Bose sees the company as a way to reach a wider audience.
Bose has acquired Skullcandy and is adopting the headphone and speaker company as a separate brand within its consumer audio business. Bose did not say how much it paid for the company in a press release announcing the acquisition, but a collaborative relationship between the two audio rivals has existed for several years. Skullcandy has launched several audio products with “Sound by Bose”, including its recent Skullcandy Crusher 1080 headphones.
Following this acquisition, Skullcandy will continue to operate in Park City, Utah, where it was founded. The company will also benefit from greater access to Bose’s technology and resources, which Bose says should allow it to continue to grow and expand. For Bose, the acquisition is really about Skullcandy’s audience. The more lifestyle-focused audio company has made inroads into the worlds of sports, gaming, music and fitness, which could allow Bose to “meaningly connect with consumers where it has less of a presence today.”
“For more than 60 years, Bose has been committed to delivering incredible audio experiences, however and wherever people choose to listen. As we strive to reach even more people, we are expanding how we do it, not only through Bose products, but also through technology partnerships and a growing portfolio of brands,” said Lila Snyder, CEO of Bose.
Bose is well known as providing a certain caliber of high-end audio experience – particularly if you care about active noise cancellation – but it’s not hip, trendy or cool. In this way, Skullcandy could be Bose’s Apple Beat, reaching a younger and more diverse audience, while benefiting from the technological developments of Bose’s more expensive headphones.
Gn tech
