Torvald-Collinger, the world’s largest manufacturer of transistor radios, is launching a new marketing campaign aimed at the Millennial generation. The company hopes to reverse a sales decline that has averaged 93 percent over each of the past 40 years.
Last year, the company made just eight radios.
“We can blame it on the internet and other newfangled stuff,” says Johnny “The Main Man” Watson, who’s headed marketing for the past 52 years. “But the reality is that we’ve not done a good job targeting the young, hip, groovin’ crowd.”
So he and his team have developed a strategy that includes:
- Testimonials by bands and musicians that will attract younger people. Tommy James and the Shondells and The Association are just two of the groups he has in mind. “We’re also trying to get in touch with Strawberry Alarm Clock,” says Watson.
- Changing the spelling of “transistor” to “tranziztor.” “Mlllenials are drawn to things where the z is substituted for the s,” says Watson,” who adds he’s considering changing his own name to Watzon.
- A print campaign that shows young kids listening to transistors at places they actually “hang out” – sock hops, drive-ins, malt shops, etc.
- Exploring the possibility of offering protective covers in “psychedelic” colors. “We need to do more research this one,” says Watson. “It may be a little too radical.”
The campaign will launch sometime in the fourth quarter. The goal is to double sales in 2017.
