A brand for sensational sound & vision: The Bang and Olufsen story

If someone asked me to jot down a list of the most innovative, and revolutionary audio visual brands in the world, Bang and Olufsen would be somewhere close to the top. I say innovative, because being at the forefront of technology doesn’t necessarily make for the best audio or visual experience, although Bang and Olufsen can, sometimes, get pretty close.

Otherwise known as B&O, the Bang and Olufsen brand is a staple of Danish history, and a perfect example of what can be achieved in the branding world, with a strong purpose, a powerful dedication to long-standing values, great product design and aesthetics.

While Bang & Olufsen has never been a ‘competitively’ priced brand, the thing that makes it special is the fact it knows how to innovate, evolve, and create with its customers in mind. Over the years, B&O has centred its growth around the idea that technology should be both beautiful, and functional at the same time.

Over 90 years of innovation, this distinguished Danish company has delivered some of the most revolutionary products the electronics world has ever seen, alongside some truly unforgettable marketing and branding strategies.

Here, we’re going to be considering the history, and USP of the Bang & Olufsen brand, so listen up — it’s an inspiring journey.

Starting a sound revolution: Bang and Olufsen history

In a country known for its love of all things quality, the Bang and Olufsen brand had some big expectations to live up to from the moment it first hit the market. After all, if there’s one thing we know about Danish businesses, it’s that they won’t settle for anything less than the best.

Bang and Olufsen began in a town called Struer, in Denmark, during 1925. The innovative minds to come up with this incredible brand were Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen. While Peter took care of the innovative technology in some of the initial B&O designs, Svend was responsible for keeping the business running smoothly. By 1927, the first commercial Bang and Olufsen product were released, and it was the first to use an AC current, instead of the bulky batteries of the day to power a radio.

As the Bang and Olufsen brand found its path in the marketplace, it also found its USP. The company didn’t just want to create radios, but design devices that were a pleasure to live with, inspired by both function, and form. Over the years, B&O has continued to innovate, driven by some key brand values like:

• Authenticity: evidenced by carefully crafted social media campaigns, designed to show what each product can do in detail.
• Credibility: Boosted by exceptional marketing methods that place the B&O brand as an authority in its niche. Just check out the “Stories” section on the brand’s website for instance!
• Simplicity and style: While Bang and Olufsen centres much of its brand around aesthetics, its doesn’t let a sense of style cloud its judgement.
• Innovation: By moving with the times, the B&O brand has managed to stay on the cutting edge of technology for almost 100 years.

The Bang and Olufsen brand strategy

From a branding perspective, it’s easy to see the Bang and Olufsen identity in everything the company does. As B&O continues to build its brand, it consistently looks for new ways to showcase the brands purpose, and values, in everything it does.

For instance, the soul of the B&O company is easily encapsulated by the brand’s logo, which uses a sans-serif font to give this age-old brand a modern essence. The grey colouring creates a feeling of innovation and luxury, while the overall composition of the logo is neat and forward-thinking. Even the upside-down B shows how Bang and Olufsen has devoted its time to turn the audio industry on its head.

Much of Bang and Olufsen’s unique identity, of course, comes from the incredible products it creates. While it’s true that amazing branding and a strong marketing plan can give you the awareness and recognition you crave from your target audience, you still need an amazing product to bring people to your door.

In a world where B&O is surrounded by competitors, it manages to stand out in the marketplace by designing products for an almost cult-like following of people who put quality and design first. The continued appeal of Bang and Olufsen just goes to show how sustainable this company is.

This is a brand that’s built around customer experience, considering every aspect of design from the way an item looks, to how it feels, sounds, and works. It’s B&O’s devotion to impeccable customer experience that has made it so appealing throughout the years. By combining technology with visual appeal, B&O has found its differentiator, and continues to impress loyal customers, and attract new ones.

Bang and Olufsen: A brand worth listening to

Perhaps the easiest lesson to learn from the Bang and Olufsen brand, is that if you want to survive for almost a century, you need to not only differentiate yourself, but you also need to listen consistently to the needs of your customers, while staying true to your own distinct brand values.

While B&O continues to put innovation (and luxury) first through its product design and marketing efforts, it’s not afraid of embracing the future. As part of a carefully considered marketing strategy, B&O experiment with video campaigns, social media engagement, and its even considering how to get involved with customers from an experiential perspective, through festivals and concerts.

The unique, and focused nature of B&O has enabled the company to grow and evolve over the years, with impeccable attention to detail in everything from its marketing, to the more recent B&O Play product line. To learn more about the techniques, and strategies employed by B&O, check out my in-depth article — Distinctively Danish brands: The Bang and Olufsen story. Here, I’ve outlined techniques we can all use to take our own companies to the next level.

This Danish icon continues to be an innovator in audio technology, and a company that knows how to respond to the needs of its customers in a changing market.