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Thiel Announces a Brand Relaunch…Again

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BREAKING NEWS

Thiel logoThiel Audio dealers were surprised to receive an email Wednesday from the company announcing plans to – in their words – “revitalize” the storied audio brand. We last reported in April that the company had finally acknowledged to its dealers that it was moving its operations to Nashville, TN – after 38 years in Lexington, KY. This acknowledgement came one week after we reported to Strata-gee readers that the company planned to move.

Since then, the company has been silent. Now, this announcement sets out a new agenda for change – and it is an ambitious one.

See the many changes announced at Thiel… [Read more…] about Thiel Announces a Brand Relaunch…Again

Marketers Continue to Shift B-to-B Advertising Dollars to Digital

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Advertising Age logoWhether you’re a manufacturer/brand, distributor, rep…or even an integrator selling largely commercial installations…you are a business-to-business or B-to-B marketer. And you’re going to want to pay attention to this new data on marketing trends for B-to-B marketers.

New data released by Advertising Age shows a continued swing away from traditional media to digital media spending by B-to-B marketers. Some of the numbers from this new survey are eye-popping.

See more on Advertising Age’s new B-to-B marketing trends from their latest “Fact Pack”… [Read more…] about Marketers Continue to Shift B-to-B Advertising Dollars to Digital

The One Buzzword That We Really Dislike

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Cover of new "Weird Al" Yankivic albumHave you seen any of the latest “Weird Al” Yankovic spoof videos from his newest album Mandatory Fun? One of them caught our eye as it was picked up by – are you ready for this – the Wall Street Journal. Set to one of our favorite Crosby, Stills, & Nash tunes, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, this video, titled Mission Statement, unabashedly (and quite humorously) lampoons the ever-ubiquitous corporate-speak. [You can see the video below.]

But Weird Al missed a buzzword that we despise…and it is probably one you use… [Read more…] about The One Buzzword That We Really Dislike

Harman Acquires Headphone Maker Yurbuds

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Yurbuds logoHarman International Industries, Inc. announced today that is has acquired St. Louis-based Yurbuds, LLC., a manufacturer of headphones. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition seems surprising, given the fact that Harman already owns brands such as JBL and AKG that already offer headphones.

Why would a company that already offers headphones, acquire a headphone company? See more… [Read more…] about Harman Acquires Headphone Maker Yurbuds

Layoffs Hit Velodyne’s Audio Division as Company Bets All on LIDAR

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BREAKING NEWS

Velodyne LogoMultiple sources are reporting that Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. – a once high-flying specialty subwoofer manufacturer – has had a significant layoff in its audio division last week as the company seeks to redeploy its resources full-scale behind its LIDAR business. The company, which is driven by its enigmatic founder, David Hall, is betting its future (betting the farm, some would say) on its LIDAR technology which is used in self-driving vehicles (such as Google’s).

See more on this dramatic shift in business by a former audio high-flyer… [Read more…] about Layoffs Hit Velodyne’s Audio Division as Company Bets All on LIDAR

JVC Kenwood Takes Bold New Steps to Reconstruct Its Core DNA – Shaking Up Structure & Management

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JVC Kenwood logoIn a regulatory filing this month, JVC Kenwood Corp. said it will take dramatic and bold steps to literally change its very core – the operating structure of the company – such that it fundamentally changes the way the company is run. This changing-our-DNA move marks a deep expansion of its previously announced business-spectrum initiatives to move away from its weakening consumer electronics businesses into more commercial enterprises by ensuring that the way it manages itself is completely changed as well.

See more on this surprising move in which JVC Kenwood doubles down on “change”… [Read more…] about JVC Kenwood Takes Bold New Steps to Reconstruct Its Core DNA – Shaking Up Structure & Management

Nortek Q1 Sales Grow in All Major Segments, But AV Sales Continue to Decline

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Nortek LogoNortek, Inc. released financial results for their fiscal first quarter this week. As a widely diversified provider of largely building-related products, the company noted marked improvement in several key areas over the same quarter last year. With an overall quarterly sales increase from $519.1 million last year to $550.1 million this year, sales increased 6%. But the company still lost money in the quarter – though the loss was less than last year.

Results for Norteck’s TECH segment continue a shift to security and AV continues to decline… [Read more…] about Nortek Q1 Sales Grow in All Major Segments, But AV Sales Continue to Decline

A Recent Report Says TiO Has ‘Fallen on Some Hard Times’ But Their CEO Disputes It; What’s Going On?

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Photo from TiO website
This image, from TiO’s website, raises the question: Just what are we “turning on”?

This past Saturday, CEPro published a strongly worded report based on anonymous email sources saying Automated Control Technology Partners, Inc., the parent company of Turn it On (TiO), has “fallen on some hard times” and its “office doors were locked” and “employees haven’t been paid for months.” The article also said that the company is “filing for Chapter 11” [bankruptcy] and “that a huge number of employees have been laid off.” CEO Mike Anderson was quoted as disputing many of the points in the article.

We spoke with Anderson who told us – emphatically – that CEPro got it wrong. So what is really going on at TiO?… [Read more…] about A Recent Report Says TiO Has ‘Fallen on Some Hard Times’ But Their CEO Disputes It; What’s Going On?

Are Investors Doing as Well as Ingram Micro Executives?

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Photo of Ingram Micro North American HeadquartersFor many tech companies, the industry has never been more challenging than the period following the end of the 2007 economic recession. For most of us, we put on a brave face and tell anyone who asks that everything is fine. But executives in public companies have the added challenge of having their performance publicly announced…often subjecting management to rebuke from angry investors.

For the last two years, however, most public companies on Wall Street have enjoyed a significant comeback. And this comeback has led to substantial increases in remuneration for company executives – Ingram Micro included. But who has done better – investors in the company’s stock…or the company management?

See our analysis on Ingram Micro executive compensation below…Hint: it’s not even close… [Read more…] about Are Investors Doing as Well as Ingram Micro Executives?

JVC Kenwood’s Early Retirement Solicitation Falls Short of Goal

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JVC Kenwood LogoJVC Kenwood Corporation announced the final results of their voluntary early retirement solicitation first announced late last year. This solicitation was offered as part of a comprehensive effort to turn around the company’s flagging fortunes and included many steps to cut overhead and improve profitability – such as this effort to cut employment by incentivizing employees to leave the company.

Did their program succeed? See the results below… [Read more…] about JVC Kenwood’s Early Retirement Solicitation Falls Short of Goal