The Interview - Part 1
Interview with Cooler Master - Part 1
When one thinks of Cooler Master, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I'm sure some of you said Power Supplies, others would have said Cases, and yet others would claim CPU coolers as the driving force behind this successful Taiwanese Component Manufacturer. The truth is, the company has done so well and been around for so long that all those answers are right and more; they also make laptop coolers and fans, in fact anything to do with powering, housing and cooling PC's, these guys have covered it all.
Looking at the market for all of those products I mentioned, you have to think to yourself how on earth do they expect to stay on top in such a crowded market, especially with all the other name brands out there such as Chieftech, Lian-Li, Thermaltake, Silverstone, Zalman and others.
I spent some time finding out more about Cooler Master's current marketing strategy, their future goals and also a bit more about some of the team who are trying to put the name Cooler Master into the forefront of every enthusiast and gamer's mind. Let me introduce the newly formed team and divulge some of their game plans.
I met Raymen Wu, an executive within Cooler Master's Marketing Department and his colleagues, Coco Lee and David Jarlestedt. They are the new generation of Marketing Managers for Cooler Master HQ based in Taiwan, and of them, Raymen was the designated spokesperson for this interview who guided me with his colleagues through some of the new strategies that Cooler Master will be taking on.
TweakTown:
Hi Raymen, can you tell us a bit about your role in Cooler Master and some of your responsibilities?
Raymen Wu:
My main focus is to build up our global PR team and make sure Cooler Master messaging and products reach the IT media worldwide. Don't get me wrong, our PRs were doing a good job; it's just that we're trying to have more synergized efforts now. So, this means I get to work closely with our staff at each regional office and local partners to ensure Cooler Master products get their fair share of exposure. Other things that I'm working on include helping Coco and David with the launch of upcoming gaming products and 3rd party co-operations.
TweakTown:
Hi Coco, please tell us what is your position at Cooler Master and where do you fit in the team?
Coco Lee:
Well that's easy, I have been with Cooler Master for some months now, and we are in the process of integrating some new and exciting ideas into our global marketing strategy. My role is to co-ordinate and facilitate some of the larger campaigns such as the Kode5 Global Gaming Sponsorship. What this means is that Cooler Master, along with Corsair and Gigabyte has contributed to all Kode5 gaming events staged throughout the world (21 countries in total).
In fact, Cooler Master was chosen by the Kode5 organization to help design the official Kode5 Rebel Tournament PC, a project aimed almost exclusively at raw and rugged performance so that the pros competing in Kode5 can trust the hardware every time and stay focused on the task at hand. For end-users, there is a heap of Cooler Master goodies and products on display and also up for grabs at these gaming events.
TweakTown:
You mentioned a bit earlier that gamers are going to be a big part of Cooler Master's focus into the future. Why?
Coco Lee:
Gaming is an extremely huge market with many manufacturers trying to get a piece of the action. It's easier said than done, but with David, Raymen and I, we complement each other well with each one of us having different areas of expertise when it comes to gaming. This has helped us to start associating gaming with some of our Cooler Master products; leading to our upcoming gaming line. Also, with a lot of these gaming products, our engineers are working closely with some very experienced people from within the gaming and eSports community to develop leading-edge technologies and features that can then be incorporated into our mainstream products.
The Interview - Part 2
Interview with Cooler Master - Part 2
TweakTown:
What are Cooler Master's current short term marketing plans?
Raymen Wu:
We're really looking at further defining different segments of the market and promoting the right products into these segments; an example of this is bringing a new line of gaming products to the market. We're also focused on making sure that the media can easily get access to our products, which is what our PR team is working hard on. We're trying to establish a deeper relationship with our channel partners and other manufacturers to increase the depth of the Cooler Master marketing efforts. And of course we're working on some environmental initiatives plus we're thinking of bringing some sort of stamp of approval program to our premium products.
Coco Lee:
In terms of events, we've teamed up with Kode5 and we expect to achieve major acclaim at the gaming events held in 20 countries, with the grand finals in a yet to be disclosed location. So, it's a total 21 countries around the world that will see Cooler Master gaming rigs in action. These events will take Cooler Master, which is already a well known brand, even deeper into the realms of gaming and eSports.
TweakTown:
That's a very aggressive stance; will you be able to back this up with the correct products?
Raymen Wu:
We understand that it's not going to be easy, but we've got people that are true gamers in our company as well as actively working with people in gaming communities to provide products that are right for gamers. There is no guarantee that we'll get it right immediately, but we're quite optimistic with the upcoming products from Cooler Master. Since David is the guy leading this development, I'd like to hand over this question to him.
TweakTown:
Hi David, please let us know your title and some of your duties at Cooler Master?
David Jarlestedt:
Hi, yes, I'm officially a Brand Marketing Manager similar to both Coco and Raymen. Among other things, I'm working on different concepts within the gaming line of products. I focus on converting the good ideas we get from feedback into an actual product. So far we've been working on a new line of gaming chassis with some really cool features that I'm sure nobody has seen before. We are also scheming for a line of gaming accessories. It is all part of our strategy to encompass people's perception about Cooler Master. We want them to know us in a holistic sense, rather than as a specific component manufacturer. These projects that I'm working on with the team are directly linked to sales figures, and, since we are now immersed in the gaming scene, together with the feedback programs we are running with gamers and enthusiasts around the globe we will be able to see very quickly if gamers like a specific product or feature, or if we have to rethink the concepts and implement them in a different way.
TweakTown:
With Cooler Master being so diverse, what would you like the end-users to know about upcoming products, especially since not everyone is a gamer, and in fact some people stay away from the sport as much as possible?
David Jarlestedt:
On our path to becoming the "Complete" cooling component provider, we will continue to cater for the different needs in the market. Gaming is only one of our high-end strategies, we also encompass overclockers and DIY enthusiasts in general, HTPC and business users, "prosumers", and any other segments you can think of really.
Raymen Wu:
Yes, Cooler Master has been very good at serving the needs of different segments of the casing, PSU and cooler markets and we have not forgotten about that end of our business. It's just that we're expanding our product lines to reach out to what we see as another booming segment for these products.
TweakTown:
If you guys had one message for the public, what would that message be?
David Jarlestedt:
Aligning with our current Kode5 sponsorship, gaming has to be our main focus going into 2008, with some very exciting products to look out for. On the flip side of the coin, our other offerings will aim at improving sustainability and environmental aspects. One of our strategies is to launch a program called Green Guard. Anyone who buys a Real Power Pro PSU will be helping the environment as Cooler Master will donate $1 of the profits to one or more environmental preservation organizations. As an added bonus, participants will also be eligible to win some great prizes. There will be more details on the Cooler Master website shortly.
Coco Lee:
In a simple statement that everyone can understand, I would like to say that Cooler Master is set to be the total chassis, power and thermal solution manufacturer of choice.
Raymen Wu:
Not much to add, they've already covered all the bases.
TweakTown:
From what I can tell, the team is very positive and eager to get the message out to the public. I hope the competition is paying attention, because it seems like Cooler Master has plans to jump in front.
So there you have it folks. Thanks go out to Cooler Master and their frontline pioneers, David, Raymen and Coco for their input into this interview.