CAMBRIDGE AUDIO: STUART GEORGE THE ERT INTERVIEW
31 May 2023
ertonline.co.uk
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That’s represented by the corner-to-corner wall of album covers, each one selected by Cambridge Audio staff as their
favourite
musical moments. There’s such a huge variety and that
really sums up the company. We celebrate and support all kinds of music. From Cambridge’s point of
the Crickets! And I’ve always loved the Sex Pistols; it’s funny because I was too young to be a punk in the mid-70s yet their music really motivated me and I found it really energising!
view, our
purpose is to help make life sound better and we’re trying to bring joy into people’s lives. The opportunity to have music in our lives is continuous and we can soundtrack our whole day if we choose to. And I think especially over the last few years people have sought solace in music and it was a real force for good during the pandemic. We recognise that and help people to re-establish their love for their favourite tracks or artists.
The power of music is often very
underestimated and I think people could certainly benefit from having the opportunity to listen more at home. It’s something I’m trying with my family – we have one evening a week where we just sit and listen to music. No TVs, no phones, and it’s actually so refreshing.
Q: What are your personal music moments from over the years? SG: I have so many favourite moments, I could go on for hours! There’s Gil Scott-Heron, who is a great source of inspiration for me to journey further into music. An album cover that I’m particularly fond of is Dave Brubeck ‘Take Five’ – which was something that my Dad used to play and I get very sentimental about it. It’s the same with The Beatles – we only had two eight-tracks in my dad’s car when I was a youngster and we travelled up and down the country for holidays; all we had to listen to was either The Beatles or Buddy Holly and
Q: We know that sustainability is another big driving force behind the brand, and Cambridge signed up as a founding donor of EarthPercent, the environmental charity. Tell us more about that. SG: We are very proud to be the first audio brand to join with EarthPercent, alongside artists like Coldplay and Billie Eilish, and we’re championing their work and encouraging others in our industry to support as well. It’s a music industry charity, co-founded by artist and producer, Brian Eno, which directs meaningful support to those at the forefront of climate action while reducing our impact on the planet, as an industry and as a society. At Cambridge, it’s within our values to do the right thing. We have, for a long time, tried to be as considerate as possible. Packaging, for example, needs to be recyclable and we only use plant-based inks and coatings for the printing. From a product perspective, the wooden side panels on the EVO range, for example, come from sustainable sources or they’re made from a recycled material called Richlite. Small changes like this contribute to an overall much bigger impact. And we’re very proud of our products lasting for many years. The concept of cradle-to-cradle product
is really important to us and it’s something that we’re very much endeavouring to reach. Unfortunately I think in this industry there are moves towards consumerism and disposability, and I guess that’s what is driving people to want change.
It can seem like a really overwhelming topic both for individuals and for businesses, but big changes don’t happen overnight. EarthPercent is a statement that we have to live up to, and we want to, because it will drive us forward.
Q: What are your goals for the next three to five years? What kind of direction would you like to take the company in? SG: We’re working really hard to try and double the size of the business; we’ve grown significantly since I became CEO in 2015 but we want to continue, not just for the sake of growth, but to create a stronger brand and to try and outperform our competitors. Cambridge Audio is the oldest independent British audio brand and our long-term ambition – which I talk about all the time – is to not only uphold that legacy but to also be the best loved and most talked about British audio brand. That’s about being progressive and I think historically everything that we did was all about the product, and while that is still the case in some respects, we are also trying to reach more consumers and teach them about our brand and explain how and why we are different. That is so important to us and we want that to be important to our customers too. Looking forward, our aim, quite simply, is to keep trying to delight people with great- sounding audio products.
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