Three years ago, Optimal Audio burst onto the commercial audio scene as a new brand under the Focusrite Group umbrella. We sat down with James King, Marketing Director, to discuss the brand’s formation, its journey so far, and what the future holds.
Can you tell us a bit about the genesis of the Optimal Audio brand? What gap in the market were you aiming to fill?
The Focusrite Group had tremendous pedigree within professional audio circles, but for the subset of commercial audio there was a sense of a missing opportunity. None of the existing brands were intrinsically right to extend significantly into commercial audio so it very quickly became the scenario of creating a whole new brand.
But the key to success was not about being another ‘me too’ brand, it had to have clear distinct positioning in the marketplace. It was apparent early on in our research that there was a growing need for high-quality, reliable commercial audio solutions that were also user-friendly and cost-effective.
Existing options often fell short in one aspect or another. Some were incredibly powerful but came with a complex setup and hefty price tag. Others were simpler to use but lacked the features and performance demanded by professional installations. We saw an opportunity to bridge that gap and create a brand that offered the best of both worlds.
Equally, we saw commercial audio as being very dry in nature with every brand presenting a similar persona to the industry. Again, we just felt that we needed to do something different, not be afraid to be quirky, to stand out and gain attention.
In conjunction with Dom Harter, managing director, I wrote a simple brand story outlining these core beliefs, identifying the target market and how those within the end-to-end sales chain would benefit.
How did the portfolio planning progress?
The crux of it was bringing in Matt Rowe as engineering manager. His experience in the field helped us quickly establish an eco-system approach of core product solutions across controllers, amplifiers and loudspeakers that would work seamlessly together thanks to WebApp.
Hosted by the Zone series, there’s no installation required for WebApp – just open a browser on a smartphone, tablet or laptop connected to the same network, enter the address and you’re in.
For the integrator, WebApp provides a visualisation of the entire system and complete configuration can be achieved for refined sound in every room. Once the system is configured, installers can lock down settings with a PIN, and provide the venue staff with a simple user interface.
Traditionally, the control and operation of commercial sound systems has been a complicated inconvenience to many venue staff, who just want the system to work. WebApp, on the other hand, provides slick touchscreen-optimised controls enabling staff to easily operate the system and focus on the job in hand.
How did the brand ethos come about?
It is a rare opportunity for a marketer to create a brand from scratch, so I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity.
Taking the brand story, we felt that it was prudent to develop the brand name and logo at an early stage. Always keeping the watchword of simplicity at the front of our thoughts, the task proved surprisingly easy, and the Optimal Audio name was felt to be an elegant choice and the logo was developed from adopting an appropriately unfussy approach. What wasn’t foreseen at the time was just how the logo would naturally inform the brand architecture at a much later stage – suggesting that the clear approach to its origination was intuitively on the money.
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, we continued to work on product development, establishing suitably straight forward naming for products, and began to flesh out more of the brand architecture. The latter proved quite challenging as we tried to establish the right style and approach. Many concepts were originated but most were shelved. Colours came and went, photography went round in circles, and copy development was a process of continual refinement (and the odd argument).
Eventually, our art designer broke the deadlock, proposing an approach which I could immediately see had strong potential. Taking inspiration from the logo, he showcased how everything we needed to reference could be represented in a double icon graphic approach – product categories, applications and key messages. Suddenly everything just clicked; it all reflected the simplicity of the brand’s approach, and was differentiated from other competitors in the sector. We had our basis to move forward and we could move very quickly and efficiently.
The brand recently celebrated its third anniversary. How would you describe Optimal Audio’s progress so far?
Firstly, it’s been incredibly rewarding for me personally. This was the first time in my career that I got to create a brand, and I feel like a proud parent as a result. As ever, I’m my harshest critic, so I see some of the flaws that go under the radar for most people, but overall I am very pleased with what was created and that it has consistently been met with a very positive response. The launch itself was described by a financial analyst as Apple—esque, and whatever your opinion on that brand, it’s pretty damn fine company to aspire too. Since then, we’ve consistently expanded our product portfolio, catering to a wider range of commercial audio applications while furthering the brilliance of the WebApp which has picked up notable industry awards on route. We have a rock solid supply chain now, distributed in over 60 countries, and we have an expanding team, so I’m full of confidence for the future.
What are some of the key highlights from Optimal Audio’s past three years?
There have been several milestones. The successful launch. Our first install. AV Manufacturer of the Year Award. Multiple awards for WebApp and Zone. Getting past the supply chain woes. Our first chain of installs. But perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects has been growing as a team and building strong relationships with our customers and distribution partners. Their continued support and positive feedback have been invaluable.
What are some of the biggest challenges Optimal Audio has faced, and how have you overcome them?
Building brand awareness in a competitive market is always a challenge. That’s been made easier with our eco-system approach delivering a more differentiated proposition to the market alongside a quirky brand outlook that garners attention.
We’ve naturally actively participated in industry trade shows, conducted Open Days and engaged with potential customers in showcasing the benefits of our products to their needs. But I believe a core weapon we have is the WebApp Desktop Demo, which enables anyone to gain familiarity with the heart of our approach without needing to be connected to any product hardware. This was the brainchild of Jamie Gomez who worked closely with Matt to devise a suitable solution and extensive marketing programmes around it that is helping to move interested parties into becoming full brand believers.
Looking ahead, what are Optimal Audio’s goals for the future?
We plan to selectively expand our product portfolio, offering even more comprehensive solutions for commercial audio needs while being true to the ethos of the brand. We’re also committed to staying at the forefront of multi-zone control platforms with WebApp. We want to expand the team, deepen our routes to market and help reach the potential we all feel is tangibly close to fruition.