For most people, Bang & Olufsen is synonymous with quality audio equipment, but it feels reductive to refer to B&O products simply as “speakers” or “televisions.” Recently, the scale and quality of its products have attracted attention, even if silently.
This year, the brand celebrates its 100th anniversary. This is a testament to our unique and unwavering philosophy that technology should not only function, but also enrich our living spaces and appeal to our senses.
Simply put, Christian Tia is no ordinary person. Fresh from leading the Danish brand through its 100th anniversary celebrations, the CEO’s plans are to not only strengthen its connection to high quality, but to build even more.
A luxury company.”
It’s a bold ambition, but there’s no denying that Bang & Olufsen doesn’t have all the tools.
Founded in the quiet country town of Struer in 1925, few electronics brands have a history quite like that of Peter Bang and Sven Olufsen’s namesake. For a century, the Danish company has created products that elevate the combination of minimalism, craftsmanship, and sound, from the iconic 1970s Jacob Jensen designs of the Beogram 4000 turntable and U70 headphones to contemporary sculptural pieces like the vertical 6-CD changing Beosound 9000 and Beolab 90 series. B&O’s legacy is one of enduring and timeless design and innovation.
But for Tia, looking back isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about lessons learned. Although this is a pivotal juncture in the brand’s history, his future roadmap begins directly where the company’s founder began 100 years ago with a phrase he wrote in his Danish attic during the Roaring Twenties.
“Sven Olufsen and Peter Bang wrote the following statement in 1925: ‘An undiminished will to create only the best and to persist and find new ways to do things.’ And while that has always been an inspiration for the company, we have moved it to the core of our strategy,” explains Tier. “This is our guiding star as we move forward into the new millennium.”
That forward momentum is not about chasing the latest technology trends. It’s about escaping the rat race completely. To separate B&O from the mass of single-use plastic products, Teär implemented three specific values.
“Three years ago, we distilled our goals into three words: luxury, timelessness and technology. They were carefully chosen and a lot of effort went into making those choices,” he says, reflecting his methodical nature. In an age where the word “luxury” is thrust upon everything that comes with a waiting list or a hefty price tag, Tear’s perspective is refreshingly accurate about what the word actually entails. It’s not just a matter of cost. It’s about lineage.
“To be considered a luxury brand, you have to earn that right,” Tia says. “You need tradition. You need a globally recognized brand name, and you need to produce attractive products that are made in a great way in terms of craftsmanship, design and materials.”
Importantly, it also requires the ability to provide a high level of service to customers, legitimate pricing power, distribution, and its own store network, which currently has approximately 350 stores. “We have it all.”
Perhaps the most appealing pillar of his strategy is “timelessness.” Technology is usually designed to die. Cell phones start to slow down after two years. My laptop battery dies after 3 tries. Bang & Olufsen is betting on the opposite: electronics should last as long as a good watch.
“Timelessness is important and our products and technology have that,” says Tia. “We have some products that have stood the test of time in terms of design and materials, such as our recent re-production of the classic Beogram 4000. turntableIt sold out quickly, but [which] This shows us that our products have lasting value and are not products you should throw away and buy new ones. We also have a classic program that allows people to restore old models. ”
This is not a new shift in environmental awareness. This is simply the way B&O is used to doing things, and it’s a philosophy Tia is once again espousing.
“When we were creating products in the 1970s, things were designed to be modular: ‘screw in, never glue.’ That means things can also be taken apart and repaired, upgraded, serviced, and customized, so that level of circularity is important to us. And all of this is reflected in our luxury strategy.”
This commitment to longevity fosters connections that go far beyond transactions. Tear shares a story that explains why B&O usually has a unique allegiance to sports teams.
“A few years ago, a long-time customer of ours wrote to me and explained how he had bought a BeoSound 9000 when it first came out in the mid-90s. He was young at the time, just starting his career, and had spent his first paycheck on it,” Tia recalls. “It was something that basically followed him all his life, once he started a family and had kids, he moved to a bigger house, and it was always in a prominent place in the living room. It broke down a few years ago and he was devastated, but then our web… He visited the site and learned about the Certified Classic program, which repairs old products and returns them under warranty. He did just that and then sent us a handwritten letter thanking us for taking the time to provide such service.”
Tia understands this because she’s been there. He’s more than just a suit in a corner office. he is an enthusiast He remembers buying his first B&O product in the 1990s, a BeoSound 2000 that had both a CD and a cassette player. I then upgraded to a BeoSound 3200, which has a glass door and replaces the cassette player with a hard drive. “Then I ended up buying a BeoSound 9000 myself because I couldn’t afford it when it first came out,” he laughs.
While the company assures that it remains engineering sharp, “On the technology side, we remain focused on creating unique platforms that support the best technology, the best audio quality and acoustics, and ease of use,” Tear acknowledges that the way we consume culture has changed significantly. We’re tired of the cloud. We want what we can get.
“I read an article recently that said 50 percent of people who buy vinyl today don’t even own a turntable! They buy vinyl because they want something tangible, something to hold and touch, because digital is so hard to truly appreciate on a deep level,” he points out.
This emotional resonance is the greatest asset of a brand’s history. “Our 100-year tradition plays an important role [in] our future. Our strength lies in our long history of honing and creating products over 100 years, including design, craftsmanship, and acoustics. It adds more emotional value to the product for the client who buys it. Because they understand part of your story. When you have a business strategy like ours, tradition is very important because a long history is something that no one can imitate. ”
As Bang & Olufsen enters its next century, our vision is clear. “We want to build Denmark’s first true luxury company and we are well on our way to achieving that,” said Tia. “It’s going to take time, but we’re going to stay focused on continuing to work towards it because we know it’s working, and it’s going to bring us great joy.”
And for the next generation? Tear has a simple directive.
“My message to those who will continue to lead B&O over the next 100 years is to always be inspired by innovation, craftsmanship and curiosity, and to have the courage to try new things, because that is always the secret to success.”