Case Study: AER, Germany

Today AER is a global brand leader in amplifiers for acoustic instruments. When first launched, their technology was a step-change to what had previously been available to solve live performance amplification issues for acoustic musicians.

The Challenge

German engineering and new technology meant high prices. Could AER compete internationally?
AER was still a young company. Could distributors be persuaded to take on this little known product at unheard of prices?
The brand needed distributors with the marketing skills to effectively sell its high-end story. Could they be found?
As well as expensive, the product and its market were considered niche. Could distributors be persuaded it was possible to gain the Return On Investment from the capital needed to introduce the brand and build its sales to the required levels?

THE SOLUTION

Trust Network:

Conducted price research in three major European markets. We established the brand could compete
Helped AER prepare better for export sales and marketing
Identified which export markets to target first in expanding their distribution

THE RESULT

In Italy, Trust Network established AER with one of the country's leading MI companies at that time and secured six months of forward orders to begin.
In the UK, Trust Network brought AER together with Westside Distribution Ltd, one of the top distributors in Britain (see http://www.westsidedistribution.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=17), securing subtantial opening orders.
Other international markets were also opened, including Spain with Enrique Keller S.A. (see http://www.enrique-keller.com/pagesProductos/amplificadores-AER1.html)

The Recognition

On its tenth anniversary AER presented Trust Network with a special award for its role in the AER brand’s early international growth
AER has continued to engage Trust Network. In 2008 and 2009 AER hired the Company to review their distribution in Japan and North America. This resulted in Kikutani of Japan and SF Marketing of Canada and Musiquip of the USA beginning with the brand.

“We are very proud to know and believe in Trust Network by experience... they took us and our products very seriously, encouraged us to proceed in rough seas, and, HURRAGH! what a great success!”
Udo Rösner. Managing Director of AER. www.aer-amps.de

About Us

Trust Network has been bringing together great products with great distributors and re-sellers in the global MI and pro audio industry since 1992.

Over two decades the Company has built a unique knowledge base of who's who in the international markets and developed a professional, rigorous approach to assisting manufacturers and brand owners establish distribution with highly suitable importers worldwide.

Trust Network's philosophy is shaped by the fact that the same product, pricing, marketing and support can produce vastly different levels of business in the same country depending upon the suitability of those handling the distribution and the method of distribution used. Therefore our philosophy is to maximise sales by fully understanding what is special about a product, then connecting it to people and ways that are most suitable to distribute it.

From the distributors' point of view, connecting them with brands that can be vehicles for the distributors reaching their own corporate goals is to release a dynamic of mutual commitment between them and the brand owners. Such mutual commitment makes it possible for the products to gain traction in the export markets. This helps deliver the sales growth necessary for both the brand owners and the importers to gain the return on their respective investments.

Over 95% Success Rate. Click Here to Read more.