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| John with Angstrom Executive Staff |
| John and his wife Sharlin |
Interview with Audiogon
Audiogon, an Industry Leader in High-End Audio marketing, recently conducted an Interview with owner, John
Craig, of Craig Acoustics:
Tell us a little about Craig Acoustics.
Craig Acoustics, Inc. was established in 2002. We import and distribute two high-performance specialty product
lines: Angstrom Loudspeakers from Canada, and Thule Audio from Denmark.
In the past, your business focused on A/V furniture sales. How did you come to the decision to begin
marketing loudspeakers and electronics?
My experience in the A/V Industry dates back to 1988, when I co-founded Studiotech, a well-regarded manufacturer
of audio video furniture. After 15 years marketing A/V Furniture, I decided to take advantage of opportunities to
market other product lines that I found more interesting and exciting. I wanted to market products that are
important to the success of the dealers and are enthusiastically embraced by consumers. Furniture sales are
incremental by comparison to equipment and for most dealers, represent less than 3% of total sales. I knew that
components and loudspeakers were of greater importance to the dealers and consumers, and this is exciting for
me.
You have chosen to use your own name for your Company’s identity. How did you make that decision and how
does this demonstrate your personal commitment to the way you want to conduct business?
I thought long and hard about a company name. I wanted the company to relate to me personally, rather than use
some unrelated, hard-to-remember name. I knew it would be easy for the dealers I had worked with over the
years to remember, and to relate it to me. I had established quality relationships with many people and thought
they would easily associate the name “Craig” with the level of service I had provided. So it was a perfect fit: Craig =
quality and Acoustics = audio / sound production. That is the vision of Craig Acoustics: to provide unique, high
quality audio products and service to the audio community.
To persevere in any business, you have to have a tremendous amount of passion for what you do. At what
point did you get “turned on” to music and gear?
I was a teenager in the 1970’s, when music and technology merged into the first great era of home audio. Like
many teens in the 70’s, I was a music nut! We played our music often and we played it hard. My Dad bought a
stereo in 1968 that we pounded on every chance we had. We also went to every concert we could afford and often
went to stereo stores to audition the latest gear. While I was not a musician, I was involved in forming a rock band
that went on to tour the Eastern US for several years and fell just short of cutting an album and completing a
record deal. As a result of these experiences, I developed a great appreciation for music and the ability to
differentiate sound quality.
What is unique about your product lines, your service, or the way you do business?
Both Angstrom Loudspeakers and Thule Audio are relatively small, specialty manufacturers who are really in
touch with their own products. Both companies design, test and produce their products themselves. The owners
of each company are intimately involved in every product development. They are not sitting at a desk with a view,
wondering when the next container of off-shore designed, produced, and finished goods will reach their
warehouse. Both have avoided the pattern of off-shore production simply to reduce costs at the sacrifice of quality.
My vision for Craig Acoustics, is to mimic these philosophies by maintaining a personal touch in everything we do.
I have what I call “the moments of truth approach”, which addresses all the important impressions we form with
our dealers and consumers in everything we do. It enables us to look at our business through the eyes of our
customers and constantly adjust and improve what we do for them. This ideal forms our thinking and approach to
maximize our service and performance. We want our customers to have confidence with their purchase and to
feel they are conducting business with a company of high standards.
It’s refreshing to hear that your wife is also very involved in music. This has to make your business more
successful and a joy to be able to share in it together.
The most important person in my business is my wife, Sharlin. First of all, she is a musician, songwriter and
music teacher, with her own in-home recording studio. As such, she does not mind if I have plenty of gear around
and if the house is filled with speakers and amps! This works out quite well for me! We have plenty of musicians
and songwriters around too, so I give them good demos whenever I can.
Most importantly, Sharlin offers me incredible support. She understands the business, is always available to help
out, and she enables me to pursue my dreams despite the time, risks and challenges of it all. She is very
encouraging and supportive. As they say; “behind every good man is a great woman”. It is definitely true in my
case.
What challenges do you see for the audio industry? And how do you address those challenges for the future
of Craig Acoustics?
The audio industry is tougher than ever. With all the convenient audio products available today, combined with
endless entertainment opportunities for the public, it is challenging to expand the number of audiophiles…
people who understand and appreciate quality audio enough to sit down and listen to music as a hobby. The only
thing that can change this is education. To some extent it is up to us, the audio enthusiasts, to show our friends
what this is all about. What better place than the home of a close friend to hear, learn, and get enthusiastic about
audio? With the shrinking number of high-end stores, how else can one become exposed?
The other challenge is the cost of a great audio system. Our products offer the audio enthusiast the opportunity to
have a very high quality audio system without breaking the bank. Our goal is to make high-end performance
affordable to more enthusiasts, which we hope will expand the consumer base. But ultimately, education by
dealers, audio enthusiasts, and the trade are necessary to bring new enthusiasts to the market.
How does your company employ the internet?
We launched our website this year. Previously we directed dealers and consumers to the manufacturer’s
respective sites. But I wanted to have our own identity and be able to manage what we provide with more control.
For example, not all Thule Audio products are imported and stocked in the US. This would often lead to confusion,
disappointment and even uncertainty on the part of dealers and consumers. With our site, people can easily see
who we are and what products we stock. As far as sales are concerned, the site gives us a vehicle to present and
even sell products in the event we do not have a dealer in a specified market. With the shrinking number of
dealers available, the website becomes more important to gain exposure and generate sales.
How have you used Audiogon in the past and what are your hopes in implementing a partnership with
Audiogon now?
We have, on occasion, sold samples and used products on Audiogon in the past. Our goal with the current
Audiogon program is to increase Angstrom and Thule brand awareness to both dealers and consumers, and
hopefully bring the two together. More consumer inquiries will help to develop and support more dealers and visa
versa. Our marketing programs otherwise tend to be through traditional dealer channels. Some of the entry level
and custom products from Angstrom are sold through specialty distributors as well.
On a personal note: If we should find ourselves traveling in your area, what should we be sure to see or
experience there? What do you do when not spending time with your business?
We live in Orange County, CA where there is so much to do, it is hard to begin. I think Laguna Beach is the best
place to visit. There are great restaurants, lot’s of live music, great scenery and coastal charm.
My wife is involved in several songwriting organizations, which have “Guitar Pulls” or “House-Concerts” that we
attend. The last two years we have been home bodies. My wife is pregnant so we are planning for the new arrival
in early January (sorry CES!).
I like to play tennis, so this is a great part of the country to play all year. I typically play 2-3 times a week. As a
matter of fact, my love of music and my love for tennis actually merged one day back in 1988. I was a tennis pro
under contract with a local resort at the time. One Friday afternoon I got a call that we had clients asking for
lessons. When I got to the courts, I was faced with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, standing in cut-off
jeans and T-shirts! They said they were bored and thought they’d take in a little tennis for a couple hours. I made
out pretty well - 4 tickets and back-stage passes, along with a substantial tip! All in all, a good day!
Craig, of Craig Acoustics:
Tell us a little about Craig Acoustics.
Craig Acoustics, Inc. was established in 2002. We import and distribute two high-performance specialty product
lines: Angstrom Loudspeakers from Canada, and Thule Audio from Denmark.
In the past, your business focused on A/V furniture sales. How did you come to the decision to begin
marketing loudspeakers and electronics?
My experience in the A/V Industry dates back to 1988, when I co-founded Studiotech, a well-regarded manufacturer
of audio video furniture. After 15 years marketing A/V Furniture, I decided to take advantage of opportunities to
market other product lines that I found more interesting and exciting. I wanted to market products that are
important to the success of the dealers and are enthusiastically embraced by consumers. Furniture sales are
incremental by comparison to equipment and for most dealers, represent less than 3% of total sales. I knew that
components and loudspeakers were of greater importance to the dealers and consumers, and this is exciting for
me.
You have chosen to use your own name for your Company’s identity. How did you make that decision and how
does this demonstrate your personal commitment to the way you want to conduct business?
I thought long and hard about a company name. I wanted the company to relate to me personally, rather than use
some unrelated, hard-to-remember name. I knew it would be easy for the dealers I had worked with over the
years to remember, and to relate it to me. I had established quality relationships with many people and thought
they would easily associate the name “Craig” with the level of service I had provided. So it was a perfect fit: Craig =
quality and Acoustics = audio / sound production. That is the vision of Craig Acoustics: to provide unique, high
quality audio products and service to the audio community.
To persevere in any business, you have to have a tremendous amount of passion for what you do. At what
point did you get “turned on” to music and gear?
I was a teenager in the 1970’s, when music and technology merged into the first great era of home audio. Like
many teens in the 70’s, I was a music nut! We played our music often and we played it hard. My Dad bought a
stereo in 1968 that we pounded on every chance we had. We also went to every concert we could afford and often
went to stereo stores to audition the latest gear. While I was not a musician, I was involved in forming a rock band
that went on to tour the Eastern US for several years and fell just short of cutting an album and completing a
record deal. As a result of these experiences, I developed a great appreciation for music and the ability to
differentiate sound quality.
What is unique about your product lines, your service, or the way you do business?
Both Angstrom Loudspeakers and Thule Audio are relatively small, specialty manufacturers who are really in
touch with their own products. Both companies design, test and produce their products themselves. The owners
of each company are intimately involved in every product development. They are not sitting at a desk with a view,
wondering when the next container of off-shore designed, produced, and finished goods will reach their
warehouse. Both have avoided the pattern of off-shore production simply to reduce costs at the sacrifice of quality.
My vision for Craig Acoustics, is to mimic these philosophies by maintaining a personal touch in everything we do.
I have what I call “the moments of truth approach”, which addresses all the important impressions we form with
our dealers and consumers in everything we do. It enables us to look at our business through the eyes of our
customers and constantly adjust and improve what we do for them. This ideal forms our thinking and approach to
maximize our service and performance. We want our customers to have confidence with their purchase and to
feel they are conducting business with a company of high standards.
It’s refreshing to hear that your wife is also very involved in music. This has to make your business more
successful and a joy to be able to share in it together.
The most important person in my business is my wife, Sharlin. First of all, she is a musician, songwriter and
music teacher, with her own in-home recording studio. As such, she does not mind if I have plenty of gear around
and if the house is filled with speakers and amps! This works out quite well for me! We have plenty of musicians
and songwriters around too, so I give them good demos whenever I can.
Most importantly, Sharlin offers me incredible support. She understands the business, is always available to help
out, and she enables me to pursue my dreams despite the time, risks and challenges of it all. She is very
encouraging and supportive. As they say; “behind every good man is a great woman”. It is definitely true in my
case.
What challenges do you see for the audio industry? And how do you address those challenges for the future
of Craig Acoustics?
The audio industry is tougher than ever. With all the convenient audio products available today, combined with
endless entertainment opportunities for the public, it is challenging to expand the number of audiophiles…
people who understand and appreciate quality audio enough to sit down and listen to music as a hobby. The only
thing that can change this is education. To some extent it is up to us, the audio enthusiasts, to show our friends
what this is all about. What better place than the home of a close friend to hear, learn, and get enthusiastic about
audio? With the shrinking number of high-end stores, how else can one become exposed?
The other challenge is the cost of a great audio system. Our products offer the audio enthusiast the opportunity to
have a very high quality audio system without breaking the bank. Our goal is to make high-end performance
affordable to more enthusiasts, which we hope will expand the consumer base. But ultimately, education by
dealers, audio enthusiasts, and the trade are necessary to bring new enthusiasts to the market.
How does your company employ the internet?
We launched our website this year. Previously we directed dealers and consumers to the manufacturer’s
respective sites. But I wanted to have our own identity and be able to manage what we provide with more control.
For example, not all Thule Audio products are imported and stocked in the US. This would often lead to confusion,
disappointment and even uncertainty on the part of dealers and consumers. With our site, people can easily see
who we are and what products we stock. As far as sales are concerned, the site gives us a vehicle to present and
even sell products in the event we do not have a dealer in a specified market. With the shrinking number of
dealers available, the website becomes more important to gain exposure and generate sales.
How have you used Audiogon in the past and what are your hopes in implementing a partnership with
Audiogon now?
We have, on occasion, sold samples and used products on Audiogon in the past. Our goal with the current
Audiogon program is to increase Angstrom and Thule brand awareness to both dealers and consumers, and
hopefully bring the two together. More consumer inquiries will help to develop and support more dealers and visa
versa. Our marketing programs otherwise tend to be through traditional dealer channels. Some of the entry level
and custom products from Angstrom are sold through specialty distributors as well.
On a personal note: If we should find ourselves traveling in your area, what should we be sure to see or
experience there? What do you do when not spending time with your business?
We live in Orange County, CA where there is so much to do, it is hard to begin. I think Laguna Beach is the best
place to visit. There are great restaurants, lot’s of live music, great scenery and coastal charm.
My wife is involved in several songwriting organizations, which have “Guitar Pulls” or “House-Concerts” that we
attend. The last two years we have been home bodies. My wife is pregnant so we are planning for the new arrival
in early January (sorry CES!).
I like to play tennis, so this is a great part of the country to play all year. I typically play 2-3 times a week. As a
matter of fact, my love of music and my love for tennis actually merged one day back in 1988. I was a tennis pro
under contract with a local resort at the time. One Friday afternoon I got a call that we had clients asking for
lessons. When I got to the courts, I was faced with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, standing in cut-off
jeans and T-shirts! They said they were bored and thought they’d take in a little tennis for a couple hours. I made
out pretty well - 4 tickets and back-stage passes, along with a substantial tip! All in all, a good day!
Sales & Marketing of High Quality Audio Products
