Against the backdrop of the toughest economic climate in years, why are some specialists thriving?

Time and again recessions are shown to be engines of change, presenting both threat and opportunity to all businesses, and this recession is proving to be no different.

Consumers, who make more considered purchase decisions, seek either short term value -  through the lowest prices - or long-term value, through investing in the best. Few independent specialists can sustain a business by competing with internet e-tailers, or by simply lending credibility to online brands by giving them retail space, so the challenge must be to attract new customers who are willing to pay a premium for authentic products and service.

Those specialists who have honed a razor-sharp product portfolio, who care passionately about what they sell and therefore build long-lasting customer relationships, are succeeding in selling higher value systems at greater profit, and generating word of mouth referrals, even in these lean times. 

Now is the time for specialists to shine by demonstrating the difference between being a premium brand, service-led retailer and a multi-brand box-shifter, and to express this difference clearly through careful merchandising, so it is obvious to customers from the first second they step foot through your door that you are different and special.

This means fewer brands, carefully selected and clearly presented; an open and inspiring in-store experience with a direct connection between price and performance. And adding value through service - demonstration, installation and personal attention.

There is of course one more factor that is becoming critically important: Networkability. Interoperability of consumer electronics over a standard home network is the global megatrend that can neither be stopped nor ignored. Over the next three years, the global market for networkable products in the home is projected to increase three-fold; the sort of growth you can build a business on.  By taking care that everything you sell is networkable, upgradeable and future-proof, then you will be able to provide customers with a vision for the future of their home.

In short, the specialists who are winning new business in today's current tough climate are daring to be different, living their passion, building great customer relationships and focusing unashamedly on the most profitable sales; they are proving that it is possible to define and build a sustainable place in the market, and be cleverly positioned to both seize the opportunities and weather the inevitable storms that no doubt lie in the months and years ahead.


The New Radio DS

Talking of networkable, upgradeable and future-proof, this month we launch the new Radio DS: But Radio DS is not a typical product. It is a software download for all Linn DS owners that upgrades their DS into a high performance radio. All of your favourite radio stations are available via the internet at the touch of a button. Internet Radio is made as easy as FM/AM, has a brighter future than DAB with mind-boggling choice and the ability to assign up to 100 presets.

Radio DS is the clearest example so far of how Linn is using Open networking to redefine expectations and delight customers. It gives all Linn DS specialists the opportunity to win sales from existing and new customers by offering seamless integration of streamed music and radio, perfect for the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

Radio DS has arrived

Upgrade your Linn DS software to Cara 6 today to start using Radio DS.
 
Radio DS is not a typical product. It is a software upgrade for all Linn DS owners that evolves their DS into a high performance radio. All of your favourite radio stations are available via the internet at the touch of a button.

Radio DS brings you instant radio for the simplest ever demonstration, straight out of the box. With a variety of stations already pre-programmed, new owners can start enjoying Linn DS immediately.

Internet Radio is made as easy as FM, with mind-boggling choice and the ability to assign up to 100 presets with your own favourites from the wide choice of local, national and global stations. Look out for high-quality streams including Laser 80 and Deep Vibes Radio which have been highlighted by forum members as well as Linn’s three new internet radio stations; Linn Radio, Linn Jazz and Linn Classical.

Linn Radio stations broadcast at the highest quality available (320kbps mp3) and stream continuous, uninterrupted music - perfect for demonstrating the true potential of internet radio with DS.


The Linn Forum is buzzing with customers delighted about the introduction of Radio DS.

‘With Cara 6 and the additional radio function, it feels like I have just been given the biggest free upgrade ever.’

‘Clearly the difference between BBC Radio 1-6 (48kbps), Classic FM (128kbps) and Linn Jazz (320kbps) is quite something!! The Majik DS works just like a Tuner for me now.’

‘A very straightforward upgrade, easy to set up RadioTime for the channels I want, and then everything just works…’

‘As easy as having a tuner in your system. I set a few presets up on RadioTime and it works perfectly.’

‘I now have instant access to all the BBC radio stations via simple presets in Kinsky Desktop. This is one of the most significant improvements since I have owned a DS.'

Upgrade your demonstration systems with Cara 6 today to showcase the best sounding internet radio. We will be contacting our database to tell them about the latest upgrade for DS and the benefits for both new and existing customers. Why not get in touch with your own database of DS owners to tell them about this exciting new upgrade or forward your customer details to us and we’ll contact them on your behalf.

See the info sheet on Linfo for full details and support on Radio DS and the other features of the Cara 6 software upgrade which includes Kinsky control software for the PDA. For full release information please check the thread on the forum written by the developer of Radio DS.

Discover new music with Linn’s internet radio stations which all stream at the highest possible quality.

Linn Radio, Linn Jazz and Linn Classical each stream continuous, uninterrupted music at 320kbps mp3, to ensure an enjoyable listening experience, making them perfect for demonstrating the quality of Radio DS in your store.

Each station offers the opportunity to explore a wide variety of labels, artists and genres available from Linn Records setting the perfect mood for dinner parties or lazy Sunday afternoons.

Linn Radio showcases all the new albums added to Linn Records from our expansive selection of artists and labels, making it much easier for your customers to discover new music. All content is available at Studio Master quality from Linn Records.

Enjoy listening to today’s singers and instrumentalists reinvent and create new standards on Linn Jazz which features a smooth, cool and vibrant mix from a host of talented musicians.

For an evening with friends relax the mood with Linn Classical; featuring music from the great composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Handel interspersed with some fabulous arrangements from our wide collection of artists.

The stations are heard at their best through Radio DS or listen online at http://radio.linnrecords.com and www.radiotime.com.

To celebrate the launch of the new Linn Uphorik phono stage, Linn is offering your customers 10% off selected Linn LP12 turntable upgrades until the 31st May.

This offer is part of our ‘Unlock Your Vinyl’ event series, designed to help customers experience more performance from their current turntable. If you want to take advantage of this special promotion but don’t have an event booked yet, please contact your Account Manager.

Events are being held worldwide and will be published as part of the promotion information on the Linn website.

Linn Uphorik is the new stand alone phono stage designed to fit with any combination of cartridge and tonearm, offering a range of configuration options for fine-tuning your system. See info sheet on Linfo for more information.

Further creative for promotional materials to support your event can be found on the ftp server: ftp://artwork:ginormous@ftp.linn.co.uk/Creative/Uphorik.

Full terms and conditions for the promotion can be found here. Trade terms can be found on Linfo.

Majik DS-I is proving a firm favourite for 2010 with a number of great reviews and awards.

In February, Majik DS and Majik DS-I won ‘Product of The Year’ at the WEKA Awards which are supported by revered German specialist titles, Stereoplay and Audio. The LP12 with Radikal and Urika upgrades and Akurate DS were also highly commended.

This accomplishment is particularly meaningful as the awards are selected via a reader poll which surveys tens of thousands of consumers across Europe - a strong indication that Linn is resonating with customers and delivering what they really want.

The Majik DS-I has been impressing reviewers too, with some shining reports appearing worldwide. These reviews are an excellent resource to help you convert sales, giving customers a completely unbiased opinion of our products. We’ve pulled out some of the best comments for you.

Chris Connaker of Computer Audiophile published his review of the Majik DS-I recently. He called it ‘an incredibly versatile high end audio component’ and said it ‘is the type of product that sells itself.’ You can read the in-depth review on his website here.

Dagogo’s Ed Momkus has also published a Majik DS-I review online recently. He said: ‘Having everything in such a compact and elegant unit is definitely a blessing for those looking to eliminate clutter and/or who are tight on space.’ Read the full review here.

German publication Stereoplay reviewed the Majik DS-I in its April issue. They said: ‘The Linn Majik DS-I proves that a combination of network player and amplifier need not make musical compromises. If you're looking for a compact, upgradable and superb sounding all-in-one system for your living room, go for the Linn.’

Meanwhile, Keith Howard at Hi-Fi News was impressed at how much the one-box offering of the Majik DS-I could achieve, stating that it did ‘a first-class job for the money’ and highlighting the multi-room, multi-device capability of Linn’s control software as one of the attractions.

‘The future-proof Linn Majik DS-I’ got a thumbs up from Malcolm Steward at Hi-Fi Choice who said ‘it is a ferocious scavenger of information and its sound is so clean it sparkles.’

Hi-Fi News and Hi-Fi Choice don’t carry their reviews online but you will find the full articles in the May issues of the magazines.




As part of Linn’s push to raise brand awareness, we secured some excellent coverage in The Times recently. Following an interview with Gilad, Nigel Kendall published a profile of Linn showing the progression from the LP12 to the DS player and demonstrating Linn’s passion for creating products which deliver the purist sound. The same page features a very positive review of the Klimax DS by Hi-Fi World Editor, David Price, who rated it highly against competitor products including Squeezebox, Sonos and Sooloos.


Look out for some Uphorik reviews and Radio DS news over the coming months.

Linn recently hosted an intimate musical evening in a packed out London hotel suite to introduce a new audience to Linn.

Together with acclaimed music producer William Orbit, we took guests, who were selected from a target group of the London banking community, on a musical journey to experience the benefits of Studio Master and vinyl over mp3 and CD.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with the guests thrilled to have been a part of it, as you can read in some of the feedback we’ve received.

‘I thought it was a thoroughly successful and enjoyable event.’

‘Just a quick note to say that the William Orbit event was amazing! A super evening and a great opportunity to network with Linn. Their passion for audio excellence resonates 100% with me!’

‘William proved to be a very engaging character. The Linn sales pitch was also very low key, which was the right thing to do given that the products do speak for themselves when you hear them.’

‘This was a great event, I wasn’t really aware of Linn’s products prior to the event but was very impressed by what seems to be an excellent product. Many thanks for the invitation.’

This event proved a highly effective way to introduce Linn’s message to people through music in a relaxed, enjoyable and memorable way. With the option to scale and adapt as required, why not consider this format for your next customer event.

Read the news story here and look out for a podcast of the evening which will be available online soon.

Welcome to the new-look Off The Record newsletter and website.

We'll still be sending regular e-mail updates but this new website dedicated to Linn trade news will allow us to get the latest news, product and event information to you as quickly as possible.

Find out how to get instant updates via RSS or by e-mail, and how to print the entire edition for easy offline reading.

What is RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is also generally known as a 'feed'. RSS allows you to get the latest news as soon as it's published. Simply follow the link and choose to Subscribe using your browser (IE saves them under Feeds, Firefox as Live Bookmarks), or download a specialist feed or news reader to manage them (e.g. FeedDemon).

You will receive an alert whenever new content is published, ensuring you no longer have to routinely check a site for new content. RSS Feeds are becoming much more popular - see the BBC site for a good explanation and some good examples of feeds.

Tip
You can also create customised feeds by using the Search function and then subscribing to the feed of the search results. For example, search for "Klimax DS" and you will see a feed for Feed of results matching “Klimax DS“; this feed will update whenever there are new results that are tagged "Klimax DS".

E-mail Updates
If you still prefer good ol' e-mail then simply use the Subscribe to Off The Record E-mail  option on the right-hand side to get an e-mail whenever new content is added or use the link below:

Subscribe to Off The Record - Linn Trade Newsletter by Email

Make sure everyone in your store is subscribed (using their business addresses) and you'll never miss an important news item.

Print Friendly Version
You can also use the Print Version link to open a print-friendly version of the newsletter that can be printed for easy reading away from your computer.

Article Voting
Let us know your favourite articles by voting using the star button located under the article heading.

Feedback
Over the coming months the site will grow to include more news and features but if you have any feedback or suggestions for what you would like to see, please e-mail us at marketing@linn.co.uk with your ideas.

Linfo is still in use for more detailed product information and price lists.