The Business of Building an Audio Icon
Dave Rogers
Driving growth for HARMAN Lifestyle with legendary brands, new areas of business and innovational excellence
I am thrilled to announce the successful launch of?JBL Flip 7, Charge 6, and Partybox 520?&?Encore2. They debuted to global acclaim recently at spectacular events held at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and Club JBL in London. (Scroll through the photo gallery for a glimpse.)
As we celebrate the launches, I’d like to share some background on our category-defining portables and the product that put JBL consumer audio on the map:?JBL Flip!
A visionary start for an audio icon
Flip was born from a bold ambition: to deliver legendary JBL sound in a compact, grab-and-go design, never before seen in the market. Inspired by the dimensions of a bicycle water bottle holder, its iconic design was a deliberate choice to blend practicality with style. By balancing superior acoustics with portability, JBL engineers made a speaker that could become an extension of someone’s personal style. The combination of cutting-edge driver technology and a sleek, rugged exterior made the Flip as desirable for its bold sound quality as for its design aesthetic.?
Blending design with urban culture
JBL’s design philosophy is about merging performance with lifestyle expression. Each new generation of Flip became a canvas for individuality, with its textured fabric covers, oversized logos, and color palettes inspired by fashion trends. Colors like Ocean Blue and Purple, a surprise favorite among Gen Z, demonstrated JBL’s ability to both predict and set cultural trends. The durable, tactile fabric, introduced with the Flip 3, became an iconic feature—blending rugged functionality and an expressive style.
The speaker that defined a category
The JBL Flip didn't just enter the portable speaker market—it defined it. Iconic moments like the Guinness World Record event in 2017 (where we synced 1,000 Flips) cemented JBL’s reputation as a true innovator. It’s become the audio icon for festivals, beach parties, and outdoor adventures, creating an emotional connection with users worldwide.
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Since 2012, JBL has held the #1 position in the global Bluetooth portable speaker category. And on the heels of Flip came the Charge, Extreme, Boombox, PartyBox, and more. JBL’s global market share in portables is currently 60.3%, with more than 200 million units sold.
The JBL Flip: From upstart to icon
Big thanks to all of you who have been instrumental in taking the Flip on this remarkable journey from audio product to audio icon.
Tune In
10 小时前What a journey the Flip has made indeed.. Audio tech legend still going strong.. ??
Senior Executive Hardware/Software ? Operations ? Product Management ? Strategy/Vision/Innovation ? Marketing ? Supply Chain ? Joint Development ? Lean Manufacturing ? Global Team Leadership? ex Bose, Harman, Sonos
2 天前Great story Dave. What a great crew who built the product and the brand!
I still remember demoing the early Flip 1 mockup that looked like a science project with cables sticking out everywhere. We anticipated the audience wouldn’t believe the drastic difference in the A/B sound comparison. When they questioned whether the benchmark unit was broken, we pulled out a brand new, sealed competitor’s speaker, unboxed it on the spot and ran the demo again. Everybody went speechless after the second demo. That was a magic moment for the Flip!
Senior Manager at HARMAN International
4 天前Absolutely amazing
Engineering and Technology - Management and Development
4 天前In a commodity market like "bluetooth speakers", JBL does an amazing job of providing unique value. Better sound, reliability you can trust, and continuous innovation enables JBL to stand out and charge a premium. This is how you remain relevant and profitable in the ever challenging audio business. PS - I have two JBL Charge and a Boombox. Love that they are durable/weatherproof, all link together, have a long battery life and sound great.