Zhang Wendong created the ramblers, in China sound field is a legendary brand. At the end of the last century, there were more than 200 brands in China's audio field, but now no more than ten are stuck. The rover business for 18 years, growth in the market to become the first big amidst the winds of change, sound brand, products are exported to more than 80 countries and regions around the world. All this, just from the teacher positions on entrepreneurship when Zhang Wendong did not think of. Look back at the walker's business history, it can be said that the market saunterer in every important node on the go. And all this, can not do without Zhang Wendong's consistent focus on products.
Situation makes heroes
In 1994, Zhang Wendong was a young teacher at the Department of automotive engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology. One day, brother Zhang Wensheng called and said he wanted to find a job. Zhang Wendong asked him what he wanted to do, and his brother wanted to be a businessman. This answer to Zhang Wendong excited, he has long wanted to make his own laboratory things into the people's home products, do not want to do theoretical research for a lifetime. He said to his brother, "come on, I have a loudspeaker here. I should have some articles to do. "
This wooden sound box is DIY by Zhang Wendong and student Xiao Min. At that time, sound was one of the rare things that could bring enjoyment to people. But at that time, good audio was very expensive, cheap audio quality was too bad, Zhang Wendong, they just came to think of homemade speakers. "After a good audition, the effect is really good. Zhang Wendong was proud of it.
After his brother came to Beijing, two people DIY almost 100 speakers. Zhang Wensheng rode a bicycle every day to 20 kilometers away from Beijing Wangfujing department store to sell. A trip can only bring three sets of speakers, but he can endure hardship, energetic. Sound box price 480 yuan set, at that time really calculate cheap and fine, very quickly sold out. Looks a little business, Zhang Wendong put a phone just graduated from Fujian back home Xiao Min back, three people to the Old Summer Palace side rented a small cottage, officially started. In 1996, the company registered edifier.
Soon, all the IT vendors did not think of things quietly coming. The domestic IT market began showing a growth spurt, computer stores installed people waiting in a queue, a small multimedia speaker has developed. After a period of market training, almost all people in the purchase of speakers recognize that: Wooden speakers have a good voice. Always studying wood box ramblers, began to enter the consumer's eye.
Zhang Wendong himself didn't expect the company to develop so fast. "We've caught the golden opportunity. My friend joked that the saunterer multimedia speakers, the fish from fish to eat fish. "At the end of 1998, sales of the Rambler market is already the first, since the establishment of the big boss's position in the domestic market. Logitech global well-known computer peripherals manufacturer, also choose to do OEM saunterer.
In 1999, saunterer in China to launch a full 2.1 and 4.1 wooden products, this type of product then rise quickly, become the standard configuration for DIY users. Saunterer overseas market by leaps and bounds, in Canada, established the first overseas branch. The next year, Zhang Wendong made an important decision - southward expansion. The decision came from an expedition in Guangdong. He found that the talent and raw material advantages in the South were not comparable to those in the north. He did, the monthly rent of 11 buildings, in 2001 set up the Shenzhen ramblers Technology Co. ltd.. North and South also started the ramblers, to further consolidate the advantage.
Create your own design language
The United States on November 11th, CES (CES) official in New York released the 2015 annual product innovation design award list, the rover's new TV audio Luna Eclipse Apollo (Yue Shen) became the. CES official gave a high evaluation to the moon, called it "the elegant design and excellent quality with" from the traditional square box in the very prospective design talent shows itself, and wireless technology, easy to use.
In many companies of industrial design has already invested heavily not to regard it as right, saunterer; in the opponent just realized the power of industrial design, the rover has to harvest the fruits of.
In 2008, e3350 and Ramble both ramblers took home the CES exhibition innovation and engineering design award. Subsequently, the German CeBIT exhibition, S2.1MK II and Ramble once again won the prestigious iF Design Award in the field of industrial design. In 2009, E20 and M3 Plus won the highest award in the field of industrial design, the German red dot design award. Subsequently, E20 once again won the Japanese Good Design Award excellent design award. In 2011, saunterer micro audio products M16 ranked 2011 CES innovation design and Engineering Award, the red dot design award, iF Design Award three international authoritative design award. Continuous off the top award in the field of industrial design, makes the "Edifier" brand reputation in Europe and the United States, and even foreign agents for the saunterer agency.
Zhang Wendong said: "the final criteria for a company's success is not to see whether its low-end products are good or not, but to look at the quality of high-end products. Only a high-end image of a company, its low-end products will sell better. That's why the business titans are rushing to launch all kinds of avant garde conceptual designs, and they want to show the public the limits of technology and design. "Therefore, saunterer specially designed around the world to the exhibition of products, looks more like a fashionable art.
However, the rover had paid no attention to the appearance of the product design, and even foreign brands with a little change in their product experience. Is a paper petition a U.S. brand of stimulated Zhang Wendong, he realized that the rover must have their own design, otherwise consumers will never see it.
In the introduction of friends, the internationally renowned industrial designer Xie Xiaoguang, willing to design a group of new sound appearance works transfer. As early as the 90s of last century, Xie Xiaoguang devoted himself to the design of sound box. More than ten years of precipitation, in exchange for the profound understanding of the design of speakers, as well as the unique style of the speaker aesthetic. Zhang Wendong was overjoyed when he saw the design.
Xie Xiaoguang's design quickly became a product and became a hot commodity. Zhang Wendong felt the power and value of design, so he often asked Xie Xiaoguang to buy design. In 2004, Xie Xiaoguang became the chief designer of the rover. Let saunterer copy from his accession to innovation, the international stage debut with a new attitude.
Change yourself before the market changes
Around 2008 is an important turning point for the domestic audio industry. On the one hand, DIY market is gradually shrinking, so many rely on the traditional market cuanji audio manufacturers decline; on the other hand, the risk of the financial crisis in 2008 caused a lot of foreign manufacturers have a greater dependence on the OEM collapse. It caused the audio industry is facing tremendous pressure to survive, the enterprise has to make two choices: one is closed, according to industry estimates, this period of domestic nearly 6 civilian audio brand out of the market; the other one is hard to find a market breakthrough, mergers and acquisitions, enter, integration a new phase of adjustment. The nightmare of declining industries also bothers Logitech, the international giants such as innovation. In 2009, the global multimedia audio boss Logitech laid down 15%, revenue also declined significantly. Ranked second innovation, revenue is sharply reduced by more than 50%.
In the overall industry difficult, but maintain a cruiser development trend is relatively stable, even as growth. In 2009, saunterer net profit reached 109 million yuan, an increase of 55.65%.
Originally, Zhang Wendong early in 2006 came to the attention of the changing market situation, the market began to enter the headset and car audio market, but at the time the proportion is very small, accounting for only 1.2% of sales, to a large extent with the low popularity of digital devices that have a great relationship. With the external market environment changes, timely saunterer to expand the product line, from the original focus on PC has gradually expanded into a portable digital audio, car audio, headset market and high-end professional audio products, injected fresh vitality into the development of the brand.
2 2010 5, the rover successfully landed on the A stock market, becoming the first company in the A shares listed on the independent brand of multimedia audio enterprises. At the same time, Zhang Wendong invested heavily in the construction of Songshan Lake production center in Dongguan. Formed a complete set of loudspeaker production, mold processing, injection molding, coating, screen printing, complete box body processing, circuit board production, assembly production, product safety testing, reliability testing, independent production system, with advanced manufacturing industry, quality control system and the scale of production capacity. At the same time, the Songshan Lake production center also carries the saunterer product technology research and development mission, equipped with R & D, industry leading testing equipment. Here, the rover built a large anechoic chamber, also established a professional electromagnetic shielding chamber and product safety testing laboratory, equipped with professional LMS, MALISA, CLIO and other testing system, and the advanced German KLIPPEL speaker analysis on-line test equipment NTI system, etc., can be tested on the loudspeaker unit and sound system.
Songshan Lake, the completion of the production base, can let the rover to further enrich and improve the product line, for the future development of solid foundation.
Building brand system
In the expansion of product lines at the same time, the rover launched positioning game and electronic entertainment "Xemal" brand, Wallace located in the professional Hi-Fi sound "Air-Pulse" brand, positioning in the high-end wireless portable audio "magic" brand positioning in the brick, and a new generation of TV sound "magic number" brand. Zhang Wendong said: "the narrower the brand, the more advantages.". So, we have to use the right brand to do the right thing, brand and product match, can not rely on a brand dominate. "
Zhang Wendong believes that headphones and car audio business still has great potential. With the increasing replacement of desktop computers with mobile phones and tablet PCs, the headset market is bound to have a big development. The 2012 rover will world-renowned top brands STAX headset into the arm, entered the high-end headset market. But he also said that Edifier's main headset is below 1000 yuan, more than 300 yuan of products, and until STAX high-end electrostatic headphones are blank, the company will also look for opportunities to acquire internationally renowned brands to fill this space.
Car audio is also a huge market, the world's top several audio brands, such as BOSE, JBL, without exception, have car audio business, and accounted for more than 1/3 of the main business. In order to reduce the price of the whole car, the economical car must compress the cost of sound, that is, using the low power mainframe and cheap low quality loudspeaker. The traditional methods of car audio transformation are complex, violent, time-consuming and expensive. The rover developed a new car audio conversion mode, directly with high performance and a horn like the original horn size to replace, do not need to punch, change the line, almost no damage to the car. About 1 hours of reloading and debugging, the cost of one thousand or two thousand yuan, you can achieve sound quality, sound effects than the original car audio has significantly improved. Saunterer this way named "lossless" facelift.
This year the saunterer pushing "a new generation of TV audio products" "magic number", aimed at smart TV market, and emphasizes the collocation and modern style Home Furnishing ultra-thin TV, with excellent acoustics structure, unique shape and wireless Bluetooth connection, to enhance the TV sound effects. At the same time, you can also connect mobile phones, tablet computers, etc., into a home music center. In early May this year released the first domestic product e225, obtained great concern to the market.
Zhang Wendong said, in CES 2015 we will see the saunterer transformation, the concept of multimedia will further. Sound may be no longer just sound, it's a combination of other things, like lighting. Audio products can also beautify and adorn people's lives, and put it there is a work of art. At the same time, to give users a saunterer not only nice, good-looking, but also good products, ease of use will further increase.
Win customers with respect
In the company, Zhang Wendong is the head of the product, and he's always demanding more than everyone else. Sometimes, to develop a new product, everyone has worked hard for a long time, the mold is opened, but Zhang Wendong decisively shot. Sometimes, he explains, the market has changed, and the idea of the product is out of date. If hard listing, the loss will be much more than waste a few sets of mold.
At the same time, the product was made, and everyone felt good, but Zhang Wendong wasn't satisfied. Saunterer in October just listed M19 portable speakers, after engineers set operation logic with Zhang Wendong report: "OK, which has some function. "After Zhang Wendong tried it, he wasn't satisfied," he said. "If I'm an older man, I'm completely out of this product. The operating interface will switch to another state without any operation, but the old people's response is not so fast. Zhang Wendong reset the operation logic, make the use of M19 more convenient, more in line with the habits of the elderly.
"First of all, to understand customers, and to play their own customers, more often I replace the role, from the consumer's point of view to think about young people, families and children or older people want what. "The full respect for consumers, also let saunterer won the overseas consumers. Saunterer started as early as 1997 to overseas sales, how to adapt to different consumer habits, Zhang Wendong has deep experience.
The longer the time to do overseas market, the more it is found that the importance of respect for local culture and comply with the rules of competition, it is difficult to understand the Chinese managers who generally enter the overseas market. "Zhang Wendong said. For example, Southeast Asia humidity, high temperature, the user also generally likes to open the volume to the maximum, the sound is easy to damage. Saunterer for the Southeast Asian market for the product of special design, successfully solved the problem of product is easy to damage.
And in the India market, the voltage is very unstable, leading to audio products prone to circuit failure. Saunterer after a field investigation found the problem, for the India market development of the products will expand the range of voltage to the range of plus or minus 20%, far beyond the normal standards of production. After this change, saunterer products in India soon won a good reputation.
A sense of awe in business
Saunterer after the listing, the capital has been very abundant, but Zhang Wendong was very "stingy", all funds raised almost always in the purchase of financial products, which makes a lot of people do not understand. In this regard, Zhang Wendong said: "our funds are real money investors, I want to ensure that investment income can exceed the income of financial management, will invest.". Money can guarantee 5% benefits, a lot of business to do 5% of the net profit. "
Prudence is a very distinctive feature of Zhang Wendong's character. "I don't go bungee jumping, and I don't really like roller coasters, because I think it's about putting your life in someone else's hands, and you're in a completely out of control state. But I'm going to go kart, go kart, the centrifugal force, acceleration is better than roller coaster, but the steering wheel of kart is in my own hands. I want to control the risks to manageable levels. Even his light sport aircraft, equipped with a full parachute, can guarantee safety even when the plane is in its condition.
But perhaps it is this cautious, let a saunterer roll smoothly development has not encountered a big crisis. Zhang Wendong smiled and said: "someone is to take the stage singing opera, we take the stand, put things up again, the beginning of the investment is not too large, otherwise if the market is not good on the card in there. I think people have a fear of heart, especially in business, as long as what kind of profitable are daring, sooner or later will be a problem. "
Zhang Wendong believes that the listing for the benefits of not only funds edifier. Saunterer in overseas competitors are listed companies, in the past the strength of both sides obviously a big difference, after the listing is the capital of competition. The ability to buy STAX is also due to the strength of listed companies. When it comes to STAX, he adds, "buying STAX is a very good investment. At the moment, all the financial data and people are innovative, and they're looking for new plants to expand, and the orders are coming to the end of next year. How much of this investment we do, but there are few opportunities. "
Zhang Wendong did not want to blind expansion, but hope that the first saunterer stronger, on the basis of limited diversification. His ideal company should be like the United Technologies Company (UTC). "A lot of people do not know this company, but the company is very strong, such as OTIS elevator, Carrier air conditioning, Sikorsky helicopters, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engine etc.. The industry has a long span, but UTC can be one of the best in the industry, which is great. Edifier can not step into that company, but I hope to do one in several narrow fields. "
Zhang Wendong likes to have "technical content". This year, the Group invested a Edifier oilfield water treatment technology, is also very sophisticated technology. Physically, the level of waste water can be extracted from 1 drops of water in 1 liters of water. "At present, we have built a water treatment unit in Shengli Oilfield, which is equivalent to the production of a medium-sized oil well, so the investment can be recovered within two or three years. It's a good start, but we can't expect it to bring us huge profits in the short term. "
Live the life you want
Zhang Wendong loves sound and loves cars. "I have had a lot of car, the first car of his own real favorite car is a Subaru WRX, that's 218 horsepower is enough to make people excited. Later, the power was not enough, and bought 280 horsepower MITSUBISHI Evolution IX. The car I'm driving now is TOYOTA 86, which is more fuel-efficient. And and I both like Martha Lahti GT, that car is so beautiful. "
What Zhang Wendong likes best is kart. As a professional kart enthusiasts, Zhang Wendong found that kart racing and business management have many commonalities. For example, many companies talk about "turning overtaking", he said: "to do business is a rally, simply hope to overtake the road to win the game, it is impossible to succeed.". "
Zhang Wendong believes that the rise and fall of an enterprise is not decided by a person or a generation. Sound is a long-standing industry, as long as people have ears, it will need it, its performance will be varied. The rover will not stop, will always be based on changes in market demand, allow enterprises to maintain sustainable development.
"Don't worry too soon.". At this point, you should follow 'follow' tactics, wait for your opponent to make mistakes, and then look for opportunities. Saunterer growth today, of course we do something right, but the more we make fewer mistakes than the opponent. "
He also felt that he needed to concentrate on doing business like Kart Racing: "I think the founders have put their energies into the company and directly determine the future of the company.". Founders who don't fully invest in the company can at most become a good company, but they can't be an excellent company. "
In the development of enterprises at the same time, Zhang Wendong through the "Angel Fund" and "echo ramblers" ramblers musicians fund various charitable activities, so that more people benefit from the success of the cruiser. But he doesn't think he's doing charity: "I'm sharing, sharing is ingrained in my philosophy.". I think musician funds are especially meaningful. This is what Xiao Min and I personally set up to support children with musical talent. In fact, I don't ask them what they have to do in the future, just give them a chance to choose. I said to them, "you don't have the right to choose what kind of family you live in, but you should have the right to choose what kind of life you have." "
The son once said to Zhang Wendong, "Dad, I don't understand, can you do this to change society? Can it change all?" he said, "I can't change it, but like Schindler, he can't save all the Jews, but he can save one.". Not for profit but for small, not for small evil. "Now, my son has become his staunch supporter.
Love to do the cause, playing a favorite sport, and so many people share their happiness, middle-aged Zhang Wendong, life is full of envy.