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communication & campaigns
Harman International® reports record for the first six months results: Net sales increased to $ 1.587 billion.
Highlights are the Kurt Solland-portrait inclusive interview and the feature of the German Harman Lounge 2006 in Heilbronn.
The car audio season has started with the new JBL® Subwoofers. For the home segment Harman Live provides news for Cascade™ and TL 260.
Complete Cascade™ marketing package and HCGI product launch calendar are availabel. Moreover: News to JBL® sponsorship of EMMA.
more on page 2
more on pages 3–4
more on page 5
more on page 6
JBL ON TIME™
Ahead of its Time … provides a 360-degree horizontal sound field. Wherever the listener moves, the sound always retains the same, high quality. On Time obeys the design dogma ‘form follows function’.
JBL On Time™ is the new radio alarm with an iPod® docking station. JBL® launched the sophisticated sound system on 10th January 2006 at the MacWorld Expo® in San Francisco. “The reaction was staggering – from visitors, the press and our customers. They were hugely impressed by its functions, quality and design,” says Richard Metcalfe, European Brand Manager Harman Multimedia & AKG, of his experience at the exhibition. On Time owners can have themselves woken gently from their sleep by their favourite music, stored in their iPod playlist. Simply hook up the iPod, MP3 player or other music source such as a CD player, laptop or desktop computer and enjoy that typical JBL sound – realistic, precise and clear. Its Phoenix™ and Ridge™ transducers play a major role in enhancing the listener‘s enjoyment. They are driven by powerful neodymium magnets. The combination of the two Phoenix full-range transducers and one Ridge tweeter provides JBL On Time with a full, rich frequency response from the lowest bass to the highest highs. The On Time loudspeaker design also
Just a touch and the black or white On Time immediately adjusts the volume or switches between music sources. The backlit LCD, with its time and channel display, is easy to read. Automatic dimming provides the correct brightness level and continually adjusts to match the light levels in any environment. Large buttons make it easy to operate the system. The Harman Multimedia philosophy is to produce elegant, sophisticated and well considered designs that stir the emotions.
“On Time aims to visualise the perception of time and help the listener experience it through sound. Time cannot be tasted, touched, smelled, seen or heard. The unique loudspeaker technology delivers a sonic experience upon waking. The iPod has also become a cult object. For music fans it‘s not just a simple playback device, but actually embodies a lifestyle experience. With On Time we‘ve created a very special home for the iPod. The blue dome light gives the iPod a spiritual glow. It is its world class design reaching into the consumer’s emotions balanced with technology that touches the On Time user,” says Kurt Solland, Vice President of Industrial Design and the man who created the JBL
product. MacWorld and iLounge have already honoured On Time with their ‘Best of Show’ award. On Time will be available from April 2006 in Apple Stores and specialised trade stores, and will cost 299 EUR.
editorial
Dear Readers: JBL On Time™ had it’s worldwide preview in January at the MacWorld show in San Francisco. On Time is set to make a big impact in the iPod® speaker docking market. Last quarter, Apple® shipped 14 million iPods globally, and as a key partner for Apple, our success is set to follow suit. With delivery expected in April, along with the JBL On Stage™* II, our iPod docking speaker portfolio continues to grow.
Richard Metcalfe European Brand Manager Harman Multimedia & AKG
But Apple is not the only opportunity for us to increase Multimedia revenue. The mobile phone market offers huge potential in the growth of Multimedia and AKG®. Our partnership with Nokia, the largest handset manufacturer in the world, is opening new sales channels and opportunities across Europe. More and more handsets contain high quality MP3 players, and the operators across Europe are now offering music download services directly to your phone. Last year, Nokia sold 10 million MP3 enabled phones and as this market is just starting to develop, the potential for both AKG headphones and Harman Multimedia products is massive. Another growth area is the gaming market. Microsoft’s Xbox 360™ was launched in Europe just before Christmas and offers a complete media experience with high definition audio and video. The experience is greatly enhanced when coupled with Harman Multimedia and AKG products, as was discovered by the many visitors who attended the Microsoft® booth and tour bus during the launch events in France. HCGI partnered up with Microsoft during this launch, providing all professional and consumer audio equipment for the booth and bus and we will continue to develop strategic relationships in this exciting area. The next 12 months are set to be a really exciting time for Harman Multimedia and AKG and I look forward to working closely with you all to take advantage of the great opportunities ahead! Best regards,
Richard Metcalfe
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corporate & markets
harman live
management report
marketing
Harman International® reports record for the first six months results
Advertising Campaign for Harman Multimedia in the USA
Harman International® Industries, Incorporated announced – on 25 January 2006 – record results for the first six months ended December 31, 2005. Net sales were $1.587 billion compared to $1.480 billion in 2004, an increase of 7 percent. Exclusive of foreign currency translation, net sales increased 11 percent. Operating income for the period was $194.1 million, a 20 percent increase versus $161.4 million last year, or 26 percent excluding foreign currency translation. Net sales for the second quarter were $832.6 million, a 6 percent increase compared to $788.6 million last year, or 12 percent exclu-
sive of foreign currency translation. “We achieved excellent results for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2006. Despite unfavourable foreign currency translation, each of our three operating groups had a strong first half. Automotive continues to invest in research and development to fuel the growth of our expanding infotainment business. Consumer multimedia products continued their vigorous growth. Although hampered by product shortages around the world, sales increased 144 percent compared to the first six months last year.
Professional did well with a solid array of products linked by the HiQnet protocol. During the first six months of this fiscal year, we repurchased 1,341,300 shares of our outstanding common stock for $119 million”, says Dr. Sidney Harman, Executive Chairman of Harman International. Earnings per diluted shares were $1.07 compared to $0.92 a year ago, an increase of 16 percent. Excluding foreign currency translation, earnings per diluted share increased 25 percent.
Harman International Industries, Incorporated: Unaudited Condensed Statements of Operations 000s omitted except per share amounts
Six Months Ended, December 31
Three Months Ended, December 31 2005
Net sales
2004
2005
2004
$ 832,645
788,587
1,587,293
1,480,293
Cost of sales
526,876
510,097
1,015,229
980,404
Gross profit
305,769
278,490
572,064
499,889
Selling. general and Administrative expenses
189,909
178,978
378,011
338,452
Operating income
115,860
99,512
194,053
161,437
Interest expense, net
4,558
2,600
8,397
5,967
Miscellaneous, net
1,156
699
1,770
4,214
110,146
96,213
183,886
151,256
37,968
30,788
57,741
52,159
(357)
0
(357)
0
$ 72,535
65,425
126,502
99,097
Basic earnings per share
$ 1.10
0.97
1.92
1.48
Diluted earnings per share
$ 1.07
0.92
1.86
1.40
Shares outstanding (Basic)
65,771
67,361
65,944
66,777
Shares outstanding (Diluted)
67,948
70,942
68,185
70,592
Other Expenses:
Income before income taxes Income tax expense Minority interest Net income
Their outstanding quality and, in particular, their striking design, have already made Harman Multimedia products into bestsellers. But there is room in the marketplace for further gains and expansion. Joanne Mustapich, the Director of Marketing for Harman Kardon® and HCG Corporate Media Director, is assisting with this. The Harman Consumer Group developed an advertising campaign for JBL On Stage™* aimed at increasing exposure nationally, while focusing on a host of major American cities, e.g. Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and West Palm Beach.
JBL On Stage print ads appeared in 17 different magazines, including lifestyle, entertainment and IT publications. This initiative alone generated almost 50 million impressions. At the same time, JBL On Stage ads were featured on kiosks in prestigious shopping malls, billboards in subway stations, posters on trains and buses, and outdoor pillars. The entire campaign is expected to create approximately 561 million impressions. “This ongoing, multifaceted campaign has proven successful for Multimedia with increased awareness of both JBL® and JBL On Stage. The European market should also see benefits from this,” says Joanne Mustapich.
Please view the whole chart of Harman International sales on http://www.harman.com/fp/index.jsp?articleId=5.0
++ breaking news ++ ++ Harman International® will be at IFA 2006 ++ The decision has been taken – Harman International® will have a stand at the IFA consumer electronics trade fair in Berlin between 1st and 6th September 2006.
“Last year‘s IFA was so successful that we believe we should go back every year. In future issues of Harman Live, we shall
industry
QNX Software Systems won Award be providing regular updates on our IFA activities,” says Mathias Brand, the Director of International Marketing. IFA is the world‘s largest consumer electronics trade fair, with over 1,200 exhibitors from 40 countries, almost 250,000 visitors in 2005, and 160,000 square metres of exhibition space. IFA claims that it is the sector‘s largest single source of orders, with over 2.5 billion euros‘ worth of business being done.
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, recently presented its 2006 Automotive Software Industry Innovation & Advancement of the Year Award to QNX Software Systems (QNX) for its QNX® Neutrino® Real Time Operating System – the industry’s most widely-used and reliable software to power infotainment, navigation, and Bluetooth-based telematics in vehicles in North America. QNX Software Systems, a Harman International® company,
is the industry leader in real time, embedded OS technology. In the highly competitive automotive software market, QNX consistently produces software for controlling and connecting the increasing amount of invehicle electronic equipment used for communication, entertainment, and safety. Harman International, impressed by this exceptional performance, acquired the company in 2004. “QNX has continued to increase
its share in the growing automotive software market,” says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Robert Cavin. “The electronics content of vehicles is expected to grow to 35 percent of the overall value of a vehicle by 2015, and Frost & Sullivan believes QNX is well-positioned to expand its market presence and cement its leadership in automotive software.”
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sales offices & colleagues
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personally
convoy
Interview with Kurt Solland
Setting an Example
JBL® multimedia products seem to be the most fancy products – not to say very successful – products within the JBL line. JBL Creature® has been the first one, how did you get the idea for such an exceptional industrial design? Solland: I believe that the best designs are to capture the initial inspiration. It is that brief moment in time that must be preserved all the way through production. As for Creature, the design was sketched on a napkin when I least expected
it. From that, we solidified the design and made it a reality.
compound curves … a bar of soap or a potato is organic.
If we look at the JBL multimedia products, most of these products have an organic shape, which is very special and different compared to most of the competitors. Is this a future trend, and if, what will be next? Solland: I also do not believe in trends, the word itself states plagiarism. I do not consider the multimedia products “organic”, in contrast they are simple shapes with
How are you getting these great ideas? Is it more working on the design board, or do you suddenly wake up at night and you have the new products in your mind? Solland: Powered by massive amounts of Caffeine!
about the designer Kurt Solland was surrounded by innovation all his life. He grew up with Norwegian Viking craftsmanship and the creativity of music. For generations, the Solland family has been superior craftsman in machining and boat building. Kurt’s father Merle brought boat building to extremes. Starting in 1955 and ending in 1995 he was among the few innovators to start racing Hydroplanes. On Kurt’s mother’s side was the influence of Eddie Lund, known as one of the greatest names in Tahitian music. Hearing these records inspired Kurt to play jazz starting in the fifth grade through college. Growing up in this environment, Kurt Solland became skilled in machining, hydro dynamics and the arts at a young age. At 11 years old he designed components for hydroplanes and began inventing products. Now with over 70 patents and dozens of international awards to his name, Kurt has established himself as being a true innovator both in design and functionality. His philosophy is to create simple timeless design. In this hightech world having so many choices and complexities, simple designs speak of a time when things were carefree and easy. Kurt has the ability to solve difficult, complex problems in an elegant simple way. In the early 90’s he partnered up a friend to form MachineTech bicycle division. After the MachineTech days, he evolved as an independent inventor designing and licensing several fitness products. Respected fitness manufacturers are still using his patented mechanisms today. On the music side, his love of music has been expressed by designing audio equipment for over a decade. Kurt has designed numerous award-winning products for JBL®, Harman Kardon®, and Infinity®. Today, Harman Consumer Group, a division of Harman International®, hired Kurt to be their Vice President of Industrial Design. His role is to set the design vision for the new multimedia retail strategy.
hcgi
Of course, all products look fantastic and are very successful, but what it your personal favourite? Solland: I always like the latest product launch, and right now I really like JBL On Time™.
Their reports, issued every two months, summarise items that have made it into the media, press releases and their content, mailshots and eMarketing activities, product launches, adverts and banner links in printed media and on the Internet, and JBL show car presentations. They distinguish between the marketing activities carried out on behalf of JBL and those for
How do you see the future of what is called multimedia products? Solland: There are many forms of source devices that need better speakers, like cell phones and gaming.
“Harman Consumer Group International would be delighted to have each distributor reporting on their communication activities as regularly as Convoy do. The better informed we are about our customers‘ marketing activities, the more efficiently we can support their efforts and the more easier it becomes to share the best practices experienced globally” says Cyril Vincienne, Export Sales Manager. “We would need such a report on a quarterly basis to begin with.”
harman multimedia
JBL On Time™ Wins Over Press SDI Technologies turned that around by creating the iHome clock radio, which Apple says was the strongest selling accessory last year. The speaker maker JBL® has jumped in with the $300 JBL On Time clock radio/iPod® dock.” Since Harman in Heilbronn held its in-house exhibition, Germany‘s iPod magazines can no longer ignore the multimedia product.
Do you have children? If yes, do you involve them at any concept stage, do you ask for their opinion? Solland: I do not have any children, but my wife reminds me that I can be very childish! Which speakers are connected to your PC and iPod®? Solland: I connect wherever I can with Creature, Encounter™ and JBL On Stage™*. As soon as I get a JBL On Time, that will be in my kitchen.
Harman Kardon, and between the Home and Car segments.
The JBL On Time™ had hardly been launched before it was already captivating its public. The media, in particular, were enthralled by the new Harman Multimedia product. For example, on 3rd February The New York Times wrote, “Take clock radios, which have been a sleepy category for more than a decade.
The magazine iPod Love granted On Time two whole pages in the first issue of 2006. Dorian Staps, Product Manager with Harman Germany, is in the process of setting up another article with iCreate, the magazine for creative Mac users. France‘s Univers Mac also unveiled On Time to its readers in its February edition.
++ short news ++
Culture and Competence Seminars Launched On 18th January, Kent Mørk, the Managing Director of Harman Consumer Group International (HCGI), and Francesco Gentiluomo, the Director of Human Resources, presented the forthcoming series of culture and competence seminars to German, Austrian and Swiss
We guess the products we see today, are just the best of best and top of the iceberg. What other products are on your shelf which you had designed in the past, but have never produced? Solland: Just trust us this is only the tip of the iceberg! There is going to be a great line-up in the near future.
The Harman distributor Convoy, who distribute the JBL® and Harman Kardon® Home and Car product ranges in Australia, provide regular reports on their marketing activities.
employees. Kent Mørk referred to facts and figures as he presented a picture of HCGI‘s past, present and future. HCGI‘s management team believe that systematic staff training will enable the company to take full advantage of its potential for growth. Francesco Gentiluomo went into some detail as he explained how the seminars will work. Training for Harman‘s German team is due to begin in July 2006.
++ Harman Dealer Show in Holland ++ Harman Consumer Holland (HCH) will held its Dealer Show between 5th and 9th March in the Holland Casino in Utrecht. A special location has been chosen to house the show, to show all new exciting products, invite customers, press and special guests but also to celebrate the 10th anniversary of HCH and the 60th anniversary of JBL®.
ager Marketing & Promotions. If you wish for further information, please contact Erik van Geuns (
[email protected]). ++ Golf GTI Lounge in Brussels ++ Harman Belgium presented the red JBL Creature® in the Volkswagen Group‘s GTI Lounge at the Salon de l’Automobile between 10th and 22nd January in Brussels. To create associations with the new, red Golf GTI in the VIP lounge, the company also exhibited trendy, modern products in the colour red – including the Creature. The automotive fair was visited by threequarters of a million people.
++ Award for HD970 in Poland ++
The readers of the Polish audio magazine Audio Video have voted Harman Kardon®’s HD970 CD player the Best CD/SACD™ Player of 2005/2006. As a result, Audio Video awarded the HD970 their ‘Zlote Ucho’ (Golden Ear). 42.9 percent of their readers placed the Harman Kardon product ahead of rival systems such as the Usher CD-1 and Meridian G07. Audio Video is one of the leading audio magazines in the Polish market. The JBL® E80 was runner-up in the Floorstanding Loudspeakers category.
“It promises to become a very spectacular show. More info and pictures of the event will be shown in the next issue of Harman Live”, says Erik van Geuns, Man-
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sales offices & colleagues
harman live
harman lounge 2006 in germany
Great Products, Familiar Atmosphere and Perfect Organisation … … record visitor numbers, good sales figures, terrific décor, late nights and excellent staff commitment. The list goes on and on. But, to sum it up, Harman‘s in-house exhibition in Heilbronn was a major success. As it now does each year, Harman Germany invited its business partners to its traditional sales show. Over 700 guests received a warm welcome over a five-day period between 18th and 22nd January. This year AKG® was represented as a fully-fledged exhibitor for the first time. Harman is hoping that a vigorous campaign to support its products in the higher-level segment, plus increased efforts to sign up dealers will expand AKG‘s market position in Germany. The K701 and K27i models found themselves at the centre of attention. “Wearing headphones is very much in vogue. They‘ve become a genuine fashion accessory,” said Hans Guttleber, the Sales Manager for Multimedia, Car and AKG.
Kent Mørk (top: Managing Director HCGI) holding his speech and Wolf Rüdiger Hartmann (General Manager Harman Germany) attending the Saturday night party.
The impressive restyled warehouse of Harman Germany.
It‘s important to our customers that they can get hold of the systems in April, to take advantage of the boom for the World Cup,” explained Sales Manager Gerd Schneider. JBL‘s On Time™ was responsible for creating a certain amount of impromptu enthusiasm. Harman‘s multimedia products are booming
Presentation of the Multimedia and AKG product range.
The visitors, who included a number of Media Markt and Saturn senior managers and departmental heads, commented positively on the new AKG sales and marketing structure and the fact that it has come under the wing of the Harman sales team. Harman Kardon® gave a world debut to its full home cinema system, which includes flat screens. “The design and quality of Harman Kardon‘s plasma and LCD screens made a big impression. The proposed price categories for the full system were deemed to be ‘very ambitious, but achievable’.
ily’. “Our clients have been coming already for years now, and feel very much at home here. The quality of personal contacts and trust is constantly improving,” said Wolf Rüdiger Hartmann, the General Manager of Harman Deutschland. “I‘d like to thank all of our staff who helped to make the event such a success.”
The highlight of the presentations delivered in the sound studio was Infinity®‘s Cascade™ loudspeaker range. And listener‘s verdicts were similarly positive – not only in terms of the sound quality, but also the design attributes of the Cascade models. Quite apart from the business of gathering general impressions from the show and submitting orders, the customers enjoyed themselves until the early morning hours, dancing in the warehouse which had, at some expense, been
completely restyled for the occasion. Harman Germany took full responsibility for organising their entire stay. Travel connections were researched, hotel rooms reserved and a VIP limousine service laid on. Many of the visitors took advantage of the offer to travel with their partners. On Friday the entertainment was provided by the band ‘MadChick of Soul’, and on Saturday by the cabaret star ‘Gerhard Polt’ and the The musicians of ‘LIVIN music family’ make sure that the party is band ‘LIVIN music fam- put into good humour.
harman belgium
Belgium Team Comes to Heilbronn
at both the acoustic and business levels. Meanwhile, JBL® is celebrating its 60th birthday with a limited anniversary edition – the new floor standing JBL TL260 loudspeaker.
At 10.00 am on the 17th January, 26 guests from Belgium landed at Stuttgart Airport. It was the second time that Henri Sebbe and Kurt Frooninckx had invited their customers to Germany. “Our first trip, to the IFA Fair in Berlin, in September 2005, was excellent. So we thought it a good idea to put on another trip so that our top customers could check out the new products at Harman‘s in-house presentation area,” explains Henri Sebbe, Regional Division Manager Wallonia & Luxembourg.
The next day, the Belgium team met up with their 24 invitees at the company‘s in-house presentation area. Henri Sebbe and Kurt Frooninckx took them round the exhibition rooms, and then presented some demos in the cinema and sound studio. “The customers loved the German dealer show, and are already asking when the
next trip is,” says Kurt Frooninckx, Regional Division Manager Flanders & Brussels. It is far more economical for the Belgians to come to Harman exhibitions in Germany than to put on their own dealer show. The party returned to Brussels at 6.00 pm on the 18th January.
First of all, the Belgian Harman dealers visited the Audi plant in Neckersulm, not far from Heilbronn, where they studied the Multi Media Interface (MMI) Basic with a monochrome display as made by Harman/Becker Automotive Systems – Harman‘s automotive group. Audi are including this as standard in their new A6 models. Complete Home Cinema Systems inclusive flat screens by Harman Kardon.
The Belgium Team and its customers at the Harman Germany’s in-house exhibition.
harman live
brands & products
5
Infinity
JBL GTO subwoofer
Cascade™ loudspeakers receive a double honor
Let’s Rock
Infinity’s Cascade™ loudspeakers have won the Consumer Electronics Show Innovations 2006 Design and Engineering Award, in addition to the ADEX (Award for Design Excellence) Platinum Award, thanks to their compelling combination of beauti-
For anyone that absolutely has to let rip in their car, the new range of GTO subwoofer enclosures are the real deal. All of the enclosures house the highly-praised GTO bass chassis. The GTO1204BR subwoofer enclosure is the recommendation for rock fans. The crispest possible bass reflex tuning takes drum solos to another level.
ful design, unmatched installation flexibility and superlative sound. Sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association and endorsed by the Industrial Designers of America, the Innovations Awards program is the industry’s most recognized, high-
But the GTO1204BR delivers great pop and electronic music, too. Moreover, the box has great visual styling. A varnished front and stable protective aluminium grilles mean that the enclosure will catch the eye in any car boot. For car audio fans whom only an extreme fix of deep sound can satisfy, there is the GTO1204BP bandpass box. It was developed specifically to cater for the needs of enthusiasts that are deeply in love with
lighting product advancements in technology design and engineering. The ADEX Platinum Award is the highest honor given by Design Journal magazine. ADEX entries are judged on five criteria: innovation, technological advancement, quality, aesthetics and value.
++ harman live ++
JBL power subwoofer
New model name for Car Audio DSP from JBL®:
Low Pressure System on its Way
On page 2 of the last issue of Harman Live (Harman Live 02, February 2006), in the articles ‘Harman International® at CES in Las Vegas’ and ‘The future of the car audio aftermarket’, we mentioned the launch of JBL®‘s unique, 8-channel Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Amplifier. We would like to make it clear that the new DSP solution will be launched under the name MS-8. ‘MS’ stands for ‘Mobile Synthesis’. The new model name hints at the connection to the semi-professional Synthesis® home theatre and music system from JBL.
By stitching-in the tinsel leads, nothing can go wrong, even under heavy pressure. JBL® is launching two new Power Subwoofers. The twin giants have been named P1022 and P1222 and are replacing the old models with immediate effect. The deep bass chassis are completely new. The impression made by JBL’s new proprietary frame is not merely superficial. With its tidy design, it achieves maximum stabil-
ity and ventilation. The membrane is made of Kevlar ®-impregnated paper and boasts a high strengthto-weight ratio. 2 ohm voice-coils
bass. Fed on a diet of hip hop or black music, the deep bass takes no prisoners – it will dig way down into the frequency basement. The same quality is apparent in its appearance. Four white LEDs light the chamber behind the plexiglas panel and provide just the right setting for the bass chassis. Put these boxes in your car, inject 250 watts, and just listen to them (by take off! Tobias Runge, Car Audio Product Specialist)
JBL TL260
Un-compromised Sound
are attached to the 76 mm voice coil bracket so it is simple to connect to any amplifier. The tinsel leads are insulated and connected to the spider to give the chassis the best possible longterm quality. There is a large pole piece at the back of the woofer to keep the motor structure cool. Running on 350 – 600 watts, these subwoofers are great fun whatever your musical taste – they‘ll bring a smile to your face and put butterflies in your stomach. That‘s in-car audio! The new Power Subwoofers available in 25 cm or 30 cm, are extremely robust and fit into any type of enclosure. (by Tobias Runge, Car Audio Product Specialist)
JBL® celebrates its 60th anniversary and introduces TL260 limited edition loudspeaker in April 2006. The highperformance loudspeaker is an evolution of the legendary L250Ti, one of the most acclaimed loudspeakers ever built. It combined the proven design concept of its predecessor with JBL’s latest advancements in transducer and enclosure technology, to achieve an extraordinary level of sonic accuracy and music realism. “The TL260 is sure to thrill music lovers and audiophiles with its ability to deliver a remarkably faithful reproduction of the original performance – and above all, provide an emotionally captivating listening experience,” pointed out Paul Bente, President of JBL. L250Ti was JBL’s flagship speaker throughout the 1980’s. The development concept of the loudspeakers was made by Greg Timbers, Chief Development Engineer of Harman International®, and the industrial design was performed by
Douglas Warner. Douglas Warner was responsible for recommending the trapezoid enclosure shape that accomplished the engineering function of the original pyramid design, but resulted in a more satisfying, understated appearance. To achieve its exceptionally accurate and natural sound quality, the JBL TL260 incorporates the company’s latest advancements in loudspeaker design and engineering. A key JBL innovation that is utilized in the TL260 is a newly developed ultrahigh-frequency transducer that provides extended frequency response to 40kHz. The driver element, which operates in conjunction with a specially designed horn with a 60° by 30° coverage pattern, utilizes a 19 mm Mylar® dome mounted directly to the voice coil to deliver smooth, open and detailed high-frequency reproduction – with a more natural quality of spaciousness over a wide listening area. The ultrahigh-frequency transducer is complemented by a 25 mm pure-titanium dome tweeter that features a large motor
assembly and highly flexible surround for exceptional transient response and clarity. The tweeter is housed within JBL’s exclusive Elliptical Oblate Spheroidal™ (EOS™) waveguide that delivers the same response off-axis as it does on-axis, and directs sound toward the listening area rather than off the side walls, for more precise imaging and localization of vocals and instruments.
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communication & campaigns
harman live
Cascade™ marketing
++ harman live ++
Marketing Package for Cascade
Please Note: Harman Live 04
reflect a fashion-led lifestyle, and thus support our advertising message for Cascade,” says International Marketing Director Mathias Brand. 200 promotional cases were produced for the sales teams. They contain the driver so that the newly-patented Maximum Radiating Surface™ (MRS™) flat-panel transducer technology can be presented more effectively to the customer, the info and press CD, brochures, the white paper, the Infinity Academy DVD, black and red colour material examples.
Following on from the Cascade™ info CD (Harman Live 01, December 2005), International Marketing is introducing a host of sales support measures for the new Infinity® range of loudspeakers – a new advertising campaign, a promotional case, plexiglas and cardboard display units, roll-up and hang-up banners, posters and a promotional brochure. Everything in the marketing package will be
available from late February. For the advertising campaign, a lifestyle-type shoot was arranged at the showrooms of the furniture designer and manufacturer Rolf Benz. Cascade does not merely incorporate a prestigious home cinema and stereo speaker system with innovative technology, but exudes design, pure and simple. “The people motifs aim to
The plexiglas display unit also shows the Cascade innovation with a driver that is visible from all sides. The cardboard display unit is for holding brochures. The hang-up banners measure 200 cm x 80 cm and are available in two different colour styles. The roll-up banners are 200 cm tall and 100 cm wide. For further information, please contact Erik Bosma (
[email protected]), the Marketing Manager.
Issue 04 of Harman Live will appear a fortnight later – towards the middle of April.
HCGI product-launches
New! HCGI Product Launch Calendar In mid-February, International Marketing and the brand managers published a calendar that shows all the product launches in the first six months of 2006 at a glance such as the launch of JBL® TL260 in April. The leporello fold calendar is for the use of the sales teams. Harman salespeople can offer their customers an attractive overview of future products from Harman Kardon®, JBL, and Infinity® and use it to sound out possible deals. Anyone interested should get in touch with the Marketing Manager, Erik Bosma (
[email protected]).
staff newspaper
JBL® goes EMMA
Feedback on Harman Live
Harman International® Sponsors European Mobile Media Association
All of our colleagues and distributors – Danish, English, French, Belgian, Dutch, Finnish, and German – have reacted positively to the first issue of Harman Live. Some people enjoyed the humour, while others praised the staff interviews or the fact that the newspaper was delivered to their home address. Ryszard Balys, the Managing Director of PH R Balys, in Poland, promises his active support for Harman‘s new staff newsletter. He places great store on sharing information about European marketing activities, and would like to know more about promotional ideas from other distributors and Harman‘s sales offices. He would particularly like to read about experiences gleaned from trade fairs and car show promotions. “All staff newspaper survive on information and contributions sub-
mitted by the staff. We hope that we‘ve set the ball rolling, and we really want our employees and customers to keep us informed about what they‘re doing. There are numerous examples of best practice at Harman International®, and we need to tell people about them,” says Communication Manager Katja Meincke. Staff in the USA, too, have lined up behind the project. 250 copies are being distributed in the Woodbury and Northridge offices. The newsletter is also being published on the myharman.com intranet. Staff in Europe should see the intranet up and running later this year. “We‘re having a lot of fun with this project. Thanks to everyone that has contributed so far, and thanks in advance for all future news submissions. Everybody is welcome to play their part in creating Harman Live. Just get in touch with us,” says Katja Meincke.
JBL® supports EMMA‘s activities through international sponsorship, which underlines its determination to place greater emphasis on the cognoscenti when marketing the new GTI loudspeakers. The European Mobile Media Association was formed in 2000 to enable industry, dealers and dedicated users to bring the fascinating world of in-car entertainment closer to the general public.
involved in professionally showing sponsors‘ products. Over 400 sound-offs, 18,000 competitors in 2005 and 40 member countries illustrate that the idea is gaining ground among car audio enthusiasts.
The JBL logo will continue to appear on the official EMMA CD, on their rule-book and on the international homepage, www. (by Tobias emmanet.com. Runge, Car Audio Product Specialist)
Its main activity consists of organising sound-off contests. The various competition categories, including Sound Quality, ESPL, Multi Media and EMMA Racing, aim to reward the best possible individual realisation of the vision of a perfect car. Other areas of interest related to products from the mobile media industry have been spun out of this high-level, innovative, competitive environment. EMMA set up the EMMA Academy in order to train dealers and has for some years been actively MASTHEAD
Over 30 happy winners present at the German Sound Off-Finale.
harman live, Nº 3 published by: HCGI, 2, route de Tours, 72500 Château du Loir, France editors: Mathias Brand, Katja Meincke, Phone: +49 (0) 71 31 48 02 08, E-Mail:
[email protected] editorial address: HCGI, Hünderstrasse 1, 74080 Heilbronn, Germany contributors: Ryszard Balys, Erik Bosma, Kurt Frooninckx, Francesco Gentiluomo, Bozena Kozlowska, Klaus Lebherz, Richard Metcalfe, Joanne Mustapich, Laurent Rault, Tobias Runge, Monika Schnabel, Henri Sebbe, Kurt Solland, Dorian Staps, Lutz Uphoff, Erik van Geuns, Cyril Vincienne layout/illustrations: Götz, Stähler GbR, Wiesbaden, Germany printed by: msp druck und medien gmbH, Mudersbach, Germany © 2006 Harman International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Harman International, Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity, AKG, Creature and Synthesis are trademarks of Harman International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. On Time, Phoenix, Ridge, Encounter, Cascade, Maximum Radiating Surface (MRS) and Elliptical Oblate Spheroidal (EOS) are trademarks of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. The trademark JBL On Stage is used with permission of OSA International, Inc. iPod and Apple are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. QNX and Neutrino are registered trademarks of QNX Software Systems GmbH & Co. KG and are used under license by QNX Software Systems International Corporation. Mylar and Kevlar are registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. SACD is a trademark of Sony Electronics Inc. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Xbox is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. MacWorld Expo is a registered trademark of IDG World Expo Corporation.
