David Hanak There is probably no more polarizing brand in consumer audio than Beats by Dre. Advocates do not allow the brand for many reasons, whether it is design, popularity, a kind of exhibition of social status or an ideal sound expression for someone. On the contrary, critics of the brand have a lot of different opinions about why products with the Beats by Dre logo are bad, and why they would never buy them themselves.
Whether you belong to the first or the second mentioned group, you can't deny one thing about Beats - a huge commercial success. Nowadays, whether you like it or not, it is an icon in the field of listening to music. However, it was not enough and there would be no Beats headphones on the market…
On the YouTube channel Dr. Dre released an interesting video a few weeks ago, the content of which is a description of how the Beats by Dre headphones were actually created, or rather how the brand as such saw the light of day. It is essentially an almost eight-minute cut from The Defiant Ones (CSFD, HBO), which deals with the career of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovina.
In the video Dr. Dre recalls that fateful day when producer Jimmy Iovine walked by the windows of his beach apartment, who then stopped to talk. During it, Dre mentioned to him that an unnamed company had asked him to lend his name to a sneaker promotion. He didn't like that, of course, but on the subject, Iovine suggested he try to break through with something he's much closer to than sneakers. He could start selling headphones.
"Dre, man, fuck sneakers, you should do speakers” – Jimmy Iovine, circa 2006
Speakers and headphones were a much more attractive point of interest for the famous rapper and producer, and the brand name appeared out of the blue. So little was enough, reportedly less than ten minutes of conversation, and the Beats brand was born. Within a few days, the design of the first prototypes began, and we probably all know what it looks like today.
The overall genesis of the company is further described in the video. From the original vision (which was to make the headphone and speaker market unique and revitalized with something that sounds bombastic), through the connection with Monster Cable to promotion through the world's biggest music showbiz stars (celebrities and athletes came a little later).
The biggest trigger was allegedly the collaboration with Lady Gaga. Jimmy Iovine recognized the potential in her and the cooperation agreement was just a formality. The meteoric rise of her career was similar to that experienced by Beats headphones during the same period. From the 27 units sold per year, there were suddenly more than one and a half million. And the trend continued as Beats appeared on the ears of more and more celebrities.
Over time, and mainly due to very effective marketing, Beats headphones began to appear everywhere. Once she took root in the music industry, she became a kind of social symbol, something extra. Having your Beats meant being similar to your role model, who of course also had them. This strategy worked for the company, and once the headphones started appearing on celebrities from other industries, it was clear that they were a massive success.
Another marketing masterpiece was achieved by Beats in 2008, when the Summer Olympics were held in Beijing. The arrivals of individual representatives were a watched event. Well, when the USA team arrived, the members of which were wearing headphones with the b logo on their ears, another huge success was ensured. The same thing happened four years later, when Beats used the Olympic theme even more, creating designs with national elements. The company thus elegantly avoided the regulations regarding the promotion of official partners. It was capped by a ban on the promotion of Beats products in several world-famous sports leagues and events. Whether it was the World Cup, the EURO or the American NFL.
Whatever your opinion of Beats headphones, no one can deny them one thing. She was able to assert herself in a way that no one before them had. Their aggressive, sometimes intrusive marketing proved to be unusually effective and became something more than ordinary headphones. The sales figures speak volumes, regardless of the sound quality. However, in the case of Beats, this is secondary.
Amazing how a crowd can be manipulated. The power of advertising is absolutely beautiful. I'll stick with my Beats by Sennheiser though :-)
Casey Neistat Make Your Own Dr. Dre Beats Headphones search on YT.
What cannot be denied to the Beats brand is 1) perfect brand awareness 2) great design, well-fitting and comfortable headphones... the trouble is what comes out of them. Although I listen to everything possible, including Eminem, Dr. Dre, Xzibit, Puff Diddy, Skylar Gray, Yelawolf, but no matter what model I put on my ears, Beats cannot be listened to even for rap or hip hop music.
For me, the combination of BOSE/Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay wireless or Senn/Koss, in the budget segment.
Dr. Dre said… then Dre comes on and says: Slim Shady, you're a baseh3ad. And Dr. Dre said—nothing, you id1ots… Dr. Dre's dead, he's locked in my basement.