Understanding Monster

[hopjohn]

The response to the Monster & Blue Jeans legal dispute has been tremendous here at Audioholics, and that's all very cool, but it has made me stop for pause when thinking about Monster from a broader perspective. Just what is going on within the walls at Brisbane?

Well we know from Clint's visit (visit AVrant to learn more ) that Monster's engineers are friendly and knowledgeable and do not appear to have any misconceptions about their company's products, though they did seem to show a bit of healthy optimism for their recently designed products, fair enough. So I feel it's safe to say that as a whole the company seems not to be entirely askew. So where exactly is the fuel for the hatred of this cable manufacturer being generated?

Having worked for Best Buy in years past and having shopped for decades in stores like Circuit City and Tweeter, etc. I gathered a number of not so pleasant personal experiences by being both the pusher of, and a potential customer of their cables. My own differences lie within their marketing and sales staffs, and any of the other departments directly associated with the development, deployment, and implementation of their extremely aggressive sales strategy within these retailers. I found it to be bereft of any moral conduct, essentially forcing salesmen to lie by discrediting competing products for the benefit of lucrative store incentives. The egregiously large profit margins on cables run across cable manufacturers as a general rule. Even so Monster's margins have become trend setting, something they seem quite proud of. Ask any Best Buy salesperson to tell what they pay for Monster Cables with discount and I'm guessing they'll hesitate to give an exact figure.

This sales strategy has become such a key element within the company that no doubt it has bled over even into unconscious remarks made on their company info page. A quote from the monstercable.com website: "In fact, the name Monster Cable is so synonymous with high quality and high performance, customers often assume that any cable they purchase in reputable stores would be Monster even though there are other cable brands." This comment begs the question of just why the customer might be unknowing, seems the salesmen are doing their jobs as instructed.

As Kurt at Blue Jeans and other have poignantly explained their legal department seems hell-bent on repetitive bullying tactics. Might this trend of immoral behavior indicate something larger? Perhaps some type of secretive business doctrine that calls for profits without regard to general business ethics. How high up does it go? Maybe I'll be accused as some type of conspirator, but I feel the evidence is quite overwhelming. Something bad is going on within the walls at Brisbane.

 

[TLS Guy]

The response to the Monster & Blue Jeans legal dispute has been tremendous here at Audioholics, and that's all very cool, but it has made me stop for pause when thinking about Monster from a broader perspective. Just what is going on within the walls at Brisbane?

Well we know from Clint's visit (visit AVrant to learn more ) that Monster's engineers are friendly and knowledgeable and do not appear to have any misconceptions about their company's products, though they did seem to show a bit of healthy optimism for their recently designed products, fair enough. So I feel it's safe to say that as a whole the company seems not to be entirely askew. So where exactly is the fuel for the hatred of this cable manufacturer being generated?

Having worked for Best Buy in years past and having shopped for decades in stores like Circuit City and Tweeter, etc. I gathered a number of not so pleasant personal experiences by being both the pusher of, and a potential customer of their cables. My own differences lie within their marketing and sales staffs, and any of the other departments directly associated with the development, deployment, and implementation of their extremely aggressive sales strategy within these retailers. I found it to be bereft of any moral conduct, essentially forcing salesmen to lie by discrediting competing products for the benefit of lucrative store incentives. The egregiously large profit margins on cables run across cable manufacturers as a general rule. Even so Monster's margins have become trend setting, something they seem quite proud of. Ask any Best Buy salesperson to tell what they pay for Monster Cables with discount and I'm guessing they'll hesitate to give an exact figure.

This sales strategy has become such a key element within the company that no doubt it has bled over even into unconscious remarks made on their company info page. A quote from the monstercable.com website: "In fact, the name Monster Cable is so synonymous with high quality and high performance, customers often assume that any cable they purchase in reputable stores would be Monster even though there are other cable brands." This comment begs the question of just why the customer might be unknowing, seems the salesmen are doing their jobs as instructed.

As Kurt at Blue Jeans and other have poignantly explained their legal department seems hell-bent on repetitive bullying tactics. Might this trend of immoral behavior indicate something larger? Perhaps some type of secretive business doctrine that calls for profits without regard to general business ethics. How high up does it go? Maybe I'll be accused as some type of conspirator, but I feel the evidence is quite overwhelming. Something bad is going on within the walls at Brisbane.

It's just part of the decline of personal morality and integrity, that is the cause of 99% of the problems we are facing now.

 

[Halon451]

Well we know from Clint's visit (visit AVrant to learn more ) that Monster's engineers are friendly and knowledgeable and do not appear to have any misconceptions about their company's products, though they did seem to show a bit of healthy optimism for their recently designed products, fair enough.

Great post, and very well thought out. I quoted the above portion in particular because I honestly do not feel that Monster products are necessarily bad, per se - the cables are decent and adequate, that's it. Then again, I have had better success with many lower priced cables due to better construction and better materials involved, etc. Many of my own self-built cables would greatly exceed Monster quality.

I believe you pointed out the significant tipping point as to where it all goes bad. The engineers will stand behind their products because they spend the time making them - but it's what they do, they make cables. I find it commendable actually, during a time when good old fashioned pride in what you do seems non-existent in many areas of the overall workforce. They simply make cables. Meanwhile you have corporate big-whigs sitting around a conference table while the engineers are busy doing what they do (which is again, to make cables), figuring out how best to promote these products to the A/V market as if they are the best thing since 2 channel stereo. They take the newly designed, newly manufactured product and begin the smoke and mirror show, meanwhile the engineers simply get back to work coming up with the next one.

And we can only help to educate enough people on this earth to put them out of business for good, and let their engineers find respectable work under a different, more respectable company banner.

 

[cbraver]

Okay, I'm probably going to get rocks thrown at me for this, but here it goes anyways:

Monster Cable is a business, in business to make money. I don't see what's so bad about them being aggressive about marketing their products. Their products are expensive, but they aren't a bad product. Any time you are a hobbyist in an industry you'll find the in's and out's and get deals on stuff (buy from a cheaper cable company of good quality), but for the people that don't know about audio Monster provides good cabling. It might be expensive, but, if I was in their shoes I'd charge those prices also. People go in business to make money, that's the idea. I don't feel like Monster has been pushed on me to a agree that anything else hasn't, and I've shopped at Best Buy before. They push Monster cables... so what. I don't think there is some big conspiracy, they just want to make money. Go to a movie theater and you'll get Coca-Cola or Pepsi pushed at you. Go to a Dodge dealer and you'll get Mopar parts pushed at you. Monster isn't special. Think of Starbucks... is it the best coffee out there? NO! But if I'm in the middle of no-where and don't know where to get coffee, I'll play it safe and go there. If I'm at home, I'll be at David's Cafe paying a fraction of the money and getting better coffee.

I, of course, hope that Blue Jeans wins the lawsuit, and I think that it's bullshit that the guy even has to put up with this. But that is where it ends. Monster is wrong in what they are doing to Blue Jeans.

I like Comprehensive and Hosa cabling. But, that's just my thing. If I used all Monster stuff I'd pay more but I don't think I'd be worse off.

 

[stratman]

Okay, I'm probably going to get rocks thrown at me for this, but here it goes anyways:

Monster Cable is a business, in business to make money. I don't see what's so bad about them being aggressive about marketing their products. Their products are expensive, but they aren't a bad product. Any time you are a hobbyist in an industry you'll find the in's and out's and get deals on stuff (buy from a cheaper cable company of good quality), but for the people that don't know about audio Monster provides good cabling. It might be expensive, but, if I was in their shoes I'd charge those prices also. People go in business to make money, that's the idea. I don't feel like Monster has been pushed on me to a agree that anything else hasn't, and I've shopped at Best Buy before. They push Monster cables... so what. I don't think there is some big conspiracy, they just want to make money. Go to a movie theater and you'll get Coca-Cola or Pepsi pushed at you. Go to a Dodge dealer and you'll get Mopar parts pushed at you. Monster isn't special. Think of Starbucks... is it the best coffee out there? NO! But if I'm in the middle of no-where and don't know where to get coffee, I'll play it safe and go there. If I'm at home, I'll be at David's Cafe paying a fraction of the money and getting better coffee.

I, of course, hope that Blue Jeans wins the lawsuit, and I think that it's bullshit that the guy even has to put up with this. But that is where it ends. Monster is wrong in what they are doing to Blue Jeans.

I like Comprehensive and Hosa cabling. But, that's just my thing. If I used all Monster stuff I'd pay more but I don't think I'd be worse off.

It's not their business model, it's their ethics. Yes business are in operation to make a profit. And it's their right to charge what they want for their products, but when a corporation develops an attitude that they control and have exclusive rights above others, it becomes an ethical issue, also the ethics of bringing the product to market under suspicious and at times false claims is not acceptable, coupled with intimidation and frivolous litigation.........it doesn't paint a pretty picture.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Okay, I'm probably going to get rocks thrown at me for this, but here it goes anyways:
...

Not at all, I agree with most of what your saying. The trouble with the company is, as stratman pointed out, the amount of bullying and frivolous lawsuits they've committed. They do appear to sue or threaten to sue any company that uses the word "monster" in their name or product line. Regardless of what type of business or product it is. A lot of these are small family owned and run businesses that have never heard of Monster Cable and have absolutely no similarity to the types of products or services they offer.

A few that they have or are going after that really irritate me are Snow Monsters, an org that helps teach children to ski. The area of the Red Sox ballpark refered to as the green Monster (for years). Monster garage, a tv show about monster trucks.

Here's a link to the US patent office listing of current companies that Monster is saying are infringing on their trademark (Monster). A few may be legit, the rest look to me like BS.

Jack

 

[haraldo]

Not at all, I agree with most of what your saying. The trouble with the company is, as stratman pointed out, the amount of bullying and frivolous lawsuits they've committed. They do appear to sue or threaten to sue any company that uses the word "monster" in their name or product line. Regardless of what type of business or product it is. A lot of these are small family owned and run businesses that have never heard of Monster Cable and have absolutely no similarity to the types of products or services they offer.

A few that they have or are going after that really irritate me are Snow Monsters, an org that helps teach children to ski. The area of the Red Sox ballpark refered to as the green Monster (for years). Monster garage, a tv show about monster trucks.

Here's a link to the US patent office listing of current companies that Monster is saying are infringing on their trademark (Monster). A few may be legit, the rest look to me like BS.

Jack

I guess that Monster probably got some very skilled engineers, but their whole management sucks. The thing is, If a company got a CEO from Hell then I guess the whole administration will be bad...

 

[Jack Hammer]

I guess that Monster probably got some very skilled engineers, but their whole management sucks. The thing is, If a company got a CEO from Hell then I guess the whole administration will be bad...

Not neccesarily. I understand why and respect that they try to protect their copyrighted name. If you allow your brand name to become a generic term for that type of product, the term becomes part of the public domain and anyone can use it as a generic term for that type of product.

The trouble is they take it way too far and their brand "name" was a commonly used word long before they chose it. They are not trying to prevent the term "Monster" from becoming a generic term in the public for stereo cabling and interconnects. They are acting as though it was their family name and absolutely no one used for any purpose before they came along in the late 70's. It's totally different from a company like Kleenex trying to prevent their name from being used by others to refer to facial tissue.

Jack

 

[Tom Andry]

I agree with Halon451. What we're seeing here is the difference between the engineering department and management. Engineers are far to busy making cable to to be Machiavellian and nefarious - that's management's job.