The company that owns Denon, Marantz, Boston Acoustics and McIntosh unveiled a new logo, new tag line, a subtle name change, and new products designed to expand the company’s customer base and target new growth opportunities.
D+M Group president/CEO Jim Caudill introduced a new company logo and said the company will become “a new products machine.”
D&M Holdings becomes D+M Group to underscore the “common vision” of its brands and their operation as a single group rather than a holding company of seven independent businesses, executives said during a press briefing. A new logo, which incorporates sound waves, symbolizes the sweeping changes the company has implemented during the past year and a half. The new tag line is “Perfection is Everything” to stress the brand’s focus on performance.
The new products include the first docking speaker systems from Denon and Marantz, the first Boston Acoustics tabletop audio products with wireless multi-room-audio distribution, and 11 Denon headphones priced from a suggested $149 up to $1,199. The headphones are segmented into four series, each targeted to four different users: audiophiles, frequent travelers, fitness enthusiasts, and 18- to 30-year-olds whose music tastes differ from older age groups.
D+M also announced plans to boost its North American marketing expenditures three-fold to support the 70 new products being introduced this year. The marketing initiatives include merchandising displays, digital and print advertising to consumers, and promotional programs for dealers. The company’s efforts in these areas in the past have been “insignificant,” said Brian Poggi, D+M Group’s sales and marketing president for the Americas. Consumer advertising will start in the summer after new products ship.
The launch of the new headphones and new tabletop speakers provide “a vehicle for us to get into new sorts of distribution channels,” Poggi added. The company has talked to a “long list” of retailers in new channels and has received a “good reception” so far, he said.
D+M Group product manager Jim Ludoviconi demonstrated the first docking-speaker products from Denon and Marantz.
All of the products reflect a new product development strategy in which product development was moved closer to individual regions of the world, said D+M Group president/CEO Jim Caudill. The products also reflect an increased emphasis on working with dealers and engaging in more consumer research to develop products, he added.
In docking tabletop speakers, D+M launched the $1,199-suggested Marantz Consolette, a one-piece two-way retro-style system that looks like a mini hi-fi system and features retractable iPod/iPhone/iPad dock, DLNA networking, Internet radio, Apple AirPlay, FM tuner, biamplified 150-watt output and wide-dispersion tweeters.
The Denon Cocoon at $599 and Cocoon Portable at $499 feature retractable iPod/iPhone/iPad dock, AirPlay, DLNA networking Internet radio and curved styling. The Cocoon is a biamped two-way system with 100-watt output, and the portable version is 25 percent smaller and weather-resistant. The latter features full-range drivers, 50-watt output, five-hour rechargeable battery, DLNA, AirPlay and Internet radio.
The Denon and Marantz models also feature Windows 7 compatibility, USB input and 96kHz/24-bit streaming.
All Denon and Marantz speakers ship in the summer.
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