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How should the New Heritage Line Be Marketed?


jbsl

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The size of the room the LS 2s in the post about the Georgia store are is one problem dealers will have in properly setting up LS 2 and the KHorns. If you can not set the speakers up so they will perform at their best then they will not sound all that great and dealer never sells them.

If the dealer cannot sell enough of the new Heritage line then they cannot keep displaying it. It all comes down to money and if the Heritage is not paying the bills then the dealer will put something else in the room that will sell.

What Klipsch needs to do is find out which Klipsch dealers have rooms large enough for these speakers and my have to offer some kind of incentive to display them. In the 70s and 80s these speakers were well known because all Klipsch dealers carried them. Now it will take some good marketing to increase the number they sell.

What they need to do is aggressively market cities like NY, Miami, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Phionex, Las Vegas, and probably about 10 more. Offer dealers in these cities incentives to carry the Heritage line. Then help them set them up.

New KHorns, five La Scalas 2, and a sub is going to cost you over $40,000 for 7.1. For 5.1 probably around $35,00 and most people today want at least 5.1 . Dealers need to be willing to offer package deals that would save the customer at least $5000 or more.

Lets face it the Heritage line will have to be marketed to the rich! I bought my 2004 LS and paid $3500 and two years later they cost $2000 more. The only reason I was able to get them is I took out a loan which I will pay off this year.

If Klipsch really wants to sell more Heritage which after spending all the time and money upgrading the Heritage line then they have to aggressively market them. I am sure Klipsch has thought all this out but it will not be easy selling these speakers.

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jbsl,

It's my personal thinking that Klipsch should allow select owners of the Heritage line to sell them from thier homes. This is how Klipsch did it years ago. When I was a kid my father was looking for speakers. We heard Khorns at the home of a fellow near Washington DC. Klipsch should send a representitive to each person who wants to become a "home dealer" to see that he has the speakers set up correctly and explain some simple sales procedures. His name woud then be added to a data base on the Klipsch web site and let nature take it's course! I think trying to get store-front supermarkets like Best Buy to stock speakers in this price range is just impossible. Customers who want this level of quality will simply not take outfits like that seriously!

Al K.

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Does a Porsche cost more than a Chevy? Of Course it does. I don't think Best Buy will ever sell Heritage Series, and that is good. I cannot go out and buy new Lascala's either,(my wife would kill me as I sleep) but someday maybe a used set is possible. Would you want Klipsch to lower the standards to lower the price? NO, that's is why you buy them. I hate to say this, but "Quality costs", and Klipsch is no different. As far as showroom size, Klipsch fans don't need a showroom, they know what they want before they get there. Isn't the showroom really your EARS, and if the speakers look great that is a plus too.

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jbsl,

It's my personal thinking that Klipsch should allow select owners of the Heritage line to sell them from thier homes. This is how Klipsch did it years ago. When I was a kid my father was looking for speakers. We heard Khorns at the home of a fellow near Washington DC. Klipsch should send a representitive to each person who wants to become a "home dealer" to see that he has the speakers set up correctly and explain some simple sales procedures. His name woud then be added to a data base on the Klipsch web site and let nature take it's course! I think trying to get store-front supermarkets like Best Buy to stock speakers in this price range is just impossible. Customers who want this level of quality will simply not take outfits like that seriously!

Al K.

Al,

That idea is most interesting. I had no idea Klipsch used to sell speakers this way.

Thanks for posting.

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Oldbuckster said "Would you want Klipsch to lower the standards to lower the price? NO, that's is why you buy them. I hate to say this, but "Quality costs", and Klipsch is no different."

I agree with you. What I am saying is the new Heritage line can only be afforded, with the exception of the Heresy 3 and Cornwall 3, by people who have a lot of money. There may be some people like me who were willing to take out a loan to buy new La Scalas but most people will not do that.

Out of all the KHorns and La Scalas you have heard being bought from 2000-2005 how many have been brand new? Not very many I'll bet but there have been some of us. The reason is these speakers are expensive and with good reason.

I feel that the people who have bought used Heritage speakers over the last 30 years are the ones that helped keep the Heritage line alive at Klipsch. Someone would go to a friends house and hear their KHorns/La Scalas/Heresy and maybe go order a new pair. Or they would tell a friend about these incredible speakers from Klipsch and that friend would end up buying new. This probably helped Klipsch get enough orders to keep the Heritage line alive and maybe break even on the Heritage line. Of course the dealers were still selling them from their showrooms up to probably the late 90s when home theater and small speakers took over so they also helped sell them.

But the dealers have gone to smaller speakers and most do not carry the Heritage line anymore. In the last 6 years I think this forum is responsible for a large number of new Heritage speakers being sold.

For me talking with the people on this forum who owned La Scalas, KHorns, Cornwalls, etc are the people who convinced me to buy my La Scalas new.

One I like the idea I am the first to own these. Second I have had more great memories that involve Klipsch speakers than I can remember and if some of us did not buy new Heritage they would stop making them.

Which brings us back to the price of the current Heritage line. I do not think they are overpriced. But if Klipsch wants to make this Heritage COMEBACK happen they need to target the well off and rich and target them aggressively!

I am not saying they should be cheaper I am saying in order to sell more Heritage Home theater packages knock off $500 per speaker. It helps the customer feel like they got a good deal and the dealer still would make a nice profit. If the customer wants only the KHorns then sell at the regular price.

The idea about Heritage owners using their Heritage speakers is a good one also!! I wonder how many new KHorns, La Scalas, and Heresys have been sold from 2000-2005?

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WAF his huge these days, what wife wants some big ugly speaker in their living room? Lets face it, the heritage does not scream "I'm a beautiful piece of furniture" in a lot peoples opinion these days. I personally think Klipsch could do themselves a huge service if they would dress them up somehow...

I've often though that Klipsch could do well in movie theaters as in advertising. Those theaters where they have their pro gear, have a 30 second blurb about Klipsch speakers. That is, if the advertising price is not too steep.

I remember going to a home and garden show once, they had a nice Bose setup. Thousands and thousands of people got to hear Bose that day.

Be a sponsor during radio contests. Give a way a pair of heritage or what ever.

Be a sponsor during local various events. Give away a pair of heritage or what ever.

Street of dreams... Put speakers in those huge expensive brand new homes.

I dunno, just a few ideas off the top of my head. Price and appearance though, those are the two key aspects of those heritage speakers in todays world.

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Well, I have Heritage Speakers as well, and feel I would be a great home dealer. I live in a good safe neighborhood, with good police patrol, a good alarm system, Heck I even have nosey neighbors hahahahaha. And different set ups too enjoy too.

I think this would have to be by "appointment only" obviously. And have some kind of screening process. There are always some people you might not want to come to your house for safety reasons. It is sad to say, but true. Most all of you on this board I would love to have over, outside of a true fan, just to kick tires and BS might be a waste of time. So a valid email address telephone number of the person wantiung to visit would have to be availiavble to the Home Owner.

I am open to this idea, I would love it too. I feel like a lot of you, part of the Klipsch (family) company as well.... Lets explore this some too.

Here in Indy, I could be a test site, if the "powers that be" are interested. I said it before.. Just split some cash to the person that gets the deal. If it has to go through a dealer say XYZ stereo store here.. Do that by zip code too. I still have no problem with that, if it has to go through that as well. Klipsch could assign people who have home speakers based through them we could fill out a questionair what we have what

were willing to show too.

I even asked before when I had empty office space to do this in a commercial setting and just be Heritage only if they liked..

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Would have to agree with Al K. about the in-home demo of Heritage. Most dealers will not display Heritage models because of floor space & cost. Here is a copy of an email that I sent to Amy on this topic.

-----Original Message-----
From: Msgbn@aol.com [mailto:Msgbn@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 10:13 AM
To: Amy Unger
Subject: Pilgrimage 2006!

Hello Amy,

Please add two more to your list. Have always wanted to see the the factory.

My Klipsch addiction started 29 years ago when I first listened to a pair of Heresy's. Right now I'm listening to Klipschorns. With the revamping of the Heritage line-how about a sales promotion to increase sales and jump start the Heritage line.

Allow forum members (Pilgrims) to purchase from the Heritage line at Dealer cost if they agree to allow a DEMO in their home. This will increase sales and public awareness of the Heritage line. Everybody benefits. Tyler Acoustics has a program and I have included the link for you.

I live in Vermont-the land of cows and trees. There are no Klipsch Heritage dealers to demo the new products. I believe in order to keep the Heritage line alive and thrive that Klipsch will have to introduce new listeners to their products.

One last thing-Please tell THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN that I said THANK YOU for the Cornwall III. It was and will continue to be one of the finest all time speakers ever built.

Klipschfully yours,

Klipschfanatic

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This home dealer idea has come up before: I certainly have no problems with it, in fact, I think Klipsch maintains a list of people who are willing to demo their big ole horns in their own homes.

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I think however that Klipsch needs to consign the heritage line to small audio dealers who will display the big ole horns, but not sell the Reference or Synergy lines. There are plenty of small dealers looking for ways to compete with the big box stores. This is one way. Small dealers often sell tube equipment too, and this is also a perfect tie-in with Klipsch Heritage spkrs.

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WAF his huge these days, what wife wants some big ugly speaker in their living room? Lets face it, the heritage does not scream "I'm a beautiful piece of furniture" in a lot peoples opinion these days. I personally think Klipsch could to themselves a huge service if they would dress them up somehow...

Exactly. At least a light toned veneer option other than Walnut, Cherry, Black paint. Maybe a bird's eye option, etc.

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Moon and others, FYI - In the US, Klipsch has over 50% of the market in new and referbd Movie theaters. They have the Theater market.

Having home based sales has been adressed with Klipsh several times over the last few years. It never goes anywhere.

If you want to try to address this again, count me in.

JM

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I agree with the home dealer network idea. Over the years, more than a dozen people have bought Klipsch speakers after hearing them in my home (many were stereotypical audiophiles). It has always amazed me the misconceptions that abound with Klipsch Heritage speakers (we all know what they are!). Hearing them in a home with good setup and PROPER front end equipment, simply blows most people away! Additionally, they get to see them, especially the Khorn, in a true home environment. This seems to enhance the WAF when they see the relative small footprint Khorns make in a real room.

For so many years most Klipsch dealers sold midfi equipment that could not withstand the brutal nature of Klipsch on signal quality. This was a big disservice to the Klipsch line. Luckily the resurgence of SET's and the need for efficient speakers has helped to turn the tide on these misconceptions. Again, proper home demonstrations can show the Klipsch at their best (with some guidelines in place).

I'll never forget the first pair of Khorns I saw. They were in a movie theater behind the screen with false corners (birch painted black). This was 1966 and I couldn't believe these two speakers could fill the theater. That experience stuck with me until I became a productive member of society and in 1975 I bought my first Klipsch speakers, Heresy's, In 1980, I bought Cornwalls, and in 1990 I bought Khorns. This love affair just never seems to die.

I say put demos in the home! Heck, haven't most of us, in effect, been doing that already.

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I kind of agree with Al K on this one. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, that I've sold at least a dozen pairs of Klipsch over the years, and most of those were even before I had my "room". That was really the way it was done, word of mouth, hearing them at someone else's home first, run to the dealer second.

Let's face it, most highest performance products of any kind are usually more costly and lower production. Take Ferrari for instance. They don't build any cars that aren't already bought. Klipsch Heritage is kind of the same way. You've already heard them, liked them, want them, can afford them? Buy (order) them.

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