Beats by Dr. Dre – Can They Fix the Eco-system of Sound?

This past weekend, the legendary hip-hop producer Dr. Dre was in my hometown of Boston promoting his Red Sox branded Beats headphones. Lucky for me, I actually saw the man up close on Newbury St., but I’m not here to bore you with celebrity sighting stories. I’m here to ask you this: Would you pay $350 for a single pair of headphones?! The Red Sox ones are even pricier at $400!

I was originally opposed to shelling out that kind of cash for headphones. Do I think they look cool? Yes. Is the sound quality really that good? Yes, it is, but $350 seemed like a little too steep for me.  Plus, I didn’t think that the trio of Monster, the company who actually makes them, Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine of Interscope would be able to market the headphones to a mainstream audience.  Musicians, audiophiles, athletes, and early adopters of technology were the only markets that I thought Beats headphones could successfully tap into.  I never thought the product had the potential to reach the average listener.

However, after watching this CNBC interview with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, I definitely think Beats can become more than just a niche brand, because the headphones are unique and offer tons of value. When you think about it, it’s hard to say no to having as-close-to-in-studio sound wherever you go. And let’s be honest, those white iPod headphones don’t cut it.

As much I love and hate Jimmy Iovine at the same time (love him for helping Eminem grow to what he’s become, can’t stand him for just generally being the head of a music label), he’s created a fascinating campaign for these headphones.

Iovine and Interscope are hoping to revolutionize the music industry by going on a quest to  ”fix the eco-system of sound.” As he explains in the interview, Jimmy thinks the eco-system of sound is dying. Due to the digital revolution, compressed digital files have essentially cheapened the sound quality of music, which has killed off some of the emotion we feel when we listen to music.  Iovine made a great point when he said that buying a $300 iPod and listening to the music on a 30 cent pair of headphones is like watching a Avatar on a portable TV. I think people will be willing to pay up for these things. I see more people wearing them everyday on the T or roaming campus.

The marketer in me wants to see this brand succeed because I think it would would be crazy to see a super premium product like Beats become ubiquitous in todays market and break through the premium cost barrier. It could be a future marketing case study if it can indeed break through.

What do you think? Is the bang worth the buck? Have you noticed a cheapened audio quality due in part to the digital music revolution? Are you buying into the big campaign idea that they’ll save the Eco-system of sound?

Nike Makes The Hidden Visible

Nike never fails when it comes to the “cool” factor.  True City gives you a unique, insider’s view into what’s going on in your city.  The app formulates it’s information through the knowledge and insight of tastemakers, people who are cooler than you and I and are always on top of things when it comes to where to go out on a Saturday night, the best place to go for a cheap movie, or where to find that new gear for cheap.

All of the content on the True City app is sharable; it has full social media integration and is updated in real time by real people.  Even more good news…the app is free, but on the downside, it’s only available in 6 major European cities, so us folks in the States have to miss out for now.

via Campaign