Signify Rebranding Strategy Covering Strand, Vari-Lite, and Zero 88

[Ynot]

So - came across this article...

[Stuart91]

It's an interesting move. Probably sounded sensible when someone proposed it in a boardroom. 

TBH when I hear "Vari-Lite" I automatically think of moving/automated lighting. It'd be a bit like deciding to put the Sennheiser brand on mixers. 

 

[gareth]

I can tell you exactly when Strand Lighting died - 11th July 1996. They used to be industry leaders until that point.

[Ynot]

2 hours ago, gareth said:

They used to be industry leaders until that point.

Still not entirely sure what exactly happened to scupper that status...

Mis-management presumably, as that's a surefire way to kill a successful company

 

[ianknight]

13 hours ago, Stuart91 said:

It's an interesting move. Probably sounded sensible when someone proposed it in a boardroom. 

TBH when I hear "Vari-Lite" I automatically think of moving/automated lighting. It'd be a bit like deciding to put the Sennheiser brand on mixers. 

 

My thoughts exactly - the focus groups must have thought it a good idea but the 'traditional' buyer of Zero88/Strand/Selecon kit won't straight away think "We need a couple of new fresnels - I'll look at Vari-Lite" because Vari-Lite are what they see on big concert stages. If anything then uniting all the control and lanterns under a new name or perhaps even Strand Lighting rather than distinct brands might have been better for marketing.

Its also interesting that Strand Lighting LLC (the US company) has filed for bankruptcy - my understanding is that most of Strand technical support was still in the USA so how that leaves Neo & Strand 200 Plus(?) customers in the future - perhaps Keith Rogers will end up with more on his plate? 😛

 

[ianknight]

6 hours ago, Ynot said:

Still not entirely sure what exactly happened to scupper that status...

Mis-management presumably, as that's a surefire way to kill a successful company

 

Products were too pricey basically and the 'innovation of buying a desk with 125 channels and paying extra to unlock fixtures as they started to appear on-stage or more channels put a lot of folks off - especially in the face of ETC and Zero88 with the Frog range or Chamsys? The Strand Lantern range was awful - the SL was a nice lantern but it didn't age gracefully at all, the Quartet range was also miles behind what Selecon or CCT were offering in terns of price of performance (yeah - ironic eh?).

Strand became the IBM of theatre - if you could afford it, then you spec'd it (if the ETC folks didn't get to your project designer first) otherwise you bought Zero88 and CCT or Selecon & came in on a reasonable budget. It's a shame really because Genius Pro did the job really well - the per channel pricing model didn't work and the 300 series made a nice compact console but again it had per channel pricing 😞

[Oovis]

As a former Chief Electrician of the Strand Theatre in London I still get pangs when hearing about how Strand has melted into the void...

 

(I can't find my forum log-in details now so posting this way..)

[Junior8]

2 hours ago, ianknight said:

The Strand Lantern range was awful - the SL was a nice lantern but it didn't age gracefully at all, the Quartet range was also miles behind what Selecon or CCT were offering in terns of price of performance (yeah - ironic eh?).

If you want to feel really old it's worth recalling just how long ago CCT became a major player (it must be nearly fifty years now) but to be honest Strand within Rank was never going to end well. I wonder that the brand has any commercial value left now. 

[Robin D]

Lots of other brands lost their way under Rank. Leak, Wharfedale, Bell and Howell, Bush Radio come to mind as well as Strand. Sure there were others.

[Junior8]

Aldis for one 

[gareth]

14 hours ago, Ynot said:

Still not entirely sure what exactly happened to scupper that status...

I can tell you exactly what happened, in one word. Genlyte.

[themadhippy]

Quote

in one word. Genlyte.

I'd  say the decline began when strand was sold to vulture capitalist, Schroder Ventures.The sell off to genitals was just the final nail in the coffin

[Bryson]

36 minutes ago, themadhippy said:

I'd  say the decline began when strand was sold to vulture capitalist, Schroder Ventures.The sell off to genitals was just the final nail in the coffin

Autocorrect with the brutal takedown there.

 

 

[Ynot]

1 hour ago, Bryson said:

Autocorrect with the brutal takedown there.

I'm not entirely sure that that was autocorrect.....
😄 😄 😄 😄 😄

[willjam39]

In the community/amdram world the brand name Zero 88 has a lot of weight to it as a mark of solid value with many older consoles and dimmers still going. As said above, the idea of searching the same company that makes top flight movers for a reliable value desk isn't going to sit right.