Sonodyne targets US market
Published: ASIA
WORLD: Sonodyne has become the first major Indian manufacturer to seriously target the US market following the announcement of TransAudio Group (TAG) as its new US distributor at NAMM 2011. The monitor manufacturer has reportedly been in talks with the US distributor since MusikMesse 2010.
The announcement represents a new stage in the development of Sonodyne, which is widely considered a pioneer of Indian pro audio manufacturing. The brand has already met with considerable success in Asia and more recently in Europe. According to Sonodyne director Anindya Mukherjee, it is hoped that the distribution arrangement will considerably raise the company’s profile not only in the United States but elsewhere. ‘The important thing is that whatever we do in America will rub off across the world,’ he explained.
Mr Mukherjee added that TransAudio Group, led by president Brand Lunde, is well placed to premier the Sonodyne brand within North America. ‘We wanted to work with somebody who understands how to position a product rather than sell it,’ he explained. ‘We’ve been talking to Brad’s company since Messe, where he had a chance to audition the products, and I guess the work that we’ve done in Europe has really paid off. In America, the fact that you’ve been outside Asia and have been relatively successful in Europe means that it’s an internationally ready brand.’
Mr Lunde agreed. ‘My main market is the high-end recording world – those customers are the most difficult to please,’ he explained. When I tested the Sonodyne products it represented a perfect paradigm of value – it sounds right, it’s priced right, and it’s got a strong company behind it with the ability to support the US market in a complete way. We envision that this is just the beginning, that it’ll start in the recording world here but probably expand into installations and broadcast over the years to come.’
Regarding the significance of Sonodyne as an Indian manufacturer, Mr Lunde continued: I’ve been waiting a long time for high-end to emerge from Asia. It requires people to have the foresight and vision to develop a brand and a reason for the product to exist in the marketplace, rather than transient issues of price – things that are not sustainable. To build something of quality, that’s a sustainable idea. For Sonodyne I think this is the perfect opportunity.’
Mr Mukherjee added that the announcement of the distribution deal is just the beginning of Sonodyne’s penetration into the US, with a comprehensive branding plan having already been worked out. ‘We have planned a year-long activity, be it events, media, online – we’ve already budgeted for that. One can only plan and put in the inputs then hope the outputs follow.’