Boots Electric’
Hughes having a smoke
outside the tour van.
07 Damien from Fucked
Up joining the moshpit
at the Ace Hotel in Palm
Springs, California.
04 This is Jesse’s girlfriend, Tuesday Cross.
She plays in his new project Boots Electric.
08 These skulls and skeleton hands were lying
around outside House of
Shock, a haunted house
in New Orleans, run by a
roadie.
07
08
» The bands
might make it
rock, but it’s
the roadies that
make it roll.
02
01
Inspired by the copy featured on the
Marshall Headphones’ website, On the
Road, is a twelve part documentary
series produced by Vice Media and Marshall Headphones. Presented by Jesse
Hughes for the first six episodes and Tim
Harrington for the next, On the Road celebrates the traveling rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle
playing tribute to the unsung, behind-thescenes heroes that make the gigs happen.
03
06
Marshall Headphones launched On the
Road in partnership with Vice Media in
mid-September 2011, and it has been wellreceived by both fans and media alike. Not
only has it been a wonderful way to share
the stories of some of the greatest rock ‘n’
roll musicians and road crews of the last
50 years, but it’s also been a tremendous
marketing tool for Marshall Headphones
– which has seen an upswing in visitors to
the website, as well as products sold as a
direct result of the On the Road series.
As the outcome is still undecided at the time of printing this publication, Zound Industries can only predict
that On the Road will develop into an ongoing project,
with a season airing each year to further push the
brand awareness of Marshall Headphones, and also to
share new and even crazier escapades from rock ‘n’
roll’s legendary cast of characters
Watch On The Road on:
www.marshallheadphones.com/on-the-road
04
56
05
57
HOUSE BRANDS MOLAMI
Molami is Zound Industries’ most
ambitious endeavor to date. Capitalizing on the need for a female focused
electronics brand, Molami are finetailored headphones that incorporate
the ideals of both fashion and industrial
design into three unique and conceptual
headphone models.
58
59
HOUSE BRANDS MOLAMI
MOLAMI HOUSE BRANDS
INTRODUCING
MOLAMI
MARIA
Release plan
Since its inception in 2008, Zound Industries has led the headphone’s successful makeover from a functional gizmo to a
fashionable accessory. This fall, Zound Industries is taking it one
step further with the launch of the new premium lifestyle brand,
Molami. Tailored to meet the demands of an ever-growing group of
music loving, fashion savvy women, Molami has virtually no other
competitors out there, and is the first electronics brand designed
by a woman, with the interest of other women in mind.
» They’re made with
no compromises on
function, innovation,
quality and sound
perfection.
Masterminded by Maria von Euler, a former fashion journalist turned
industrial designer, who had a vision to design headphones from a fashion
standpoint, Molami can be worn as a stylish accessory that compliments
any outfit. Much thought has been put into this brand. In fact, it’s taken over
two years to develop the products from start to finish. True craftsmanship is
put into every detail. They’re made with no compromises on function, innovation, quality and sound perfection.
When developing Molami, Zound Industries consulted make-up artists to
learn how to translate feminine facial lines into shapes, which makes them
the first headphones ever designed for this purpose. To keep away from
the common perception that headphones for women should be pink or
decorated with pretty graphics, the first collection is colorless and available
only in black or white with silver or 18K gold details. The carefully selected
materials used for Molami are some of the most luxurious textiles you will
find – including napa leather, suede, stingray, silk and chiffon.
In addition to good looks, the sound has not been compromised when
designing the Molami family of headphones. In fact, the brand boasts some
of the best sound technology Zound Industries has used to date.
Zound Industries is eagerly anticipating the launch of Molami. Everyone
at the company is thoroughly satisfied with the finished products and are
expecting another worldwide success story
Target
Web
Retailers
NOVEMBER
1
N/A
2011
» The little
black dress of
headphones
Isetan
Tokyo, Japan
I.T
Hong Kong, China
“You don’t want to look as if you’re wearing some weird shoe on
your head,” says the stylish, fashion-oriented industrial designer
Maria von Euler, who felt it was about time someone created an
electronics brand that was designed by a woman, for other women
to integrate into their daily wardrobe. Coming to the rescue of fashion-conscious individuals who wish to carry their sound in style,
Maria has led the design of exquisite, fashionable headphones for
the new label Molami; the latest exciting addition to Zound Industries’ fashion house for headphones.
SKUs
Price Range
3
9
€150-500
Cabinet 206
(Quartier 206)
Berlin, Germany
One of the most important issues Maria wanted to address for
Molami was that female-focused headphones didn’t have to be in
“girly” colors or covered in graphics, which is the road many other
electronics brands have taken.
Renaissance
So what is Maria’s vision for the future of Molami? “We want to be
‘the little black dress’ of headphones, and for Molami products to be
a must have fashion accessory.”
www.molami.com
60
Paris, France
Intermix
Shopbop.com
twitter.com/molamihp
Models
Colette
“It was a natural progression [for Zound Industries to pick up
Molami]. I got the inspiration for my degree project, Fashion Headphones, when brainstorming ideas with what was going to be Zound
Industries. Andreas [Enqvist] and Erik [Petersson] from the design
department were my supervisors, and Niklas Bergh – now Zound
Industries’ Creative Director – helped me with the branding and
presentation. After graduating I wanted to create the headphones
for real, and Zound Industries offered to produce them.
“To my knowledge, there has never been an electronics brand
made by women, for women before. We’ve questioned what a
headphone is and redesigned it from scratch to adapt it to stylish
women’s needs. My colleague Elin Abbevik has been a vital part of
this project, helping to profile Molami through her exquisite illustrations. We’ve also taken our male industrial design colleagues to
fashion boutiques and let them interact with different fabrics and
accessories. They’d never done something like that, or thought in
that way before.”
MOLAMI IN SHORT
Birthday
Molami is scheduled to launch in November,
2011. The launch will be limited to select
markets, and at premium retailers around the
globe. The brand has goals of expanding the
launch to other cities and stores during the
first quarter of 2012.
61
New York City, U.S.A.
DAAD Dantone
Milan, Italy
Antwerp, Belgium
Nitty Gritty
Stockholm, Sweden
London (TBA)
HOUSE BRANDS MOLAMI
MOLAMI HOUSE BRANDS
PRODUCTS
Each model in the Molami
family has a geometric or
fashion element incorporated
in some part of its design – be
it the name of the product,
the tailored angles and lines,
or the luxurious materials
used. The pleated textile cord
on all models features the
rectangular microphone and
hidden remote, along with the
signature Molami logo plated
in either a silver-like finish or
18K gold
COMPATIBILITY
Aside from being stylish accessories,
Molami headphones are perfect for listening to music or picking up phone calls in
any environment – at home, work or on a
shopping spree. They’re compatible with
all major brands of music players, phones,
smartphones and computers.
1
BIGHT
Materials
Molami is the first electronics brand to incorporate such
high-quality and exclusive
materials into their product
line, which virtually guarantees
they will be highly sought after
by individuals craving a more
luxurious sound experience.
Made of napa leather or stingray, Bight is a boldly
innovative earphone in the shape of a decorative leather
knot that rests comfortably and securely in your ears.
This is due to the revolutionary EarClick system, which
works by securing the earpiece at two separate points,
rather than one. Each box comes with four changeable
EarClick sizes suited for women’s smaller ears
Napa Leather
Stingray Leather
Chiffon
3
Silk
packaging
To give the customer an exclusive boutique feel, Molami headphones come in
a beautiful white box, with the product
wrapped in silk paper to enhance the unboxing experience. The box also comes
with a complimentary pouch to protect
your headphones when carrying them
around in your handbag.
62
2
4
1 Bight White & Gold Napa Leather
2 Bight Black & Silver Stingray Leather
3 Bight White & Silver Stingray Leather
4 Bight Black & Gold Napa Leather
63
HOUSE BRANDS MOLAMI
MOLAMI HOUSE BRANDS
1
1
T WINE
Molami has created a completely new listening experience with Twine, which is a beautiful headband that
comfortably wraps around your head. Twine is made
of sand-washed Japanese silk, with soft chiffon inside
the headpiece that can easily be washed to remove
makeup or other smudges. Exquisite materials, careful
asymmetrical twists and the single, discreet textile cord
make Twine a gorgeous adornment that any fashion
conscience individual will want to wear.
2
3
PLEAT
Pleat is an over-ear headphone that complements the
bone structure of the face – specifically the cheekbones.
The black Pleat is covered in napa leather and suede,
while the white Pleat is covered in napa leather. In addition to using Pleat as a listening device, you can wear it
as an accessory, thanks to the on-neck rotation feature.
Just place the headphones around your neck and rotate
the ear cushions down so that they lay flat against your
collarbone
Inside the headpiece are two speakers that produce a
warm, clear sound suitable for many different musical
genres. The speakers are attached to adjustable clips
that move up and down the fabric headpiece for a customizable and comfortable fit
2
1 Twine Black & Gold Silk
2 Twine White & Gold Silk
3 Twine Black & Silver Silk
64
1 Pleat Black & Gold Napa Leather
2 Pleat White & Gold Napa Leather
65
ZOUND PEOPLE
ZOUND PEOPLE
you can send to China, with
24-hour notice, to handle the
productions and build a new
office, from scratch. Oscar is
full of energy and talks with
great compassion about his
colleagues and associates in
his new homeland. He has a
head for business and knows
the lingo, but instead of the
typical businessman phone,
he has a pink, rhinestone
encrusted Hello Kitty iPhone
Oscar Axhede
Product Director &
Co-Founder
I’m the guy who can fix
anything,” says the former
high school dropout, Oscar
Axhede, in his charming,
slightly mischievous tone.
Oscar is still a punk at heart,
but, today, that fearlessness in combination with his
innate problem solving skills
makes him the kind of person
move to their country; they’re
used to their western business
partners only visiting four times
a year to bark and disappear.
With someone here 24/7, things
work more smoothly.
How come you were sent to
China with such short notice?
We realized we needed someone on the ground in China to
oversee the production in our
factories, to avoid unnecessary
problems and mistakes. I also
help our Swedish head office
in understanding how things
work over here, and vice versa.
I guess I’m some sort of a diplomat. China is a special country;
you need to have a close relation
to your business partners, taking
them out to dinners and lunches.
The Chinese like it when you
butterfly like him, who seems
to know everything about
each city in the world, fits him
like a hand fits the glove. Still,
that’s a tough responsibility;
seeing that Zound Industries
has entered 81 markets since
its inception
Sandro D’Errico
Sales Manager
Business relationships too
are based on loyalty, honesty
and trust,” says the charismatic and easygoing Sandro,
whose approach to business
goes beyond just being professional; to him it’s a way of
life. Sandro’s job is to find the
right partners in new markets; a task that to a social
What’s important to consider
when opening new markets?
Never take anything for granted
or think you know best, learn
from the people who know the
market. It’s important to be
honest with yourself and make
sure you have acquired the
necessary knowledge before
taking a step. Sometimes correcting a mistake takes longer
than waiting an extra month to
make your decision.
What makes you a good
sales manager? I believe I am
perceptive and easy going. I’m
good at understanding markets
and making sure business is
good for both Zound Industries
and our partners. In fact, it’s my
Since you’re a co-founder,
how would you say Zound
Industries first started? I’d
say it all started when Konrad
took some time off to figure out
how to launch a headphone
fashion house and become “the
Luxottica, the Swatch Group of
headphones.” It was a year of
crying and teeth grinding before
it all worked out. Then, suddenly, we were in the September
issue of magazines like Vogue
and Wired
Background
Background
Oscar started his career in
boardsports and has done everything from producing shoots
to helping WeSC with their
headphone venture. He was
the first person Konrad involved when starting up Zound
Industries, having previously
worked together with him on
several projects.
Before joining Zound Industries, Yvan was the sales director
for the renowned American and
European companies Nixon
and Volcom. Back in the day,
he was also a professional skier
and secured a sponsorship with
Quiksilver.
German
Headphones
Urbanears Bagis in Dark Gray.
“I didn’t like Bagis at first but,
ironically, it’s now my favorite
model. You just click the earpieces behind your neck and they
hang there and, when someone
calls, you just unclick them, stick
them in your ears and answer.”
» We’ve raised four
brands from a basement in
Stockholm to a global market.
job to build long-lasting relationships with people all around
the world, and keep them in the
Zound Industries family. It’s a
lot of fun! It would have been
impossible to do what I do if I
didn’t enjoy it.
Why do you like working at
Zound Industries? We’re doing
something very few people get
the chance to experience in
their lifetime—go from nothing
to becoming very big. We’ve
raised four brands from a basement in Stockholm to a global
market in the shortest time possible. I love that my colleagues
are young, fun people whom I
consider as friends
66
Listens to
Heavy rock, jazz, classics, and
French music.
Listens to
Deep house and
electronic music.
the attentive and friendly
Frenchman, Yvan Dieng,
explaining why he’s happy
to be working for a Swedish
company.
Background
Headphones
Marshall Major in Black.
“I think we really got that
Marshall spirit into the product. It’s a well-conceived,
well-designed headphone with
amazing sound quality.”
Listens to
Favourite headphones
Urbanears Medis in Indigo.
“I use Medis the most because
I love the fit. Marshall Major
are my office headphones, and
design-wise I really love Tanto.”
“But then my friends left snowboarding and new kids came
along, so it wasn’t as much
fun anymore. Some moved
on to work for boardsports
and streetwear companies
and offered me opportunities
to shoot for them,” says the
tall and sporty Vincent in his
friendly, humble tone, explaining
how he came to focus more on
commercial projects. Through
his long friendship with Konrad
that goes back to their snowboarding days, Vincent joined
Zound Industries to help define
the Urbanears look.
Jussi Björling. But that’s after
having spent a year listening
to 80s heavy metal like Saxon,
Angel Witch and Girlschool.
Urbanears Tanto in Indigo.
“I like Tanto. It’s the perfect
headphone: neat and easy and
you can wear it around your
neck without the cords getting
tangled up.”
What’ s important to consider
when choosing a distributor
or an agent? There are a lot of
criteria. I often ask myself, “Can
I work with these guys? Do we
feel the same about things?”
point in the late 90s, was one
of the best known and most
prolific boardsports photographers in the world, traveling
more than 300 days a year.
Aside from personal projects
and a successful career as a
boardsports photographer in the
90s, Vincent has shot for brands
like Nixon, Scandinavian Airlines, WeSC, Burton and Adidas.
Listens to
Favorite headphones
“Swedish people have a different way of doing business.
It’s not about politics, they
don’t care much for competition, they just do their own
thing and they’re frank,” says
Background
Sandro has a degree in marketing, branding and business. Before joining Zound Industries,
he was Sales Manager for another successful Swedish brand.
Everything from J Dilla and
Ghostface Killah to Broder
Daniel, Håkan Hellström
and Robyn.
Yvan Dieng
Sales Director
Being in charge of dozens of
distributors and representatives
worldwide, he travels to more
than six countries in a month,
hiring people and supervising
business. He always follows
his gut feeling and won’t give
up until he has found the perfect setup in each region. Yvan
became involved with Zound
Industries through Konrad, who
was his Scandinavian distributor when he worked for Volcom
Europe, which proves how good
he is at building valuable relationships with his distributors.
Vincent Skoglund
Co-Founder,
Photographer &
Creative
Vincent is the mastermind
behind the clean, eye-catching
Urbanears ad campaigns. He
got into photography shooting his friends snowboarding
when he was 21 and, at one
How did you come up with
the concept for the Urbanears campaigns? I guess it
was a feeling of having strict
rules to stick to, but to twist
67
I try to work with people who
understand how we function.
When it comes to distribution,
you have to think long term. If
there’s even a single indicator
that their actions could damage
the brand, we have to change
that distributor. It’s better to
wait than rush into a market. It’s
about having the right opportunities and finding the right
people. A dysfunctional distributor is just time consuming, so I
am pretty cautious of that. Also,
you must have total freedom:
top management has to have
total confidence in you.
What’s the best thing about
working for Zound Industries?
It’s an amazing team of highly
skilled and motivated people.
We have a brand philosophy
and we work very hard
them a little. If you look at how
the Urbanears headphones are
designed, it’s very minimal, a
clean, one-color idiom. I wanted
to bring those elements, that
creative simplicity, into the
pictures. I’ve worked a lot with
my set designer, Tobias. It’s fun
and we’ve spent a lot of time
thinking about the products.
Is shooting the campaigns a
straightforward process? Not
really, you need to find a rhythm
in how the cords are placed
in relation to each other. If the
distance is equal, the suspense
is lost. I want the pictures to
feel alive and moving, despite
being still lifes.
How important do you think
the campaigns have been for
Urbanears’ success? I believe
in photography and the directness of the image. I think it’s
a greater power than you can
imagine because the picture
becomes the messenger
ZOUND WORLD RETAIL
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The
Shop
Front
As befits a style-led brand, extra
care is taken in every aspect of the
visual presentation of Zound products. The first things consumers
see are the packaging and point-ofsale (POS) materials, so they’re of
great value in conveying the brands.
Zound makes its fresh, original
perspective on headphones clear,
right from the get-go, clueing the
customer in on the new experience
that awaits them. When entering
a retailer, Zound Industries’ instore display will immediately draw
attention, as it stands out from the
boring, gray norm.
The Zound displays and POS have
a generic design that can be customized with changeable branding
details, depending on stock, the
current marketing campaign or even
the needs of specific stores. Requiring minimal maintenance, it works
equally well freestanding or against
a wall, in a fashion boutique, an
electronics store or a large department store. Retailers are the ones
who make things happen; friends
who are all equally important to the
Zound cycle. The stores featured on
the following pages are only a few
examples of Zound Industries’ many
retail partners.
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ZOUND WORLD RETAIL
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FNAC
URBAN OUTFITTERS
» Marshall, with its
legacy, has attracted
many lovers of rock music.
01
In-store display of
Urbanears Plattan
headphone
02
Urbanears Tanto
headphones in Urban
Outfitters’ window
display.
03
Urban Outfitters store
sign on the Commercial Street junction.
With 207 locations, Fnac is the leading
retailer of cultural and leisure products
in France, Belgium, Spain, Greece and
Portugal. They offer a wide range of
Zound Industries headphones in Fnac
Montparnasse, the branch famous for
staging in-store exclusive concerts and
enabling clients to interact with authors,
musicians, filmmakers and other notable
figures from the creative industry.
Urban Outfitters has been a temple of
stylish clothes, kitschy odds and ends,
limited edition books and trendsetting
jewelry since the 1970s. Today they have
more than 140 stores in the U.S., Canada,
Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and the U.K. Making humor, wit and
taste their philosophy, Urban Outfitters
have provided Urbanears and Marshall
Headphones with a loving home.
When did you start selling Zound Industries headphones? Rachel Vincent, Buyer’s
Assistant at Urban Outfitters Europe: We
first started stocking their headphones in
December 2009. We currently sell the Urbanears headphones in a variety of colors and
the Marshall Headphones, but in limited
stores only.
What has the response been to the Zound
Industries headphones in your shops?
People love them! Because, first and foremost, they have a high quality finish and
the packaging looks good. The Urbanears
headphones have a relatively uncomplicated
design, at a reasonable price point. Sometimes less is more for our customers!
When did you first start selling Zound
Industries headphones? Pascal Vivier,
Chief of EGP Sector: We started selling Coloud, Urbanears and Marshall headphones
about a year ago, when we first launched
the Fnac it! space, which focuses on the
sale of fashionable products. Just a year
ago, you could only find these headphones
in three Fnac stores or on our website,
www.fnac.com. Today, we sell them in 82
stores all over France.
03
Have they been well received by clients?
Our clients were delighted to discover these
headphones. Urbanears took them by surprise with their great colors and good quality
materials. They’ve also found the packaging
particularly seductive!
02
01
How is Zound headphones doing in
comparison to other headphone brands
you sell? I’m not able to divulge any sales
related information, but I can tell you that
they are really, really popular.
Which model do you sell the most of?
I’d say Urbanears has been a commercial
success already, and Marshall, with its legacy, has attracted many lovers of rock music.
The headphone market is in perpetual
evolution because of the ongoing and new
demands of clients, and we respond to that
need by offering a wide range of products.
03
01
How come you started stocking Zound
headphones? We came in contact with
them through previous music-related products they’ve been involved with; hand-held
DJ devices, for example, which we have
also stocked in the past
04
How did you first come in contact with
Zound Industries? We were on the lookout
for products that could meet two demands
at once: quality and fashion, so we invited
Zound Industries to the launch of the Fnac
it! space
A pair of Coloud Hello
Kitty headphones on
display.
01
03
The Fnac it! sign at Fnac
Montparnasse in Paris.
A customer trying on a
pair of Urbanears Plattan headphones.
02
Marshall Major boxes
stacked on a shelf.
Address:
Brands stocked:
Address:
Brands stocked:
136 Rue de Rennes
Urbanears
132 Commercial St.
Urbanears
Paris, France
Marshall Headphones
London, U.K.
Marshall Headphones
02
Coloud
04
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ZOUND WORLD RETAIL
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SELFRIDGES & CO
01
03
Customers checking out the
Urbanears Plattan in-store
display.
People walking past the
Selfridges sign on Oxford
Street in London.
02
04
A pair of Urbanears Tanto
on display.
Urbanears Plattan
headphones on display.
PAUSE
01
Located in the heart of London,
renowned for its offbeat, fashionable
window displays, and voted as the best
department store in the world, Selfridges
has been a sophisticated home to countless selected brands for almost one
hundred years. Offering a complete
selection of Urbanears and Marshall
headphones, Selfridges is undoubtedly
amongst the best Zound Industries retailers out there.
When did you start selling Zound Industries headphones? Laura Robertshaw,
Assistant Buyer: We started selling them in
November 2010.
Pause is a select hi-fi shop that takes
pride in offering their costumers exclusive high-quality sound devices and
professional service. Pause hosted the
Swedish Urbanears launch in December
2009. Since then, they’ve been a Zound
Industries retailer to count on, offering a
complete assortment of Urbanears and
Marshall Headphones products.
04
01
Have Urbanears and Marshall headphones been well received in your shop?
Fredrik Holmkvist, founder and CEO: Yes,
it’s been incredible. We sell five times more
of the Zound Industries headphones in
a week than we do other brands’ headphones in a year.
02
Have Urbanears and Marshall Headphones been well received in your store?
They’ve done amazingly! The brands have
exceeded all our expectations; we can’t
even keep up with the demand. Customers
just can’t get enough!
Why do you think that is? The design and
packaging look great, which is something
everyone takes into consideration when they
buy headphones. Turning headphones into
proper fashion accessories was a genius
move; I can’t believe nobody else had
thought about it before.
Why do you think they are so popular?
Urbanears, because of their great colors.
Good sound quality and reasonable prices
are also important reasons. As for Marshall
Headphones, they’re iconic and have a great
rock ’n’ roll image.
Which model and color do you sell the
most of? Our best-selling model is the
Marshall Major; they only came in on March
24 but have already outsold all other headphones! They’re closely followed by the
Urbanears Plattan model, in Navy.
04
»The brands have
exceeded all our
expectations;
we can’t even
keep up with
the demand.
02
How do you find working with Zound
Industries? The company is great to work
with and our contact, James Hamilton, is a
very easy person to cooperate with. He has
also done great things for both brands at
Selfridges through staff training and store
events
Address:
Brands stocked:
400 Oxford Street,
Urbanears
London, U.K.
Marshall Headphones
Which model do you sell the most? The
most popular model is the Urbanears Plattan
and all colors sell well.
How did you first come in contact with
Zound Industries? I was the one who contacted them. I got in touch with them after
finding their products online and really liking
their concept.
How do you find working with Zound
Industries? It’s been a pleasure; Zound
Industries are professional, the quality of
their headphones is impeccable and the
warranty is good. It’s an efficient and exciting
company and they also throw great parties;
I was invited to the Urbanears launch party
in NY and met the founder, Konrad. He was
hilarious and I had a great time
03
01
A decorative mix of Zound
earphones.
02
Colorful Urbanears in-store display behind the counter at Pause
in Stockholm.
03
Marshall Major headphones
plugged into a mini amplifier in
Pause’s window display.
04
Fredrik Holmkvist, Pause’s founder and CEO, looking out from
his store on Norrlandsgatan in
Stockholm.
03
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Address:
Brands stocked:
Norrlandsgatan 14
Urbanears
Stockholm, Sweden
Marshall Headphones
ZOUND WORLD RETAIL
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Colette
» Marshall is successful
because it’s an iconic
rock’n’roll brand, and
Urbanears because they’re
all about simple design
and good function with
great colors, which our
customers like.
04
Colette is Paris’ number one fashion
destination for exclusive prêt-à-porter
and avant-garde collections, select luxury
gadgets, new music and inspiring fashion and art magazines. The three-story
department store also includes a gallery and a café where you can quench
your thirst with over 100 different brands
of mineral water. Over the course of
last year, both Urbanears and Marshall
Headphones were added to Colette’s
assortment of exclusive, in-demand
fashion items.
How come you started selling Urbanears
and Marshall Headphones in your shop?
We first heard about Urbanears headphones about a year and a half ago and
really liked the concept. It’s pretty funny
because we coincidentally contacted
Zound Industries at the same time they
decided to contact us, so we kind of
contacted each other. We started selling
Urbanears about a year ago and then Marshall before Christmas last year.
01
03
06
01
What has been the response? Both of
them have been very well received!
People passing by Colette
on Rue Saint-Honoré
in Paris.
Why do you think that is? Marshall is successful because it’s an iconic rock ’n’ roll
brand, and Urbanears because they’re all
about simple design and good function with
great colors, which our customers like.
Which model and color do you sell the
most of? The Urbanears Plattan model and
the Marshall Major model, both in black – it’s
weird that people aren’t going for the colors
when they can
02
A customer about to try on
a pair of Marshall Major
headphones.
03
A pair of Urbanears
Plattan on display.
02
04
In-store Urbanears display.
Address:
Brands stocked:
213 Rue Saint-Hon-
Urbanears
oré, Paris, France
Marshall Headphones
05
A pair of Marshall Major
on display.
06
Colette’s window display.
05
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2
1
ON THE
STREETS
A QUICK Q&A WITH
ZOUND INDUSTRIES’
CUSTOMERS
It’s amazing to see how many
individuals are wearing Zound Industries
headphones. Kids on their way back
from school, skaters, fashionistas,
creatives and businessmen alike all
seem to find something from the wide
range of products that fits their specific
sonic needs. It’s obvious to see that an
important gap in the market is being
filled by Zound Industries product.
These street interviews confirm that
Mathew Reeve
Zayn Drammer
Retail, Age 36
Urbanears Plattan, Indigo
Journalist, Age 25
Urbanears Medis, White
Where do you use your headphones?
I use them when I commute or when I’m
at work, if it’s a quiet day.
What do you mostly use your
headphones for? I mainly use them
for work. I interview a lot of people for
various magazines so I have to transcribe
interviews almost daily. I wouldn’t be able
to do that if I didn’t have headphones.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I listen to all the old greats. I don’t follow
modern music; I like to keep it classic.
What do you use to listen to music?
I use my iPhone, or my laptop if I’m home.
What do you consider when purchasing
headphones? Firstly, I look at the style.
I don’t like anything overly designed; it
has to be simple. Secondly, I consider the
sound quality.
What made you buy the ones you’re
wearing now? I like the color and the
simple, modern design. You would be
surprised at how many companies get
those aspects brutally wrong
» I look for a good
balance between
three things:
sound quality,
price and design.
These checked
all those boxes
for me, so
I went for them.
3
3
4
What made you choose these
headphones over others? I chose them
because I thought they looked cool and
modern without being spacey or geeky.
They’re simple and sleek. I really loved
the textile material on the cable; it’s a very
nice touch
Aron Koerich
Patricia Savva
Publisher, Age 32
Urbanears Bagis, Indigo
Singer, Age 28
Urbanears Plattan, Tomato
I use them when I ride my bike around
London. I know it’s a little bit dangerous,
but I don’t like being without music.
Where do use your headphones?
I use them when getting around town but
also in the studio when I’m recording.
What is your favorite type of music?
I listen mostly to electronic music, so the
sound quality has to be clear.
What device do you use with your
headphones? I use a CD Walkman or
occasionally a tape player.
Where do you buy electronics from?
I like to buy things at HMV, they have
a good selection; but I sometimes buy
things online.
What do you consider when buying a
pair of headphones? I look for a good
balance between three things: sound
quality, price and design. These checked
all those boxes for me, so I went for them.
What do you consider most when
buying headphones? It’s the sound
quality that’s most important for me. A lot
of headphones have terrible bass and I
can’t stand it when they sound tinny.
What made you pick that
particular set? I liked their color, design
and neat packaging; it folded out nicely,
which is definitely much better than
having to use scissors to get them out of
the plastic
Why these headphones?I liked the
design and the color. They’re simple and
the sound quality is great too. I like to be
able to match up everything that I wear,
so the red ones were the ones for me
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2
What do you consider the most when
buying headphones? They can’t fall out
of my ears, and they must have good
sound quality. I use headphones on
the treadmill at the gym. It turns into a
stressful gym session if my headphones
keep falling out when I am running, so I’m
glad I found these.
4
What kind of music do you listen to?
I like a lot of different music, particularly
psychedelic rock and jazz.
1
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7
Siobhan Walsh
Student, Age 22
Urbanears Bagis, Tomato
When do you use headphones?
I use them when I exercise and when
I travel.
What music do you like to listen to?
I like anything that I can dance to. I listen
to a lot of remixes and mix tapes that I
download from different sites.
What device do you use to listen to
your music? I use my BlackBerry when I’m
out and about and my laptop when I’m at
home.
What do you consider the most when
buying headphones? I mainly look at the
design; I don’t like the tech-looking ones.
They also need to be good quality because
there’s no point in buying them if they
sound awful.
Why did you choose these headphones?
For the reasons I gave. I suppose I really
like the way they look, and the sound
is perfect.
Where do you shop for electronics?
Any music store is fine. I don’t mind which
store I buy them from as long as the store
has the brand I’m looking for.
5
Jerry Wilsey
Courier, Age 43
Urbanears Tanto, Black
Where do you use
headphones? Absolutely
everywhere. Due to my job, I’m
always on my bike, so I listen to
music at any hour of the day.
What is the soundtrack to
your days? Mostly hip-hop, but
I listen to a bit of everything.
How do you listen to music?
I keep it old school with a CD
Walkman. I have way too many
CDs and I can’t be bothered to
transfer them on to a computer.
6
Is there anything you avoid when
buying headphones? If they’re badly
designed; I don’t care if their function
outweighs the fashionability, then they’re
not for me. I like to be able to include my
headphones in my daily dressing
Ayano Kosute
Denmark Street in London. I
like shopping at independent
stores.
Student, Age 23
Coloud, Marvel Captain
America
Do you consider the design
when buying headphones?
I do to a certain degree,
but I’m more interested
in functionality. However,
I did choose these ones
because they reminded me
of the classic Sony Walkman
headphones, so I guess I do
care about the design.
How often do you
use headphones? Very
frequently, mostly when I’m
on my way to school or when I
do homework.
What do you use to listen to
music? I use an iPod Touch
and a laptop.
What genres of music do
you listen to? I’m a fan of
loads of different types of
music. But I guess I mainly
listen to Japanese pop.
What makes a bad pair of
headphones? Poor sound
quality is the number one deal
breaker for me. If the sound is
bad, forget about it
Where do you buy music
electronics? Well, I used to
buy them from Turnkey, but
they’re not around anymore.
Now I buy things mostly from
What made you buy these
headphones? They’re
fashionable and I like Captain
America.
78
Where do you shop for
electronics? I usually buy
everything from the Apple Store
or other online stores, but I
also go to places like Urban
Outfitters.
» When buying
headphones I
mainly look at the
design; I don’t like
the tech-looking
ones.
What is the most important
thing for you when buying
headphones? I like everything
that’s fashionable; so when I
search for something, design is
my main concern.
What would keep you from
buying a specific pair? I
wouldn’t buy them if they were
uncomfortable. I buy the bigger
DJ-style headphones as the
smaller ones hurt my ears after
a while
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8
» I like that they are based
on a classic design of
headphones... I like these
from a nostalgic standpoint.
Kuni Awai
Designer, Age 30
Urbanears Tanto, Aubergine
I use them on the train or on the bus, or if I
go for a walk or a jog in the park.
What genres of music do you listen to?
I like jazz, classical and some pop music
too. I like happy music.
What do you use to listen to your music?
I use my iPhone. I never leave the house
without it and a pair of headphones.
What do you look for when buying a pair
of headphones? They have to be simple.
I hate it when things look too cluttered or
try to be more than what they are. They
also need to have good sound quality.
There is no point in buying good-looking
headphones if they have bad sound quality,
and vice-versa.
What do you think makes an
unsuccessful pair of headphones? If
they break easily or if I find them difficult to
use, I won’t buy that brand again. I like to
be able to change the song without having
to touch the handset, so if they lack that
function, they’re not for me.
Where do you buy electronics from?
From anywhere, really. Wherever they’re
cheapest I suppose. Headphones are
available pretty much anywhere so; I’m not
picky with where I get them from.
9
Judah Friere
Retail, Age 32
Urbanears Tanto, Mocca
What do you like about the headphones
you are wearing? I like the simplicity.
They’re minimalist so they don’t look messy
in combination with other clothes and
accessories. Still, they are very bold
Where do you normally use
your headphones? I use them
wherever, really, I always tend
to have music in my ears. I am
a DJ in my spare time; music is
my passion.
What kind of music do
you like? I like jazz, rock, punk,
hip-hop, house and techno; if
it’s good, I’ll listen to it.
What is important to
you when considering
headphones? Durability,
sound and comfort are the
three most important things
for me. The design is also
something I consider a great
deal. I think the challenge
for both the manufacturer
and consumer is to find a
balance between functionality
80
10
Alex Berry
and fashion. I’m willing to
compromise the design to a
certain degree if the sound
quality is very good.
Video Editor, Age 28
Coloud, Star Wars
What do you use
headphones for? I am a
video editor, so headphones
are a vital part of my job.
I often have to edit audio
tracks so I need to be able to
listen very closely and in high
quality. But I don’t only use
them for work; I also listen
to music when I am out and
about.
What made you choose
these headphones?
I like that they are based on a
classic design of headphones.
They remind me of the ones
that used to come with the old
Sony Walkmans. They feel like
a fashionable item, rather than
most which feel too geeky
and futuristic in a bad way.
I like these from a nostalgic
standpoint.
What do you usually
listen to? Punk.
Where do you buy your
electronics?
I usually go to West End DJ
in London but there are a few
vintage electronic stores that
I go to for the more classic
items
Why did you decide to go
with these headphones over
all the other ones available?
I really like Star Wars, so that
was a good start. I had also
heard from friends that the
sound quality of these were
particularly good, so I tested
81
them out in-store and then
decided to buy them. They’re
also very graphic-looking,
which I like.
Where would you normally
buy electronics? I often use
Amazon. I find that to be the
most convenient way to buy
things; there are a lot more
options in one place.
Any other things you
consider? Yes, I like them to
block outside noise. There is
nothing more frustrating than
hearing outside sounds while
listening to music. You always
have to turn it up to the point
that you’re doing your ears
damage. I also like them to
look good. You don’t want
to be embarrassed by the
headphones you’re wearing
ZOUND WORLD
ZOUND WORLD
12
11
11
Mark Jones
Photographer, Age 25
Marshall Major, Black
When do you use headphones? I use them mainly
while I work. I have to edit pictures for hours and hours; so
if I didn’t have my music I’d go
insane.
What music do you like? I like
bits of everything. I surf the
genres daily, from hip-hop to
pop to rock; there are bits to
take from it all.
electronics? I like Selfridges
in London because they have
pretty much everything you
could want under one roof.
» The brand is
also synonymous with
good sound quality so I
presumed they would be
high quality; and they are.
What device do you use
to listen to music? I use an
iPhone, an iPod, an iPad and
my MacBook to listen to my
music. It all depends on where I
am physically. iPad on the sofa,
MacBook in the office, iPod on a
13
14
Alex Leach
long journey and the iPhone for
general use.
Student, Age 22
Urbanears Medis, Orange
What do you consider the
most when purchasing
headphones? I guess what
anyone is looking for in a pair
of headphones: good sound
quality, a good design and a
reasonable price.
Where do you use your
headphones? I often use
them on the bus and when
I walk. Whenever I need to
keep my mind busy with
something other than general
noise. I also use them for
talking on the phone; it’s nice
to be able to switch between
the two.
What made you choose
these particular
headphones? I chose them
because I have always loved
Marshall, I have one of their
amps. The brand is also
synonymous with good sound
quality so I presumed they
would be high quality; and
they are.
How do you play your music?
Always on my iPhone. It does
everything I need it to.
Where do you buy
electronic items? I
sometimes use eBay, but
any store is fine. I’m not
particularly picky when it
comes to shopping.
What would keep you from
buying certain headphones?
If they’re uncomfortable. You
don’t want them to start
hurting after wearing them for
only 20 minutes
What kind of headphone
design do you favor?
The design needs to be
simple and stylish with no
13
Dorotea Oster
Student, Age 28
Coloud, Hello Kitty
Where do you use your
headphones? I normally listen
to music when I am on my way
to somewhere. It’s nice to have
music in your ears when you’re
doing boring things.
Do you use them with a
mobile device? Yes, I have an
old Sony Ericsson phone that
plays MP3s. It’s not the best
but it does the job and I’m not
that open to change, I prefer to
stick with what I already have.
What kind of music do you
listen to? Anything punk from
the 80s. I’m a huge fan of that
era of music.
What made you buy those
particular headphones? I
bought these because I loved
the design and shape. I’m a
huge fan of Hello Kitty. But it
was a tough choice because
82
12
clips behind the ear. I find
those things particularly
annoying. It also drives me
crazy when the packaging
is a sealed plastic casing. I
like the packaging my current
headphones came in; it makes
them feel a lot more luxurious
than other headphone brands.
What do you look for when
purchasing headphones?
I was after something that
would stay in my ears when I
was looking for the ones I have
now. It sounds like a given,
but most of them fall out or
work their way loose. So I was
happy when I found these,
which have the little rubber
thing that keeps them locked
in your ear.
Is there something that keeps
you from buying headphones?
I have gone through a lot of
pairs of headphones in the
past, so they have to be able
to sustain well
14
Fabio Cinqera
I love Star Wars too, I even
have the Rebel Alliance
symbol tattooed on my
forearm. But I decided to
go for the Hello Kitty ones
because they are so cute.
Brand Consultant, Age 35
Urbanears Plattan, Pool
Where would you
normally use headphones?
I use them when I walk,
which I do a lot. I prefer to
walk rather than use public
transportation. I even use
them in the house so I don’t
disturb the neighbors. I
always have them connected
to my iPhone so I can answer
the phone on them directly.
Is there anything that
would put you off buying a
pair of headphones? I don’t
like it when you can hear the
music people are listening to,
this happens all the time on
public transportation and it’s
really annoying. Recently, I
had a terrible pair that leaked
sound. They also ended up
breaking, so durability is
important to me.
What kind of music do you
listen to? I listen to pretty
much anything. I like Björk
and Tina Turner and I’ve
gotten into Ladytron recently,
that’s my latest discovery.
Where do you usually buy
electronics from? I have no
preference when it comes
to the store, as long as they
stock what I’m looking for
then it’s fine
electronics? I like to go to
the Apple Store because I’m
a Mac user. I know very well
that if I go there, not only will I
find compatible products but
also quality products.
83
Why did you choose these
headphones? I chose them
because they are very stylish.
Simplicity is always the way
for me. I thought that the
available colors were all very
well chosen. Headphones can
be something you want to hide,
but I am happy to leave these
around my neck when I arrive at
the office or to a meeting.
Have you ever had
headphones that were too
complicated to use? Yes,
one pair I had recently had too
many buttons on them. It was
very fiddly and confusing, I
would always mistakingly skip
the track then fast forward
and who knows what else. I
like things to be as simple as
possible; I don’t understand the
need for complication
SETUP PRIVATE LABEL
PRIVATE LABEL SETUP
PRIVATE LABEL
Private Label is the behind-the-scenes
service to companies that want to produce
their own headphones – either to launch
promotional campaigns, add to their product range or to strengthen their brand.
Being in the vanguard of the changing face
of the headphone market, Zound can assist
companies in creating quality products that
suit their branding needs.
The client gets the full benefit of design, fashion and technical
expertise, as well as a wider array of options to match their budget,
styling and production needs. Once the headphones have been
produced and delivered, all the client has to do is take care of marketing and sales.
CLIENT TYPES
Lifestyle
Zound Industries have so far helped 30 brands produce headphones
cater to their specific needs. Here are a couple of examples:
For the most part, lifestyle clients introduce headphones
into their existing product range as a way to promote
brand awareness and expand their offer. These clients are
often long-term partners for Zound Industries and typically
develop their program with the seasons. Lifestyle partners
CLIENT
usually come from the fashion, luxury and board sports
markets.
Merchandise
There is huge potential in reinvigorating the merchandise
market with branded headphones, especially for clients
in the sports and entertainment spheres; markets with an
extremely loyal customer base. The merchandise business is in dire need of new ideas and is very accessible
to headphones. If well executed, these products generate
Private Label is a great way for Zound Industries to develop
new products that push the headphone market forward, and see
the market’s reaction to specific products. Zound takes pride in
building strong partnerships with its clients and delivering the
volume they need, with maximum speed and efficiency. With
three factories contracted, there is capacity to produce tens of
thousands of pieces a day
serious revenue and need minimal product development or
maintenance, other than filling up stock.
Promotion
Promotional headphones are a great way for automotive,
drinks or consumer goods companies to connect with
the hard to reach youth culture, fashion and music demographics – and to trickle positive values into their brands.
In 2009, we produced headphones for H&M’s FAA collection. They
wanted a less expensive headphone model than what was offered
in our Zound System, so we took an existing Basic model and modified the headband. In addition, we mutually decided to brand their
program with Coloud, which gave H&M credibility in electronics
through a credible lifestyle headphone partner. The H&M x Coloud
FAA collection was launched in May 2010.
Since 1947, H&M has brought you a broad and
varied selection of sought after fashion and quality, at an incomparable price. This successful
concept lies at the core of their success, and today
H&M is a thriving global brand with more than
2000 stores in 40 countries and has an army of
87,000 employees.
Matix was one of our first big Private Label clients. We started producing headphones for them in 2008 and are currently working on
developing the fifth collection. The outcome of this collaboration has
been rewarding and also an ideal use of our Basic Design program,
which has allowed us to develop our printing techniques.
Matix is a streetwear brand that was founded in 1998 by pro skateboarders Daewon
Song and Tim Gavin. Their heavy-duty
garments constructed for durability are
greatly appreciated by skateboarders, surfers
and snowboarders all over the world.
THE ZOUND SYSTEM
CLIENT
In order to service Private Label clients with unique designs, rather than off
the shelf open moulds, Zound has developed an interchangeable system of
parts dubbed the Zound System. It is a base of fundamental parts with add-ons
that can change the physical appearance of a product
84
85
ZOUND WORLD FROM THE MIND OF A MADMAN
FROM THE MIND OF A MADMAN ZOUND WORLD
It happened one morning. It was a
morning not unlike any other morning. I
was lying there peacefully in my bed, just
having woken up from a restful sleep,
when out of nowhere a bold question
comes rushing into my head, disturbing
my thoughts like a bat out of hell. “What
the fuck have we done?” It hit me like a
ton of bricks. I lay there paralyzed for a
moment, trying to think of the meaning
behind this question. “But what do you
mean, what have we done?” I began to
have a conversation with myself, going
back and forth with an invisible adversary
in my head. “Do we understand the
consequence of Zound Industries?”
A few words from Konrad Bergström,
President of Zound Industries.
86
87
To be honest, I wasn’t sure. Of course, this
wasn’t the first time a question like this had come
to my attention. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share
of what-the-fuck type moments. This time though, it
was different. Zound Industries is a global success!
Clearly I needed to think about what’s been done,
where we are, and what the future holds. This was
not something that could be done in a single afternoon. No, this was something I had to work out and
go all the way, make my own due diligence.
So let’s start from the beginning.
Before the big office and before the success, there
was just an idea. At the time, I was alone and I was
tired of working for corporations. I wanted this idea
(soon-to-be Zound Industries) to be run like a rock
band. I didn’t want to work with some guy coming
in and injecting his way of doing just because he
went to some well-known institution of higher learning. I wanted street-smart individuals, people who
could think for themselves and do what they do
best – business with passion in the lifestyle industry.
I knew as long as we worked in the youth market and
focused on trends, we would have more heart for
what’s a hit than the next guy.
At this point I had to find the right people to play in
the band. Luckily, I didn’t have to search for very
long. The eight people who are the co-founders of
Zound Industries are amazingly talented in each of
their backgrounds, whether they are from design,
finance, brand concepts or general business – they
are all rock stars in their own right. It was a no brainer
to work with these guys. Soon we were on the move.
We started brainstorming. We made trademarks,
logos and design patents and registered them on a
worldwide basis. Just like that, Zound Industries, the
“headphone fashion house,” was born – a company
where we could develop brand concepts in order to
reach different target groups in age and social status.
What an amazing experience! We worked for days on
end, and with no salary to speak of. In fact, we actually had to pay money to work. We invested our own
money into this business. This was money most of us
did not have. Money that was owed for taxes, money
that was planned for food, money for somewhere to
live. We had to borrow from our friends and families
just to survive.
When we met our first customers, many of them did
not understand our project or us. I don’t know how
many times I had to close my computer and walk
88
out of meetings, but there were many. Eventually I
learned not to waste my time trying to sell the idea if
they didn’t get it in the first five slides. You could say
it was like trying to sell house music to a classical
music fan. All the founders knew we were right – that
we were sitting on a goldmine just waiting to find the
right collaborators in order to get the business rolling.
Well, it took us over a year, but we finally nailed it.
Now it was time to put our plans to the test, which
was fucking nerve-racking. We’ve all heard (or not)
about the businesses that fail to ever launch – even
with great ideas behind them. Not us though. Judgment Day came and went without so much as a
hiccup. We shipped products to 18 markets and
1,000 stores in December 2009. Of course, there is
one thing you need in order to push these types of
volumes – a good ERP system. We went live with our
ERP system three hours before we started shipping!
Today we are in over 8000 shops globally, and in 81
countries worldwide. Needless to say, I’m glad we
invested in an ERP system with the latest technology.
Our system is of the next generation, and it will help
us become the company we aim to be in the future.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Did I say there
were no hiccups? Well, almost no hiccups. We were
almost a year behind schedule when we launched
our first products. The main reason was our partners
in China. They did not pay attention to our needs
and were not aware of the network and knowledge
we had. Oscar Axhede, one of the founders, had to
move to China with only 24 hours notice in order to
get the factories to focus more on the products, and
to solve numerous other issues. Today our fantastic
China organization is taking care of production and
quality control – which includes CE, WEEE, REACH
and RoHS. Today there is structure and organization. Not many things fall between the cracks. We
do things fast and we are reaching target prices. The
products we sell today are totally new products compared to the ones we launched just 20 months ago.
For example, we have updated the Urbanears Plattan
over 20 times since its inception. We will continue
updating and improving launched products, while
creating new, nicely designed products that are innovative at the right target price in order to continue our
global success.
As I mentioned before, we are in 81 markets and
have had enormous global success. Usually a company is happy if they launch one successful concept.
Not us. We have three successful concepts – Coloud, Urbanears and Marshall Headphones – and are
» Before the big office and before the success,
there was just an idea. At the time I was alone and I
was tired of working for corporations. I wanted this
idea to be run like a rock band.
anticipating the successful launch of our fourth brand,
Molami. We know that we need to be the Luxottica of
headphones to have long-term success, and that is
what we are doing. We are doing very well in Europe,
and North America is really taking off. We are working hard to be introduced in a successful way in Asia,
South America and Africa. Our sales team today is over
200 people strong, and we have great connections to
our retailers. I see how much these guys work, and
even if we went from three million SEK in 2009 to 120
million SEK in 2010, and are aiming for 270 million SEK
in 2011, the potential is still way bigger. I know that we
will be showing sales numbers in the coming years that
will inspire any entrepreneur to tip their hat in appreciation for what we have achieved.
So where are we with the team?
Today we have 28 very unique and competent individuals, and are in the process of hiring more. I see the
progression every day. I see the departments getting
influencing from each other and the spirit it brings to
everyone when someone has done something extraordinary. Any given day there are thousands of things to
take care of. We could call them problems. We could
call them issues. Some are experiments, and some are
crucial things that need to be done. Let me tell you, I
am in the middle of it. I see the emails being sent at
all hours of the day and night. I am in the discussions.
I hear the phone calls and I see that we can handle
it and are moving forward to the next step. We absolutely have problems. For sure the sun is not shining
everyday, but we deal with it. We find solutions and
we plan to make it better next time. The day the sun
shines without a few clouds in the sky will make me
really worried.
the brands that we currently have, and brands we will
launch in the future. We will fight to keep our distribution strategies, and work hard to collaborate with our
sales team in order to gain more retail space.
So to answer the question, “Did we fuck up?” Yes,
in a way we did – we messed up the industry and we
still have not reached our full potential. Will the team
at Zound Industries pull through? Hell yes! I know the
team here, and believe me they are amazing. They will
not let you down. To all the people that did not understand and believe in what we were doing, you know
where you can go. You can call us different, and sometimes even stupid. Yes; we get drunk and sometimes
cause trouble, but at the end of the day you can never
take our knowledge away, so thanks for giving us the
fighting spirit!
Last but not least, let me take this moment to thank all
friends, customers, retailers, agents, board of directors,
distributors, reps, suppliers and collaborators for the
support and business. You are the ones that made us
work. From everyone here at Zound Industries, we are
looking forward to a great future with you
The dice has been rolled and we have laid out the
plan for the coming three years. We will launch a lot of
new products to sustain and grow our market share of
89
SETUP CONTACT
CONTACT
TRADE SHOWS
STOCKHOLM
OFFICE
Trade shows are an important part of Zound Industries. They
are where many business deals take place, and also the
perfect way to showcase newly developed products to both
retailers and press. You will find Zound Industries represented at the following international tradeshows:
China
Office
The Zound Industries headquarters are located in the heart
of Stockholm, the capital city
of Sweden and home to many
global technology and fashion
companies. From our brand new
office space, located at Norra
Bantorget, we create, coordinate, monitor and develop all
the different elements of Zound
Industries.
Address
Torsgatan 2
11123 Stockholm
Sweden
Web
www.zoundindustries.com
www.urbanears.com
www.marshallheadphones.com
www.coloud.com
www.molami.com
Sales
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Organization Number
5556757-4610
Address
Tower B Room 29H
Lvgem Square
No, 6009 Shennan Ave.
Futian Destrict
Shenzhen, China 518048
Press
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Marketing
[email protected]
BREAD & BUTTER
Berlin, Germany
Winter & Summer shows
INTERNATIONAL CES
Las Vegas, U.S.
Once a year in January
IFA
Consumer Electronics
Unlimited
Berlin, Germany
Once a year in September
PROJECT
NYC & Las Vegas, U.S.
Winter and Summer shows

Here`s - Zound Industries

Transcription

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