have the VTX A12 which is top of the line touring grade
line arrays, studio grade quality and meant to fulfill all
international tech riders. It has got neutral sounding tone
and fits into all markets. We are showcasing this product
at the Harman Live Arena this year and we have a whole
range of artists from Rock, Pop, Reggae, Fusion, Folk, and
lots more. We want to convey to our audience that you can
play any genre of music on these and it would sound just
as great.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have the Eon One
Pro, which is ultra portable, runs off a six hour battery,
has a 4 channel mixer built into it, Bluetooth control,
streaming. It is like a JBL flip on steroids (laughs). We
have covered both ends of the spectrum and also a whole
range of products in between.
Your views on Palm Expo and how does it add value to
Harman?
Personally, I have been a part of Palm Expo for the past
10 years now! When Diversified Communications ran it
back in the day out of the Nehru Centre and I remember
there were very few booths and a whole bunch of confused
visitors. Now, the booth count has grown and it rivals
some of the international shows. It has definitely come a
long way! After ABEC took over the Palm Show, I think
they have added some good inputs to it and made sure it
reaches the right audience and have brought in the right
kind of customer base. They have supported us a lot and
helped us put in together the Harman Live Arena. This
is highly curated content with very specialist platform
showcasing the best of technology. They have been kind
to lend us space to do that and we have made it happen!
People come for the trade show and some live music
experience!
I personally think, this is the culmination of experiential
marketing. One is where you show the products and
second is showcasing them in the right space. That’s how
marketing succeeds!
What do you attribute Harman’s success to?
Harman’s success is definitely because of the People
associated with it, which in my opinion is the first P
in the 4 P’s of Marketing. I joined this company 5 years
ago; incidentally, this happens to be my 5th year. I have
never lasted in any company for more than three years.
I must say that Harman has kept me very occupied. I
always surrounded myself with people who were better
than me. One aspect is the talent portion in the company.
The other is the community we build around it which
includes colleagues, customers, partners and channels
who help build the Harman Ecosystem. Harman is not just
a company, it is an idea and we require everyone in the
ecosystem to make it successful.
What is the biggest challenge for Harman?
Our biggest challenge, in my opinion, would be
Complacency! We cannot sit back and say we are the
best and if we do that, it would be the beginning of our
downfall.
best and keep improving and growing and become lean in
terms of costs.
Harman Live Arena has been growing. What’s your vision
for it?
This project started seven years ago at Palm Expo. We
wanted to just showcase our products with the right
environment and best possible talents. That thought has
come full circle right now across all genres. We have
started another property called Harman DJ Arena for
budding DJs.
The thought of Live Arena remains central. We want to
take this platform to different geographies and in different
formats. For instance, Harman Live Studio in an intimate
setting with fewer musicians like with an RnB artist,
singer-songwriter etc. We will take that to different venues
and curate that content too. The central concept would
remain the same.
We did something interesting last year where took
the Harman Live Arena to the Big 69 metal festival.
We branded it as the Harman Live Arena at the Big 69
Festival! It was a huge success. WE want to do it with
Bollywood, Sufi, Folk etc too!
Are there any big associations this year?
We are in talks with Jonita Gandhi to get her on board
as an endorsee. Kabir Café was recently added to our
endorsee list. We are talking to Ska Vengers as well.
Tell us about your association with Endorsee.
Ours is not a formalized endorsee program. It is more of a
friendship agreement and that is the way the artists like
it. We don’t force them to do anything. We help them in
terms of equipment, gear, space and financial assistance if
needed.
For instance, we helped Kabir Café with studio space using
our contacts and also provided them with some equipment
to record.
We do a lot of support activities outside of our contract
too! Our idea is to help artists grow, when they do, they
will take our brand with them and thus bringing out more
artists out there.
People love to get associated with us! It is tough for us to
refuse some associations but hopefully we will tie up with
them soon!
What do you think about The Score Magazine?
You guys came into the space when everything thought
it was jaded! You have transformed music reporting. One
thing I absolutely love about the magazine is that, you can
read the magazine end to end in one sitting without getting
bored! I am happy that you stood up to the true spirit of
journalism and reported well with good research. You also
featured artists who definitely deserved to be featured on
covers.
In short, you have done a great job and hence we love to be
associated with your magazine!
The other thing would be Technology and changing
mindsets. The best way to deal with it would be to do our
The
Score Magazine
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