Recently we welcomed Star Wars' C-3PO into Test Pit Towers. However, instead of translating conversations between us and Jabba the Hutt, instead he just played excellent music (and gave one us a cuddle in bed - see the video review). We chat to Karl Grimsey, the guy behind that, and other, cool Bluetooth speakers.
Hello. Who are you?
Hi, great to be talking
with you, I’m Karl Grimsey (also known as Papa G) and I’m the
founder and CEO of AC Worldwide Ltd.
And what do you
do?
I design and
manufacture licensed audio products from the movie and gaming worlds.
Our current range consists of the award winning, fully licensed Star
Wars speakers, C-3PO, Stormtrooper and Darth Vader himself, along
with our latest speaker which is Master Chief from the Halo Universe.
That one is special because Steve Downes, the actual voice of Master
Chief in all the games, has given us permission to use his voice in
our speakers. This is the first time his voice has been used outside
the game, so it’s extra cool.
Tell us how you
got started in that.
I have always liked
designing things and coming up with something new. I initially
created a few renders and set up a meeting with Disney and they
really liked the ideas. I sourced the money we needed to be able to
bring these designs to life, Disney gave us a License, and we set
about making the first two designs, C-3PO and Stormtrooper. We’ve
since followed up with the ultimate bad guy Darth Vader and signed
further licensing deals with some great organisations, such as 343
industries for the Halo speaker.
What is an
average day like for you?
Very long :) Not enough
hours in the day as they say.
I'm usually up by 5.30am and sorting out any emails
that come in overnight- we have a factory in China, so I make a call
daily to my team and look over current state of any new projects we
are working.
Most mornings are taken
up working on designs – we’re always working on things to come
and tinkering with new ideas. I’m currently adding the detail and
checking the CADs on a new project - the CADs allow for each piece
to actually be assembled and enables us to work on the inside layouts
to ensure air flows correctly to generate the great sound we make.
After lunch we look at
the sales channels and talk with distributors and look at ways in
which we can drive demand. Just because there are 100+ million fans
out there it doesn't mean they will all come to you to buy - you have
to go to them and speak to them via routes they are comfortable with:
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Community Forums etc.
Where do you see
licensed audio products going in the near future, and how might you
have to adapt?
Licensed audio covers
so many products from speakers, headphones, ear-phones to name but a
few. I predict that there will be an increase in different versions
of the same characters as License holders look for greater revenue
from their licensee.
We’re proud that we
are the first in the world to have speakers like ours - iconic
characters with massive fan bases. Our attention to detail and great
sound are key to having success - if you make a speaker that looks
like the character but does not have the exact details then you lose
credibility - if you do get all the external look exact then you
cannot let the customer down on sound.
ACW are an awarding
winning company for innovation - to maintain being the best at this
we have to make sure we are head of the pack - Bluetooth
functionality is now standard spec – WI-FI is now a sensible rather
than optional feature to include. Speaker technology is changing, now
you really can get a decent sound out of a small unit - but you need
to understand how the air moves around a speaker to make great sound.
So how do others and
ourselves need to adapt? Just don't rely on one license - always
remember you are borrowing someone else's brand/character - make sure
you keep a very good relationship with all of them.
What advice would you offer to someone keen to follow in your footsteps?
Ha Ha, I’d love to
actually say ‘Don’t do it’. But if you’re going to do it,
here’s my top tips:
Buy the right license
Know how to make what
you are designing.
Have a creditable
factory - all licensees must have an ethically approved factory.
Make sure the factory
never own any of your product - many will offer you a one stop
solution and agree to make the moulds for your product - if anything
happens to that factory - all you assets will be lost too.
Make sure you get a
lawyer from the country where you’re going to be making the
product. A lawyer that understands the law of that land and can draft
up any contract for you. Remember it costs money to get legal advice
when agreeing a deal with a factory.
Don't assume every
retailer will want to stock your product.
Don't take on all the
work load yourself - ensure you have support and resources.
Apart from your
own products, what kind of gadget would you like to see being
reviewed on The Test Pit.
A waterproof saddle for
riding a walrus with built in sat nav and distance tracking! Mmm, now
where do I get the license for that from?
Ha,
cheers Karl!
Check out everything AC Worldwide makes at acworldwide.cool
