Sennheiser 75-year Milestone
Vipin Pungalia, Director, Professional Segment, Sennheiser India
June 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the foundation of Sennheiser, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of headphones, loudspeakers, microphones and wireless transmission systems. Through these 75 years, Sennheiser has been telling stories and creating sound experiences for customers across the globe. On this milestone occasion, PT spoke to Vipin Pungalia - Director, Professional Segment, Sennheiser India to understand the company’s growth, technology and vision for the Indian market.
Firstly, congratulations to Sennheiser group on completing 75 years. What kind of anniversary promotions or special deals has Sennheiser lined up for the Indian market, your distributors, and channel partners?
This year marks the 75th year of Sennheiser in the industry. This year is quite special for us- we had planned a special celebration with all our partners- but it couldn’t go as planned due to the on-going pandemic.
For the Professional Segment at Sennheiser, we have a very strong network of distributors and channel partners business segment-wise PAN India. Our distributors and channel partners play an extremely crucial role for us in catering to needs of our diverse customers across the country. We focus a lot on consistently educating and sharing knowledge with our stakeholders on products and technology through workshops, trainings round-the-year.
As a way to show gratitude to our customers, distributors, channel partners, and thank them for being associated with Sennheiser journey in India, we are running 75th Anniversary Promo offer on selected range of professional headphones and microphones starting July 2020.
These offers are being promoted across all platforms viz. Traditional distribution network and online.
Which year did Sennheiser enter the Indian market? Moreover, do you think it was an experiment at that time or a conscious and planned move by the German based company?
Sennheiser entered the Indian market in the year 2007 which was a conscious and a planned move by the company and India has been one of the key markets ever since. The brand is here to stay and grow.
We have been providing support to Live performing artists and bands remains at Sennheiser’s core and we clearly see a rising growth and demand in this vertical. Sennheiser has developed a line-up to deliver the emotional power and the bulletproof reliability. Whether it is a stage concert or an intimate session or a jazz club, we have the right accessories for budding artists as well as for the professional performers. Now, with the growth of Digital Content creators, YouTubers and video-bloggers, Audio for Video has also increased in importance and popularity alike.
We have witnessed big potential and growth in the Business Communication segment. There is a need for right audio solutions to conduct effective virtual meetings, conferences, etc. We had launched a clutter-breaking conferencing solution – the TeamConnect Ceiling, now in its second generation and we have received a very encouraging response in India and rest of the world alike.
For Sennheiser, opportunity lies in education sector as well. Technology has found its way into the classrooms with several audio and visual aides to teach students for better understanding.
How has the growth been for Sennheiser in an emerging market like India since its entry here?
Since Sennheiser’s entry into the Indian market, the Professional Segment has been witnessing a double-digit growth year-on-year.
While our customers were discovering the magic of sound through our products, audiophiles swore by the brand due to which Sennheiser was ranked among the top brands by artists.
Sennheiser provides world class Professional audio solutions. Live Performance and Music, Business Communication and Audio for Video continue to be the major growth drivers. 2019 was a successful year for us where we launched multiple clutter-breaking audio solutions across segments in the audio industry. Our plan is to continue growing while consistently introducing the best offerings. At Sennheiser, our aim has always been to understand the needs of our customers and cater to those needs by providing them with the efficient solutions.
Sennheiser India has played a significant role in making Pro-audio industry in India what it is today. We have kept setting benchmarks by introducing various innovations such as the evolution of Wireless G3 system in the year 2009 and the evolution of Wireless G4 System launch in 2018. As a brand, we believe in supporting professional community through various initiatives like organizing live mixing workshop, Sennheiser top 50- a platform for young Indian bands to showcase their talent.
With the on-going pandemic, pro audio market has been affected just like other industries. This is the testing time for businesses and people alike. We have been cognizant of the current scenario and wanted to utilize this opportunity to impart knowledge learning amongst our Professional Segment customers, and partners. Sennheiser initiated a campaign #DontStopTheEducation – a series of free online webinar sessions as we believe that there should be no reason to stop learning even in the current social distancing and working from home situation.
To support the community during these tough times, we initiated a campaign called #DontStopTheMusic. It was an exclusive streaming concert on Sennheiser’s Instagram channel. We had a line-up of artists such as David Guetta, DJ Madoc, Murthovic, Bob Sinclair, Third Eye Blind amongst others. Through this initiative, we encouraged people to support the WHO in its fight against COVID-19.
From the Indian market perspective, what according to you are the three main milestones in terms of product development in the 75-year history of Sennheiser?
Sennheiser stands for the establishment and development of trends. We are always re-inventing the future. Our passion goes to such lengths that we are only satisfied with a solution when we see it as being perfectly adapted to the needs of the given case. So the trailblazing ideas of our developers have made Sennheiser products famous throughout the world and repeatedly met with an enthusiastic response from audio enthusiasts. Our achievements have won us numerous international awards: two innovation prizes of German industry, the ‘technical Oscar’ (the Scientific and Engineering Award), a Grammy and the most significant television prize in the USA, the Emmy Award.
We created the first directional microphone in the fifties, the open headphone in the sixties, infrared transmission technology in the seventies and multichannel cordless transmission in the eighties. In the nineties we developed head-related surround systems, while intelligent audio information systems were the focus of our interest at the start of the new millennium - and today we continue to drive the progressive digitalization of the audio world and create immersive audio experiences with the 3D audio technology program AMBEO.
To ensure that it stays this way, we have created a unique instrument: Sennheiser Innovation AG. This is the company whose designers, market researchers, business managers and engineers study and shape the themes of the future. Today it is more important than ever to be setting the points for innovation at the earliest possible stage. We aim to detect important developments in consumer preferences right from the start, with a view to focusing our company’s thinking, products and services accordingly.
TeamConnect Ceiling 2
What are the priority markets or application segments in India currently? And which product are you currently pushing most aggressively in the pro-audio market?
For Sennheiser, Live Segment, Audio for Video, Corporate, and Education are the priority markets in India currently.
As one of the world’s leading producers of audio technology, Sennheiser has aimed for decades to provide up-to-date audio solutions. Sennheiser’s decision to make use of Dante (Dante™ created by Audinate), the worldwide leading multi-channel audio over IP standard, is part of this ongoing effort to create future-proof products.
Products like Digital 6000 Series offer outstanding audio quality and rock-solid RF wireless transmission for live performance. The intermodulation-free HF technology from Digital 6000 guarantees, even in very narrow frequency ranges, additional channels which can be relied upon. The new Link Density mode doubles the possibilities. 5 channels in 1 MHz bandwidth offer lots of leeway. Not theoretically, on paper, but in real life on the stage. Where there is sweat, moving about, and in the most demanding of HF scenarios. The Digital 6000 system delivers an audibly better sound quality and wider dynamic range even in the most challenging RF scenarios, working with our proprietary Sennheiser Digital Audio Codec (SeDAC) ensures the highest quality sound whatever the environment.
Sennheiser has developed its patented 3D Audio technology known as AMBEO. It is born from the desire to deliver the ultimate sound experience, selectively including the most advanced 3D audio technology/surround sound into new products, tools and features. Some of the products that we have introduced under AMBEO are the Soundbar, the VR Mic and Smart Headset.
What are the big areas of opportunity for Sennheiser going forward?
Pro-audio industry is going through rough times, just like any other industry. However, by constantly keeping an eye on customers’ needs, one can continue to strengthen the foundation of trust and present itself as an agile, flexible, and ready to help and guide them during this period.
As per a report, the global wireless microphone market is expected to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period 2020-2025. These microphones are easy to use since they are portable, and a versatile way to record or broadcast sounds.
During this lockdown, technology has become the biggest enabler in helping both communities and business to sustain and navigate through this global crisis. Audio solutions now have become an integral part – whether working from home or organizing virtual concerts. There is a growing need of extraordinary technology to bounce back stronger than before. Sennheiser, being at the forefront of shaping the future of audio sees this as strength and an opportunity to provide enhanced solutions to customers.
Having spent several weeks working from home during lockdown, employers are busy developing plans for returning to work – while still observing hygiene rules and social distancing – with the aim of gradually increasing the number of people present at their workplaces. In fact, many manufacturers are finding that employees are becoming more and more keen to return to their deserted offices as time goes by. Touch free conferencing solutions such as TeamConnect Ceiling 2 provides a safe environment and is proving to be a great tool for the same.
Where or how do you see the market for wireless microphones and headphones in India in the next five years?
The wireless industry is growing due to the rapid technological advancement and the increasing need for convenience such as portability and remote accessibility among consumers. Wireless headphones have also become a necessity for many due to the exclusion of headphone jacks from modern devices. Additionally, the rise of smart assistants and in-ear biometrics and companies have further pushed the growth of the headphones.
As per a report, the global wireless microphone market is expected to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period 2020-2025. These microphones are easy to use since they are portable, and a versatile way to record or broadcast sounds. Without a cable connecting the microphone to a camera, recorder, or speaker, an artist can act unhampered.
What is the greatest challenge that you face in the Indian market?
Currently, the pandemic has had an enormous impact on almost everything including all brands and businesses. The pro-audio industry has been facing a few challenges just like any other industry. However, there is an opportunity to learn with every crisis. We are closely assessing the situation as some Pro Audio Business segments like Live Performance are expected to impact significantly. Other segments like Broadcast, OTT, Home Recording Studio, Government, Virtual Meetings are expected to gain momentum.
Sennheiser has been focusing on the future of audio for the past 75 years now. The Indian market is constantly evolving along with the other markets in the world. Moreover, we have a strong consumer base in India for the Pro Audio segment. We have been very successful in the market as customers across the board here are well informed and are quality conscious. They expect top class post sales services. Moreover, they are ready to pay the price for premium products.
Your vision for Sennheiser India, for the next year or two?
At Sennheiser, the customer is at the center of everything. We create audio products our consumers can rely on- whether on stage, when listening to music and during conferences or meetings. By designing sound that people can not only hear but also feel, we go beyond product reliability to fulfill our vision: Shaping the future of audio and creating unique sound experiences and solutions for our customers.