The new expanded relationship will allow selected Origin Acoustics integrators to have access to Bang & Olufsen’s BeoPlay headphones, BeoVision televisions, BeoSound speakers and soundbars, and BeoAmp amplifiers for their luxury clients. At the CEDIA Expo 2022 in Dallas the two brands will share further details of the partnership and how this combination of Origin’s network and go-to-market strategy along with Bang & Olufsen’s product portfolio will be available to new and existing channel dealers and ultimately for end consumers.
Bang & Olufsen has been in business for 97 years and features 700 retail stores worldwide. The company has made inroads in the custom electronics channel over the years, but it has gained more recent momentum following the 2016 successful collaboration with Origin Acoustics, on the creation of co-branded products (Celestial in-ceiling speakers and Palatial in-wall speakers) that both companies sell as part of Origin Acoustics’ Design Centric Technology program.
The newly expanded partnership allows Origin Acoustics to offer design-centric products that will resonate with interior designers, architects and ultimately consumers. The company has made several other strategic design-centric moves recently, namely establishing an OEM relationship with Crestron on loudspeakers, setting up a strategic resale agreement with hidden-speaker manufacturer Amina, acquiring high-end outdoor speaker maker Ambisonic, and teaming with Artnovion on importing their acoustical treatment products into the US. Origin Acoustics also alluded that several more partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks.
This expansion of the Bang & Olufsen partnership is another step in that effort, allowing both brands to provide unique opportunities to the custom installation channel. As the US Brand Manager for the Custom Channel, Origin Acoustics will be responsible for bringing the Bang & Olufsen full line of products to the North America integration market.
"Bang & Olufsen is the only company in the world that has driven this value proposition for many decades," says Origin Acoustics CEO Nick Berry. "They lead the conversation on how design and technology intersect, and we look forward to expanding the brand throughout the US."
"As Bang & Olufsen continues to scale our business in North America's custom installation market, our mutual history, shared goals, and Origin Acoustics’ incredible reputation made our partnership an exciting prospect. We see great potential in bringing Bang & Olufsen’s expertise in luxury technology and Origin Acoustics’ loyal community of channel dealers to a $10-billion industry," states Bang & Olufsen Americas president Rich Costanzo.
"We are comfortable with the relationship with Origin Acoustics, which stretches back to the 1980s with their previous company. Both companies are technically competent, produce innovative products and have the same cultural values of customer empathy and support for their channel partners. Both companies are top-class organizations. It’s exciting to announce that Origin dealers will now have the full complement of the B&O portfolio to sell. This is a long-term commitment between the two companies," adds Costanzo.
According also to Origin Acoustics, not all integrators will have access to the full lineup of Bang & Olufsen goods, which will need to be vetted first by Origin and then by Bang & Olufsen in order to be labeled as Bang & Olufsen Custom Technology Integrators (CTI). Those integrators will receive additional training and marketing support.
www.originacoustics.com
www.bang-olufsen.com
