BlueAntWireless is no ordinary species of wireless product makers. Having already established a strong brand presence in their home market of Australia, the company is building a network in the North American continent and bringing impressive engineering and design along with them. Earning an “8.0 Excellent” rating from CNET for their CES Design Award winning, X3 micro Bluetooth headset and receiving the prestigious International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award for the Z9 Bluetooth headset launched in early 2007, BlueAnt is staking claim on store shelves with an unwavering pursuit.
BlueAnt, (blue for Bluetooth and ant for antennae) was established in Melbourne in 2003. Previously, company founders Taisen Maddern and Mike Good imported a European brand of hands-free products. “When the company failed to deliver,” says Maddern, “we decided to create our own brand and take full control of the process.” As a result, their biggest hurdles have been challenges that they anticipated and could therefore “face head on”. The company says that it has high expectations to “perform as a company in terms of product development and testing.”
BlueAnt rigorously tests their products before releasing them to the market and backs them with an unheard of two-year warranty. “The warranty,” says Maddern, “has been a real selling point; providing sales channels and consumers with the assurance that any BlueAnt product is fully backed by the company.” The company’s design and engineering awards also support its claims for being innovative yet there is much more than quality products working in their favor.
“Innovation” is a term used to the point of cliche´ in technology and business; it often means very little in the big picture because it is supposed to mean invention or a new way of doing things. There are some companies who just do the same things other companies are doing but their long-term success comes from doing it with greater commitment and a sincere interest in the outcome of what they produce. It is this writer’s opinion that BlueAnt is one of those companies.
One thing BlueAnt simply does better is product brand-presence. Take for instance the X3 micro Bluetooth headset. On CNET’s website, users are encouraged to rate products. One owner of the X3 said it was “cute with big buttons,” yet another actually called it his “little buddy”. While on the surface this seems unimportant, to a brand developer this equates to brand loyalty. I argue that personification, not innovation is what brings technology to the masses, long after the early adopters have waded through early models.
“Our success,” says Maddern, “has been realized because we have chosen to do business our way, not by necessarily following the norms of big business.”
Business renegades are sometimes too specialized to compete well or take a lot longer to establish their niche. BlueAnt on the other hand, is taking calculated measures and deep-rooting themselves through distribution partnerships and marketing. “We have been entrenched in the marketing process from the beginning, but we have approached it in real terms by communicating with our sales channels about their needs, gaining third party reviews from key media outlets (which have been overwhelmingly positive) and we work hard to support packaging for point of sale with shelf appeal.” Maddern goes on to say that they are also selective about what makes up their range of products and “do not introduce them for the sake of making money”. Instead the product range “reflects innovation and cutting edge design” and that “they are easy to use and relevant to the needs of those who use them.”
BlueAnt’s product relevance could be attributed to how they make decisions. When we asked what are the key sources of information driving their strategies, Maddern had a long list: “consumers, distributors, retail groups, retail sales staff, tech reviewers, tech sites, tech heads, technocrats, and marketing and research companies”. And while that might be a typical list seen in “big business” what sets them on the renegade path may be attributed to how they manage flexibility. Maddern emphasizes, “not taking things too seriously - enjoy the process and the products and get satisfaction out of what we do…and not being too big to be able to make decisions.”
BlueAnt will continue to get bigger, however, because the wireless peripherals that they produce are not only technologically sound and dependable, they are also good looking, affordable and fully supported. As their foothold in the US market is further established in 2007, they are expanding their international market share into Europe and Asia pacific. As they move steadily ahead, Taisen Maddern and BlueAnt will continue to ask, “What are the needs of the front line - what do consumers need from their technology, how are they using and understanding the technology which is already available, and what are the emerging trends relevant to each individual market?” We look forward to seeing the products that answer these questions.
More Information About BlueAnt Wireless in the US:
Peter George, Senior Vice President
45 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 2017
New York, NY 10111
Telephone: 212-332-3205
Fax: 212-332-3206
Email:
Web: www.myblueant.com