In conversation with
Arun Kumar
Business Manager - Asia & Middle East at Genelec Oy
QAs a company , what did you do to engage with your customers through the lockdown ?
AWe made a conscious decision early on that we would do as much we could to replace traditional face-to-face contact with online contact . So alongside the growing number of online ’ virtual ’ exhibitions , we ’ ve been hosting a regular series of customer webinars , online distributor meetings , and even providing remote speaker demos and room calibrations . In many ways the limitations of the pandemic have fostered a real sense of creativity in the way we interface with customers – we ’ ve learnt a lot and fortunately the range of software tools to help you achieve this is really impressive .
Q Tell us about any new product launches during this year .
AWell back at the ISE show in February we showcased our 4420 and 4430 Smart IP speakers , which are networkable installation speakers that support audio , power and management via a single CAT cable . Shortly afterwards we introduced the 1235A main monitor , which is a modern rebirth of our iconic 1035 – wide frequency response , huge SPL and the ability to adapt to any acoustic environment . And to close the year we ’ ll be officially launching GLM 4 , the latest version of our loudspeaker manager software , which is able to configure , calibrate and control any Genelec Smart Active Monitor to provide completely optimised performance for any room .
Q Challenges you faced in terms of educating / reaching your customers .
AThere ’ s no doubt the modern internet era makes it so much easier to establish and maintain relationships remotely – so if you have something interesting and relevant to say the channels to do this are well developed . But ‘ digital fatigue ’ can definitely set in , and you have to take into account the huge volume of information being thrown at your potential customers . I think also the ideal way to experience our monitors is in a face-to-face situation in a controlled , well designed acoustic environment – and the pandemic has definitely impacted our ability to do that . But adapt we must !
Q How do you think the industry can recover from the pandemic hit ?
AWe will , as we did back in the last ‘ credit crunch ’ recession – ours is a very resilient industry . I think the key is adapting to the post-COVID world and recognising that there are now new ways of working and doing business – and some of these changes will end up benefitting both our industry and the planet .
Q
In terms of revenue , what percentage was impacted when compared to last year vs this year ?
AEarlier in the year we were hoping for the best , yet preparing for the worst . However , we feel blessed that this year has been better than we could ever have hoped . I think being largely rooted in the studio and broadcast market , with strong offerings for those creating at home , we have been very well placed to weather the storm . Our sympathies go to those particularly in the live sound market , who have been hit extremely hard this year .
Q How did you leverage digital media to your advantage during the lockdown ?
A We certainly increased our digital activities across the board – social media , video , podcasts , webinars and virtual events . The one advantage of cutting back hugely on international travel and events in 2020 is that you have the opportunity to focus even more on digital channels , so I think we will emerge even stronger and better prepare for the future .
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