Pure Monstrosity re: Monster tm cables

What does Forbes know about speaker cable, interconnect or hi end marketing. I'm not a fan or detracter of the Noel Lee but it seems to me that about 17 years ago when I first heard about cable there wasn't much else out there. He may have paved the way for the better cables we use now.
The lawsuits are just stupid but we've developed a culture in which it is cheaper and more expedient to sue for money than it is to earn it!
I like my speaker cable better than zipcord and my interconnect better than patchcords, so thanks to whoever made them possible

There was also a very interesting article in Inc. Magazine about Monster cable. Noel Lee did do a great thing for this industry when he did bring the attention to cables. Prior to his entrance into the market, you bought a stereo system and they threw in the cables. They were 16 awg lamp cord and tin plated interconnects--what more did you need--the sound went through these right? Now the cable market is abundent with all types of companies. Those that put 15% of sales into R&D, those that put 15% of sales into training and incentives, those that put 15% of sales into their personal pockets as they sell snake oil. The later is the one that burns me. I personally like the ones that put the money into R&D, but fully understand the business philosophies (particularly when a company gets big) in spending money in sales training and incentives. In his case it appears to have worked. And keep in mind that while other manufacturers may spend higher % of sales on R&D, Monster may be spending significantly more $. Unlike sales training (where the % is usually what's required), it's the $ spent in R&D that lead to results.
As for the lawsuits--a high end cable company and a children's movie? I don't see the connection.

First, let me state that I have never owned any Monster Cable products. But, they have the right to market their product any way they want to. If this includes trips for salespeople, I'm sure the salespeople love it. I went on a similar trip provided to the top salesmen for Bang & Olufsen in the 80's. It was an effective sales tool and a nice vacation. Some may consider it distasteful, but sales is not a particularly tasteful field. I never sold anyone a product they didn't want, but took the time to show the B&O stuff to each customer. Many bought it. Many people are not really particular about which product they buy, as long as it sounds good to them, and fits their taste and budget. If Monster Cable gives them better sound than lamp wire and does not break the budget, they'll buy it. Now comes the good part. They have been made aware that cables make a difference. When they go to get new equipment, they will consider cables part of the purchase. Then they can choose a better cable from one of the better makers that we all would endorse. So Monster may be considered a "gateway" cable which leads to better cable purchases, which helps the high-end boutique makers to get sales which they would never get otherwise. If a consumer never thinks that he needs anything but lamp cord, he will never even consider a $1500 interconnect. And before you accuse Monster of profiteering, think about the prices of the cables from companies you do like, and the exorbitant prices they charge for a few feet of wire. Does anyone really believe that it costs $6000 to make a couple meters of even the best speaker cable? The simple fact is that the cable industry in general is being used as a profit vehicle to overcome the drop in the audio market. It doesn't matter if it is Monster or Nordost or Kimber, etc.

I have to agree with Twl and disagree with Sean. First of all when did it become Noel Lee or Monster Cable's job to educate. They make and sell cables pure and simple. If they want to pour their dollars into agressive marketing and sales incentives so be it. I imagine if other cable companies had the financial means of Monster Cables they would do the same. And the point about Monster being a gateway cable brand is a great one. Once you can hear differences in anything, cables, speakers, components, or think you can hear the difference, can the upgrade bug be far behind?

A business that wants to stay in business for long needs to make money (though I suppose there are exceptions). There are various ways to do that but it seems that a good sales team and marketing program are a good start. Kudos to Noel Lee for surviving so long in the business world and making good money at it. I certainly wish I could do that. And I doubt that Monster Cable (tm) sees education as its core business. Though I agree that educating the consumer is another way to show them the possibilities of products new to them.

The real issue, to me, is not whether Monster Cable (tm) agressively markets its product or, *gasp*, makes a larger profit then other cable manufacturers. Or even that their top sales people are sent on trips around the world; many other companies do that. Can such incentives lead to deception? Yes. But then any incentive program, in any industry, improperly implemented can lead to deception. To me, the real issue is whether or not Monster Cables(tm) sales and marketing program actively and knowingly encourages the deception of their customers. And, whether or not their customers are convinced of the absolute necessity of purchasing a product that they cannot afford or do not really need. The quoted article seems to imply that the sales staff leave out some facts, but doesn't clearly state that they are engaging in deceptive practices(it could merely have been negligence). If Noel Lee believed that his companies products were so much snake oil foisted on an unsuspecting public I'd say that he was wrong and deserves to be exposed. But I have used Monster Cable (tm) products in the past and didn't find them to be that bad. I've since moved on to better cables, but my point is that I don't think the product itself garbage.

As to Monster Cable (tm) cables being a "gateway" to better things, I'm not entirely convinced. Perhaps some people have found it so. But most of my friends buy electronics from Best Buy or Circuit City. They may be convinced that Monster Cable (tm) is better than zip cord. But the chances of them going on to purchase other brands is slim since neither Best Buy or Circuit City seem to carry much more than Acoustic Research and Monster Cable (tm) cabling; well, and whatever house brand they have. Most of them are astonished when they learn what my system costs; and I have a fairly modest system relative to many of those posted on this site. Even after listening to it they would never conceive of spending that kind of money. Some of them are true music lovers. They would rather purchase a 100 cds then a $1500 cd player. A better system is simply not a priority with them.

I guess the long and the short of my post is that if Monster Cable (tm) is engaging in deceptive and predatory sales practices then by all means expose them. But lets not exoriate them because they make more profit than our favorite cable manufacturer, because we don't like their products, or because we don't like their marketing techniques (remember, there is a difference between a company engaging in business practices we simply dislike and those that the cross the line into deception and fraud).

Suing other companies and individuals for using the word "monster" is another issue. My wife used to be a senior editor for Motorola. Part of her job was to deal with issues related to the use of their trademarks. Why? Because if improperly used they could lose the right to protect those trademarks. Intellectual property and reputation are perhaps the most valuable assets of any company. When stolen it can lead to significant losses in reputation and business. Translation: the company stands to lose money if they allow their trademarks to be infringed. Though having said that, it does appear that Monster Cable (tm) has become more aggressive than absolutely necessary in protecting their trademarks. To the point of needlessly hurting other companies. Now that is something they deserve to be slapped for.