VISIONARY - Music Inc. Magazine

SAMICK I BY KATIE KAILUS
REBRANDING SAMICK
Samick has built a
name for itself making
guitars for other
companies. Now, it
aims to draw more
attention to its own brands.
This summer, Samick is rolling
out a marketing campaign
that includes new point-ofpurchase
materials, a customer
testimonial campaign, more signature
artist clinics and a dealer
rewards program. The idea is to
give its independent retail base
a little shot in the arm.
“We have about 800 independents
that buy the [Samick] Greg
Bennett and JTR lines from us
on a regular basis,” said John
Hawkins, vice president of the
company’s MI division. “For us,
our new marketing initiatives are
to reward our retailers that are
selling those lines in independent
music stores.”
DEALER PERKS
The dealer rewards program
is designed to not only boost
dealers’ profitability but also to
get them amped up about more
recent changes to the Samick
brand. Tony De La Rosa, the
company’s regional sales manager,
likened the initiative to an
airline or bank rewards program
with tiered membership, where
each level yields certain perks.
Eligible dealers can then use their
points to qualify for new freight,
terms and discount packages.
“We wish to keep it simple and
make it something each dealer
can feasibly obtain and use at
any time during the selling year,”
De La Rosa said. “The choice
of options and timing is what
makes the program exciting and
interesting for the dealer. The
28 I MUSIC INC. I JULY 2011
more they sell, the more perks
can be used.”
And De La Rosa said he believes
this will put some fun in
the business. “It gives our reps
a new and ongoing story to keep
in front of our dealer base,” he
added. “We, as a manufacturer,
can tailor the program to focus
on any specific area of our business
at any time.”
EYE-POPPING POPS
Samick’s new POP materials
aim to take advantage of
empty real estate on a retailer’s
Samick
launches
a new
persona with
its summer
marketing
campaign
guitar wall.
The hang signs can be displayed
directly behind an instrument.
Along with a feature list,
the signs include a QR (quick response)
code that, when scanned
with a QR reader, takes shoppers
to a Web page. There, they
can find more detailed product
information, including a video
for that particular guitar model
or series.
Plus, the new “My Guitar
Story” promotion harnesses the
power of social media to encourage
customers to test-drive Samick
product.
While in a music store, they
can take a photo of themselves
with a Samick guitar and upload
it to the company’s Facebook
page. Participants then receive
a free T-shirt and are entered into
a drawing to win a free guitar.
Customer testimonials are also
being used in Samick’s print ads
and social media posts.
“In essence, we are asking real
people to tell us their story about
how they went into a dealer and
purchased their Samick guitar,”
De La Rosa said.
And the company’s rounding
out its promotional efforts
by bolstering its clinic schedule
during the coming months. Two
Samick signature artists, Greg
Bennett and Steve Rutledge, will
host retail clinics by August.
NEW PERSONA
The marketing campaign is part
of a larger effort to rebrand
Samick. Long known for its Greg
Bennett line, the company’s working
on getting the word out about
its JTR and USA series — newer
lines that have emerged within
the past two years.
“It has become not just about
the Greg Bennett brand, but we
now have the JTR series and we
also have a USA series that we
want to build on,” said Glenn
Derringer, president of Samick’s
MI division.
“We may not be able to go
out and advertise that we make
guitars for other companies,
but the fact is that we are good
enough to manufacture for all
these companies that are the top
brands in the world.”
And now, it’s Samick’s turn
to show its face to the world. MI