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Marketing Project by:

Dhaval Popat Roll No: 10

Mickey Haldia Roll No: 19

Rajat Mishra Roll No: 30

Sahil Patel Roll No: 38

Shirish Apradh Roll No: 43

INDEX

HISTORY OF BOSE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

ABOUT BOSE CORPORATION-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

THE PRODUCTLINE OF BOSE-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

Bose Roommates/Video mate Powered  Speakers------------------------------------------------------------------------7Bose Acoustimass 16 home theater speaker system----------------------------------------------------------------------8Bose mediamate------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8Bose companion 3-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8Bose Micro Music Monitor speakers---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9Bose SoundDock-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9Wave® music system---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

MACRO ECONOMIC FACTORS--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

ERA IN HOME ENTERTAINMENT--------------------------------------------------------- 11

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE---------------------------------------------------------------12

SEGMENTATION--------------------------------------------------------------------------13Customer Analysis------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13Competitor's Analysis--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14Market Share-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15Bose's Retail Strategy---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16Bose's Positioning-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17

SWOT ANALYSIS------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18

Strength--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18Weakness -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------19Opportunity-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19Threats--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20

ADEVERTISING------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23

EXPANSION PLANS-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

INTERVIEW----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26

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HISTORY OF BOSE CORPORATION:

Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Amar Bose, initially Bose Corporation worked on military

audio and sound contracts. Amar Bose is a prolific inventor7 and has registered dozens of patents7 for

audio and sound technology.

The company builds all types of high-end audio equipment, from commercially available music players

and home theaters to auditorium sound systems and equipment for military aircraft and submarines and

even NASA.8 - A quote from the blog of Law Wire

In 1987, Dr Bose was awarded theInventor of the Year title by the Intellectual Property Owners

Association for his inventions in "Acoustic waveguide speaker technology"8.

In 2008, Amar Bose was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame9 in Akron, Ohiofor his work

in Audio Technology.

Now in December, 2009 Amar Bose (at the age of 80) who was founder of Bose Corporation some 45

years ago is still working day to day and still operates as CEO.

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Statistics: 

Private Company 

Founded: 1964 

Employees: 4,000 

Sales: $1.1 billion (2000 est.) 

NAIC: 334310 Audio and Video

Equipment Manufacturing 

AMAR

Key Dates:

1964: Amar G. Bose founds Bose Corporation. 

1968: Company introduces the 901 direct/reflecting loudspeaker. 

1970s:Research into car stereos begins. 

1972: Bose begins selling loudspeakers for professional musicians. 

1983: Company loses libel lawsuit against Consumer Reports magazine, at the U.S. Supreme Court level. 

1984: Acoustic Wave Music System is introduced. 

1990: Lifestyle speaker systems are introduced. 

1993: The Bose Wave radio makes its debut. 

1997: New corporate headquarters building is dedicated at 'The Mountain.' 

1999: Company launches online sales from its web site. 

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ABOUT BOSE CORPORATION:

Bose - Better Sound Through Research

1. Bose Corporation is a privately owned company  which was founded in 1964 by Amar Bose, the

company now has an annual revenue of $1.8Billion. 

2. Bose are Audio technology developers and product manufacturers, based in Framingham,

Massachusetts, USA.

Ranking 220th on Fortune's Private 500 list, Bose Corporation is engaged in the

1) Development, manufacture, and marketing of loudspeakers,

2) Consumer and professional audio systems

3) Automobile sound systems

4) Noise cancellation technology for the aviation industry

5) Computer simulation software to analyze auditorium acoustics.

Initially producing amplifiers for the U.S. Defense Department, Bose later introduced the Bose 901

Direct/Reflecting speaker, which, with modifications, would remain the company's flagship speaker into

the early 21st century. Known for its industry innovations and the high quality of its products, Bose

markets a wide variety of sound equipment popular among consumers and corporate clients, most notably

automobile manufacturers General Motors Corporation, DaimlerChrysler AG, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.,

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and Audi AG. The company maintains production facilities in the United States,

Canada, Mexico, and Ireland. Its products are sold through retailers, via 60 company-owned Bose outlets

in the United States, and directly to consumers through the company web site, direct mail, and newspaper

and magazine advertisements.

Bose have 125 retail stores in the USA and others around the world.

In an NPD Group survey of the US market covering the

period November, 2008 - April,2009 Bose ranked 3:

1. Ranked 3rd in the $1.4Billion Home Audio market and

2. Ranked 3rd in the $3.3Billion Portable Audio market.

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Competitors

Cambridge Soundworks

Harman International

Klipsch

Boston Acoustics

Polk Audio

Pioneer Corporation

JVC

Panasonic

Sony

Products/Services

Wave Systems12

Headphones and Headsets

Headphones and Headsets

Digital Music Solutions

Sound Dock for iPod

Speakers

Awards

2004 Fortune Magazine's Best Products of 2004 - Sound Dock series I

2004 Number 1 Must have Gadget of 2004 - Sound Dock series I

2005 Red Dot award for product design  - Sound Dock series I

2006 MacUser's Audio of the Year award  - Sound Dock series I

2008 Red Dot Award for product design - Sound Dock Portable

Right now Bose has the stores in 16 different cities and professional solution stores in 5 cities

across the INDIA.

Company Perspectives:

Bose believes that audio products exist to provide music for everyone, everywhere--that music, not

equipment, is the ultimate benefit. The Bose goal is to create products that combine high technology with

simplicity and small size to create the best possible sound systems that are easy to use and accessible to

all consumers. 

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THE PRODUCTLINE OF BOSE:

Bose’s product portfolio includes products such as Speakers, Multimedia sound, Outdoor & Marine speakers and Headphone and headset. Bose also develops high-end audio systems customized for particular high-end automobiles.

Bose is active in several audio technology market segments, including

Home systems: home theatre, home music Personal audio: headphones, iPod accessories Mobile audio: high-end systems tailored to specific manufacturer models Professional audio: speakers, control systems, and other equipment for auditoriums

Bose Roommates/Videomate Powered  Speakers

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A powered speaker is technically one that has its own amplifier built into the speaker (usually only one speaker), and therefore plugs into a nearby outlet. However, a powered speaker is not necessarily an active one, as the crossover components within a powered speaker can be passive. Powered speaker systems have the advantage of being a bit more streamlined, compact, and portable and are typically used with computers and iPod/MP3 docking

Bose Acoustimass 16 home theater speaker system

Bose mediamate

Bose Companion 3

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The Acoustimass 16 is among the first 6.1 speaker packages Bose has produced. This package includes six of Bose's distinctive Direct/Reflecting cube speakers. These two-way speakers contain a pair of 2-1/2-inch drivers, with each driver mounted in a separate cabinet. Each section can be configured so that the sound from one driver hits the ears directly, while the other bounces the audio off surrounding walls. This gives these little speakers the sound of a much larger cabinet, although they practically disappear into the decor. The Direct/Reflecting cubes are magnetically shielded so they will not cause

Connect Medi Mate speakers to your computer or personal player to enjoy quality sound from your CDs, streaming audio, MP3s and DVDs. These small, sleek speakers incorporate Bose technology for a surprisingly wide soundstage. Dual inputs let you connect a second media player, and the volume control feature and headphone jack provide greater convenience and flexibility

The Bose Companion 3 is great-looking, solidly built three-piece system that produces moderately high volume levels, snappy bass, and a delightful transparent, spacious midrange. It lacks deep bass output and is a bit too bright for our taste, but neither of these flaws is enough to negotiate its formidable strengths.

Bose Micro Music Monitor speakers

Bose SoundDock 10

Wave® music system

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The active micro speakers “Micro Music Monitor” from BOSE produces full and rich sound even at low volumes. Available in black\silver color the Boss "Micro Music Monitor (M3) is powered either by four AA batteries or AC adapter. The built in digital amplifier has a rated output of 20W×2ch when used with AC adaptor and 2W×2ch.when powered by AA batteries. The micro speakers feature 50mm neodymium magnet drivers with aluminum heat sinks and have one stereo mini- analog input

The new SoundDock 10 weighs in at 19 pounds and measure 10-inches deep, leaving room for a good-sized woofer, 52-inches of winding, integrated waveguide channels and a pair of Bose "Twiddlers" up top. The Twiddlers are apparently a patented combination of highs and mids, and the new waveguide is an effort to shrink existing Bose tech down to size.

Bose Wave music system includes an AM/FM radio and a CD/MP3 player, the SoundLink adapter and a Bluetooth USB key. it will play PC-stored protected and unprotected music as well as Internet music sources accessed via the PC. The Wave's remote will send basic control commands to a PC's iTunes or Windows Media Player software, allowing users to skip tracks or play/pause PC-stored songs even when the computer is in a different room.

MACRO ECONOMIC FACTORS:

MICRO ECONOMIC FACTORS:

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Era in home entertainment:

Stereo systems of the kind Bose sells are just one aspect of home-based entertainment. Since the burst of American prosperity in the post-World War II years, there was been dramatic increases in range of options people have been able to choose from. In the chart above, we show how expectations and complexity have also grown, being fed by enormous technological advances.

Home entertainment has been increasingly provided by electronic devices, bringing with them a series of user interface challenges. Increasing choice seems inextricably tied to increasing complexity. Today, we are no longer content to flip on the am radio and listen to mainstream music, with advertisements—we know there’s a better option, and we’re willing to pay in time and/or effort to get just the particular kind of music we want, commercial free. Is that more relaxing? It’s not clear.

Against the backdrop of so many options, it is easy to see why home entertainment, and home entertainment electronics in particular, has become a massive business, worth an estimated $135.4 billion at the wholesale level in 2006.

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COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE:

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SEGMENTATION:

CUSTOMER ANALYSIS

1) Geographic

It is in Bose's best interest to pursue geographical areas such as suburbs and big cities.Customers

in rural areas wouldn't have the access to go to a Bose store, but could still order the products

online if they are interested in purchasing. Since the emergence of e-commerce, it is possible to

reach all areas of the globe via web-interface. It is possible to not only reach a broader market,

but to do so at a relatively low cost. The overhead costs from distribution are greatly reduced due

to direct shipping from online sales.

2) Demographics

Demographic segmentation variables are among the most popular bases for segmentingcustomer

groups. Bose needs to be careful not to limit its evaluations to just age and race but also to take

social class and income into account. It is a primary initiative to capture the market segments

with an average to higher income level since Bose represents more of a prestige product. Bose

exceeds its competitors in innovation,durability, and higher sound quality, and is therefore priced

higher than the competition.

3) Income Level

Typically, Generation X and the Baby Boomers have a higher amount of discretionary income

and more experience in purchasing products for their homes such as home theater systems.

Included in these age groups are owners and General Managers that would be purchasing

commercial products for stores and office buildings. It is safe to say that customers that are

satisfied with their home audio systems, when given an opportunity to purchase an audio

solution for corporate application that they are more likely to use Bose as their solution.Bose

customers tend to be older single males, families that have older children, or empty-nesters. The

stage in the family lifecycle cycle is most often mature adults with steady and stable incomes that

are usually higher than the average family. These customers can both afford and appreciate the

quality offered by Bose products.

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COMPETITOR'S ANALYSIS

Being the leader in its area, Bose focuses its attention on the products research and development

than on analyzing any competitors, that if any exist. Bose started from scratch developing its

own technology for the last 50 years, spending millions on research for one reason and that is to

be the leader in its area. So other companies are more likely to be analyzing Bose and its

strategies. But if we assumed that Bose do analyze the competition then that could be to figure

out what the competitors don’t provide in their products. By doing so Bose can make sure they

are ahead of the game in providing the customers with high quality products that can’t be found

in any other company.

Considering the three marketing strategies:- entrepreneurial marketing, formulated marketing,

and entrepreneurial marketing. We can say that entrepreneurial marketing strategy best describe

Bose’s approach. We can see in Bose’s case that the strategy is primarily entrepreneurial from

the beginning in 1950. Amar Bose, was an archetypical entrepreneur, he studied, experimented,

and took his time to create a sound system which best showed his high standards. Also we can

see the same by his attempt to learn how to communicate the quality of the 901 series to

customers through specialized display and tactics to the customers to help them better understand

the technology behind his products.

Since Amar Bose is not so much concerned about costs but his primarily concern is

differentiation, we can say that Bose pursue Michael Porter differentiation strategy.Under

Michael Porter, Bose could be adopting cost leadership or differentiation strategies.Bose should

be product leadership based on Treacy and Wieserma philosophy in competitive marketing

strategy.

Bose directly competes against the following companies in the consumer speaker and home

theater market:

Boston Acoustics

Harman/Kardon

JBL

Klipsch

Polk

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Bose directly competes against the following companies in the consumer headphone market:

Altec Lansing

Coby

Koss

Sennheiser

Sony

MARKET SHARE

Bose caters mainly to the premium/luxury segment of the consumer market, mainly affluent non-

audiophiles. While critics argue over the price and quality of some Bose products, there is no

doubt that Bose is growing and sometimes dominating certain segments of the high-end

consumer audio market.

Analysts estimate that between 2004 and 2006, the company’s revenues increased more than 38

percent, from $1.3 billion to oven $1.8 billion. According to market information firm NPD

Group, Bose leads in home speakers with a 12.6 percent share. Not only were home speakers the

company’s original product line, but they also remain one of its largest and most profitable

endeavors.

BOSE’S RETAIL STRATEGY:

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Bose has used multiple business strategies in rising to the top of its market segment. Chief among these are:

Eliminate the middleperson. While Bose products are available through many home electronics retailers, the majority of their sales come through company-owned stores and via direct channels such as the Internet, mail order, and telephone order—often supported by expensive, full-page ads in leading publications like the Wall Street Journal.

Geography. Bose retail locations are in hightraffic, high-demographic shopping areas, such as Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile,” thus attracting the affluent consumer.

Image Marketing. Bose has succeeded in positioning itself as more than just a home audio retailer—they sell a complete media. experience. Recent market surveys indicate more people think highly of Bose than of Apple. However, not all Bose strategies have maintained their effectiveness. Two past strategies that have played out are:

High Performance Image. Bose has sought to portray itself as the industry leader in sound. Other manufacturers, however, are nearly as good to the average ear, and may offer a better performance/price ratio than Bose’s expensive systems.

New Technology. While Bose continues to develop new home entertainment technologies, the average consumer may not perceive there to be that much difference between Bose and other home entertainment electronics manufacturers.

BOSE’S POSITIONING:

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Bose finds itself in an enviable position, commanding significant profits and huge brand presence among consumers. And yet, the niche it occupies is relatively small. While Bose sells Home Theatre Within a Box packages, they do not currently have their own video display, which limits the convenience and seamlessness of their offering. Perhaps, too, it speaks to Bose’s roots within “pure” audio, much like Nakamichi and other audiophile brands. Meanwhile, many other home electronics brands are pursuing integrated media product systems. While the Bose consumer of today maybe audio-focused, tomorrow’s may expect a complete solution. The high-end home audio market also sees tremendous competition, and rapid innovation. Bose’s tremendous resources and depth in R&D have kept it in the forefront, but if a company like Sony, with seventy times Bose’s revenues in 2004, should choose to invest in developing new features in home theatre systems, they would be able to allocate significantly more capital.

Bose Corporation’s SWOT Analysis

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A) Strengths

1) Technology Leadership

Over the years, Bose has acquired ground breaking technology that has allowed them to improve

the sound and quality of their speaker systems. With these technological improvements, they

have also been able to drastically reduce the size and weight of these various units in order to

make them more convenient and accessible. This technology leadership has allowed Bose to

build a very strong brand image in the marketplace and has also helped to establish them as a

frontrunner in the audio systems market.

2) Positioning in Home Theatre Systems

Bose has long been recognized for their strong market position in the home theatre department.

Their new line of Acoustic Wave® systems for the home has been recognized as some of the

best in the world. They have been noted for their superior level of output and quality while

remaining significantly smaller in size compared to their competitors. Having the advantage of

leading this market position in such a fast growing industry is a major strength for the Bose

Corporation.

3) Strong Brand Name

In the U.S., Bose has been recognized several times as having one of the strongest brand powers.

They have also recently received the Distributed Audio Award for their components in 2004.

Nearly 9 out of 10 people are aware of the Bose audio brand and associate the name with

extreme sound and quality. To add to their brand image, Bose has also been recognized in

dealing with some of the most widely acclaimed automobile manufacturers in the world.

4) Organizational control-

The founder Amar Bose has kept it private in order to control the degree to which the company

invests in and conducts research which he considers the lifeblood of the company. He plows all

of the privately held company’s profits back into research. Also, time and time again, he has

ignored existing technologies and started entirely from scratch. This commitment to research and

development allows Bose to outdo the competition by differentiating product lines.

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B) Weaknesses

1) Lack of Size

Compared to other companies in the audio market, Bose is relatively small. The annual revenues

of Bose are much lower than the revenues earned by other companies in the same market. Bose

is forced to compete with larger players in the industry such as Sony and Pioneer who have a

significant advantage with regards to their marketing, financial, and technological resources.

Because of their lack of size, Bose must be able to deal with shifts in the market as efficiently as

their larger competitors.

2) Lack of Penetration in Foreign Markets

Although Bose has a wide market penetration in the U.S., they have yet to make any major

moves with regards to Asia and India. There are a great number of fast growing cities in these

areas and without an established entrance; Bose will not be able to take advantage of this growth

potential.

C) Opportunities

1) Aging Baby Boomer Generation

The baby boomer generation in developing nations is entering their 30and 50s, most of them

have been duel income households or are near retirement age. This group represents the greatest

level of buying power making them a major target. They have a great deal of time and money to

spend on leisure activities. They are likely to increase the amount of recreational goods that they

purchase which would provide Bose with a great opportunity to increase their revenues.

2) Recent Introduction of New Products

In addition to the Wave® radio systems that Bose has introduced in recent years, there is also a

list of newer items that have recently been introduced, such as the Bose in-ear headphones and

the Wave® connection kit for all iPod models. These items are projected to make a huge

impact on the market when they are realized.

3) Contracting With Residential Developers

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The amount of new structures and housing that are being developed throughout the nation is vast

and apparent. Bose intends on capitalizing on this opportunity by generating contracts with these

commercial and retail developers to install the Bose line of products as a first option in all of

their structures. If Bose is able to capture even a small percentage of this, they will be able to

increase their profitability tremendously.

D) Threats

1) Highly Competitive Industry

Being in the business of manufacturing audio equipment, Bose has and will encounter much

competition along the way. Such a wide variety of choices may be misleading and confusing to

potential customers. Bose will continue to focus their offerings on their price, payment options,

and the quality and features of their products.

2) Technology Change

Operating in the technology industry is very difficult due to its fast paced nature. Keeping up

with the outflow of new technology and staying one step ahead of their competitors is something

that Bose would constantly need to do. In most all cases, a larger investment in technological

research will be needed. This would keep Bose on top of the technological advances throughout

the world and ultimately lead to an increase in revenues.

3) Lower Cost Competitor's product and imports

Low cost imports from countries like China, India and other developing countries pose a threat to

market expansion and penetration for BOSE.

Marketing Strategies:

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With the Indian market for high-end audio products growing, Bose Corporation plans to expand

to tier-2 cities.

Last year, Bose Corporation, which deals in high-end audio products such as speakers and

headphones, opened a store in Ahmedabad. The company plans to strengthen its presence in the

existing markets, especially in smaller towns like Pune and Jaipur..

The products of the US-headquartered Bose are today available in its 11 outlets in all the major

metros. This is a part of the company's `direct to customer' approach, with no middlemen or

resellers.

In India, Bose has two categories of products — home audio and professional systems. The

home audio segment sells more than professional systems because this segment has a wider

range of products and caters to a larger target audience.

Uniqueness in Strategy and its implementation:

Bose has also expanded its operations globally. In Asia, it has sales offices in China, Hong Kong,

India, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and

Bangladesh. Among its regional success stories is the design and installation of a sound system

for the Shanghai Grand Prix. Bose loudspeakers were placed throughout the concourse and

concession areas of the track such that over 150,000 spectators could enjoy the roar of the

engines and still hear the announcements and music. Using its Modeler software and Auditioner

systems, Bose could predict acoustic performance accurately and make precise decisions on

speaker models, cluster positioning, and their aiming angles. “As F1 cars generate over 130dB of

noise, sound system must be powerful enough to compete and sophisticated enough to provide

clear speech for the spectators,” commented Ma Jun, assistant technical manager of Bose Greater

China.

In New Delhi, Honeywell boasts one of the biggest Bose office sound system installation in

India, including almost 200 separate loudspeakers. The diversity of business functions located in

the building was reflected in the complexity of the sound system requirements. A multi-zone

sound system was installed such that each zone could select one of six different channels of

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music and announcements could be made to one, some, or all zones depending on the message

and its target audience. The sound system also functioned as an emergency notification system.

Strategies for the Home Theatre Segment:

The buzz around the world was home theatre, and the same held true in India. There is a trend in

favor of home theatre because movies and music are being delivered in multi-channel recording.

This pushes customers to systems like home theatre systems, which have the built-in capability

to decode and play multi-channel sound.

For Bose ,India and China were two important markets, as they were still emerging and growing.

He said the entry of other brands like Bang &Olufsen showed the potential of the market. He

said that products launched in developed markets were almost immediately available in the

developing markets. In fact, Bose was working towards global launch of products, he said.

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Advertising:

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Bose's advertising has been more tactical and local in nature. Earlier, the company was more

oriented towards Delhi and Mumbai and the advertising was focused on these cites. Currently,

there is a mix of media, out of home, radio and on ground activities and from this year on some

cinema too, he said.

Bose's products are manufactured in the US, Mexico and Ireland. Consumer electronic

manufacturing to be cost effective needs high volumes. In India, the company is yet to achieve

the "real high'' volumes. In the US, the advantage is that it is possible to change manufacturing

lines fast, giving the company an ability to introduce new products and versions.

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Expansion Plans

BOSE Corporation India Pvt Ltd, which has set up a retail outlets as well as an office for its

professional systems division across major cities in India, is looking at further expansion

especially in smaller towns.

Bose might make its retail debut in Hyderabad while expanding in Mumbai, where it already has

one retail outlet. The expansion across the cities will be funded by its profits.

Bose operates the retail and the professional systems divisions in India. The professional systems

divisions provide customized audio solutions in terms of design, supply, installation, commission

and training and maintenance for professional spaces.

The company's professional systems division has offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore,

Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai. It also has two retail outlets in Bangalore and one each in

Mumbai, Gurgaon, New Delhi and Chennai.

The privately-held Bose has recorded year-on-year growth of 60 per cent in the past three years

and would continue to perform in such a manner in the near future.

BOSE believes that the entry of other players in the “high-end” category would not affect their

position in the market as such. Bose is very well positioned in the market and as far as other

players are concerned, “the market is big enough”, according to him.

The company's biggest market in terms of volumes is North America while the fastest growing

one is the Asia-Pacific. So they are more likely to focus on the Asia-pacific market in the near

future.

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Interview:

1) Ma'am, we would like to know What is Bose's product strategy?

our product strategy is to offer not only superior sound, but to develop products that are small, elegant looking and easy to use. As part of that strategy, we rely on human factors - engineers to assess user needs, design user interfaces, and evaluate the usability of our products

2) How does Bose carry out the sales forecasting?

See, the audio industry is positioned for a marginal recovery, after fast-paced offshoring and falling consumer spending led to significant declines over the five years to 2011. Headphone manufacturers are relying on new marketing tactics increase revenue, while our renewed consumer spending will bolster growth. Therefore, we forecast a postive growth in the next couple of quarters.

3) Ma'am, Bose's marketing is really good! Can we get some insights on the importance of marketing in the comapny's success?

Very true, marketing has been one of our greatest strenghts!

Marketing of High End Audio has never been easy. How do you reach new customers? We can advertise our self’s to death but if the consumer never gets to experience the glory of High End Audio then it just becomes an ad for something else he don't need.

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So, when a customer walks into our store, we greet the customer, listen to his request, make a presentation about what he was going to hear and why. The customer walks out the door educated in High End Audio, no matter if he did buy anything or not. Therefore, we need to have an impact on the customers mind so that he purchases our products.

So marketing is a key aspect in our line of business!

4) How does Bose plan its brand building Activity?

We carry this out through 3 ways:

In all stores that sell Bose, you will see one of two types of Bose displays. First, there is the end-cap display with a small TV screen, Bose components with speakers and extended steel arms that reach around to create a surround environment. In most of the low-end stores, no other 5.1 surround system is configured in such a way because the store does not have a dedicated listening room. Therefore the experience of listening to Bose is more fulfilling than hearing the other 5.1 speaker systems that are all lined up in a row on the shelf-top facing you. The Acoustimass displays are also only about six feet around, therefore when you're listening to the Bose demo in the pocket, the speakers will most likely sound powerful from three feet away. This creates a very strong impact in our customers mind.

The second breed of our displays is the 'expo room'.The subwoofer used is positioned in the optimal location to maximize spatial loading.

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And the third is through the Bose outlet stores. We generally have stores in high end malls where we know we can maximize our sales.

Also most of our business comes from word of mouth.

5) Are you ahead of the competetion in terms of R&D

Yes, we are. A significant amount of our profits are re-invested into research, and its Professional Systems division has a dedicated R&D group responsible for inventing and coming up with technologies to help consultants, designers and installers provide better solutions and experiences for their clients.

6) Can you give us a few examples?

Sure. Their is the Auditioner System. In the past, the only way to accurately judge a sound system’s performance was to listen after it was fully installed. Only after the entire renovation or construction process was complete could users hear the real sound for the first time.Now, the Auditioner System technology makes it possible to actually hear and judge the precise sound users will have in a building. And this can be done even before a single piece of audio equipment is installed.

Also the Modeler Sound System Software is a sophisticated programme that can determine the preferred configuration and location of speaker systems in existing venues.

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