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Turtle Beach’s European Business Development Manager Wayne Friday tells PCR what its presenting at Boot Camp and what’s next for the headset specialist.
Turtle Beach has signed up as a Gold Partner for PCR Boot Camp 2014. The expo and conference event, held at the Brewery in London on Wednesday May 21st, is free to attend for retailers and resellers – to secure your place register here today.
The full conference line-up has also been confirmed.
We questioned Turtle Beach’s Wayne Friday about their presence at this year’s event and what sets them apart.
PCR: In your opinion, what’s the most important thing for retailers and resellers to bear in mind when dealing with customers?
Wayne Friday: Giving a little more information or interaction goes a long way. Turtle Beach introduced the Retail Kiosk to give customers an experience of Turtle Beach in-store before they buy. We have found that this interaction with the consumers helps them make the purchasing decision there and then. Globally this single piece of in-store theatre has increased retail sales by over 45 per cent. We also have product videos and assets to enhance the online experience.
What do you see being the biggest challenge facing PC retailers at the moment?
Keeping things fresh and exciting. I think innovative companies such as ourselves who are offering technology 1-2 years before the competition keep things interesting and spark excitement in the consumer. Of course there is also the arrival of next-gen consoles but we are looking to ensure we have just as much choice in our PC range as we do for next-gen.
What are you key brands/lines you carry?
We are in a great position at the moment – we have the Microsoft license to create Xbox One headsets. Our Apple partnership is helping us make inroads into the media headset category and we are adding to our range of stellar licensing partners to sit along side the likes of Call Of Duty, Titanfall and Marvel. In fact we’ve recently announced a multi-year deal with Blizzard to create PC headsets in conjunction with Heroes Of The Storm and there are more huge announcements to come so it’s a very exciting time.
What distinguishes you from your competitors?
The fact we have been synthesizing audio for over 35 years. Many PCR readers will know of our Voyetra Turtle Beach range of soundcards. But today we make gaming and media headsets with features to suit every budget. We also try to be first to market with products – identify a need and produce something our consumers actually want. We don’t just make models for the sake of it.
What do you think will be the next big thing in tech?
Wearable/Sports tech and the connected home were definitely areas of focus at this year’s CES. But being multi-functional is also extremely important going forward. We now design our headsets to be functional and compatible with multiple devices. The i30 is a great example of this as it is compatible with a wide range of devices plus our high end headsets have Dual Band WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity so you can play games, listen to movies and take calls using your wireless headset.
If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change about the channel?
We would like everyone to experience Turtle Beach products as we are leading the competition in terms of technology firsts. If we could wave a wand, every PC and gaming retailer would have a Turtle Beach section in store, supported by our listening post kiosks to demonstrate our headsets.
What is your proudest moment as a company?
Probably getting to a market share of over 50 per cent in the UK and US. It has been an incredible journey that a number of retailers have also taken with us. Ultimately it’s proof that if you make quality products that give a great experience then the customer will stay loyal to the brand.
What gadget can’t you live without?
My i30 Media Headset. The whole Turtle Beach office wears them! Coupled with Sky Go and an iPad it has saved me from endless hours of CBeebies, X Factor and The Voice. Just click on Sky Go, turn on noise cancellation and you have all the immersion you’ll ever need.
What products and services will you be promoting at Boot Camp this year?
We will be showcasing our new look PC line up – the Z Series, these products have features that we are bringing to the PC market for the first time, allowing consumers to experience what makes Turtle Beach the leading headset manufacturer in the UK gaming market. We also are very proud of our new iSeries Media Headsets. These are packed with features such as built-in microphones, noise cancellation and Bluetooth connectivity. The design is striking too and unlike anything we’ve produced before.
Also we will be there in conjunction with our distribution partners Exertis Gem and Exertis Micro-P. We will be ensuring that our products are not only easy to order but are supported by way of point of sale, in-store kiosks and an online training portal to help educate store staff on the benefits of owning a Turtle Beach headset.
What are you most looking forward to at PCR Boot Camp?
We really enjoyed previous PCR Bootcamps where we’ve received some very valuable feedback. We have a great range of PC headsets this year in the Z22, Z300 and the amazing Z60 that features the latest DTS Headphone X Surround Sound technology. We are very excited to show everyone these headsets and see how we can work closer with them this year.
For more information on PCR Boot Camp, visit the official website here
