BRAND PROFILE 2TWENTY2 Parker explains that it is much more the
audio savvy retailers that get into the products 2twenty2 sells, essentially those that have a passion for the techie side of things in the first place, but that doesn’t mean his network is exclusively on that side of the business.
GETTING ONLINE IN LINE There is one aspect, however, that is vital. “Our dealers tend to have really good websites – in fact, I’d be amazed if a dealer came to me without having a good website in place. This area of the market is so fast moving, you have to be there, online and up-to-date. Native Instruments is now so web driven, they don’t do any trade shows anymore – everything is online, from announcements to video demos and some of these, like the Alicia Keys instrument clip, get millions of hits.” On the subject of websites, then, isn’t it tricky
selling software, with so many cracked and pirated copies of products so easily available? “I think you’ll find the market has changed quite a bit now,” says Parker. “The days of launching a single soft synth for £200 have gone – that doesn’t work anymore. Products are better priced and often bundled together and now there are an increasing amount of hardware products that integrate closely with the software, so you can’t crack it.” On the software side, 2twenty2 functions in a similar way to a sheet music supplier. It recommends products, pretty much on a ‘trust me on this one’ basis. Those that follow the company’s advice tend to do pretty well. “We keep it simple,” explains Parker. “With NI we ask our core dealers to stock ten products, Arturia four or five and Celemony three for example – a dealer can’t stock everything. “Pricing is simple, too. There is a price for a single unit and another for over five. Dealers can expect to make about 25 points on our products. I know some might be disappointed with that, but things are not what they were and we have to be realistic. As far as this sector is concerned, the days of 40 points or more just aren’t possible anymore.” Anyone with even the most perfunctory eye on the hi tech business will be aware that no sooner is a product establishing itself on the market, the first upgrade comes along. 2twenty2 has systems in place to deal with this, too. “Our policy here has been very successful,” he points out. “If an upgrade comes along that makes the existing product obsolete, we ask the
Traktor is central to the move of DJ dealers (and DJs) towards MI
Three of a perfect pair: (left to right) Greg Prendergast, Cedric Coudyser and Stephen Parker
dealer to destroy their copy and we issue a credit note. “In certain cases we will ‘blow out’ an old
product and ask dealers to sell it off cheaply and we’ll credit them the difference, but generally our dealers turn over really well. If you came along with a three-year-old product, asking for credit, we wouldn’t be able to help, but our regular customers will get as much help from us as possible.” A lot of this is made redundant, however, because of the increasing amount of hardware being made by the likes of NI (with the Traktor Kontrol S4), Arturia (The Player) and the EKS Otus Raw. These products also point towards another trend on this side of the music fence: the movement of DJ retailers towards MI. “Hardware makes the software safe and it makes it a lot easier for the end user, too. It’s like the old days when a musician would buy a single, universal synth, now they have a keyboard or a controller and a computer – everything is very compact again. “It’s interesting to see the amount of DJ dealers (and DJs) that are getting into this side of things. There’s a lot of good growth going on here.” As for the future,
2twenty2 is somewhat in the hands of its suppliers. 22 miPRO DECEMBER 2010
By the very nature of the products, things
can change at the drop of a hat. With there just being three full-time partners (freelancers are contracted for shows and events) the supplier is able to turn on a sixpence depending on what the manufacturers come up with. “It also means we can keep our ears to the
ground in case something new comes along,” concludes Parker. “We will probably have a new line around the NAMM Show and another in the spring or summer, but we will have only
“
No-one is taking any punts at the moment –
and that includes us Stephen Parker 2twenty2
taken these on because they are good products. Things have gone so well, we don’t need to add anything else. We can take our time and make sure we are looking at something that genuinely adds to our portfolio. “At a time like this, when things are difficult, everybody is very careful about brands – and it is the quality ones that shine through. No-one is taking any punts at the moment and that includes us.” 2TWENTY2: 0845 299 4222
WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
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