B&O Play's US Marketing Lead, Travis McMichael, is revitalizing the 90 year old brand. With a background that includes working directly under the CMO of Beats by Dre for 3 years - he was there during the Apple sale and helped create a "culture" around the brand.

Now he's building out a "Future Series" that celebrates music, art, technology and their relationship together. Their involvement in this year's events at SXSW and Coachella show the changes that he has made.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how that led you to B&O Play.

Travis McMichael: I was the sole director of marketing strategy at Beats by Dre under CMO Omar Johnson, responsible for the strategic development of brand and product marketing strategy in a cross-functional capacity.

I was recruited from the agency space in NYC in the Fall of 2014, shortly before Beats took a cash infusion from the Carlyle Group to buy themselves back from Monster.

AM: What does "creating a culture" around a brand mean and how did you do that within previous positions and how are you doing it at B&O Play?

TM: Creating a culture is about the codification of brand DNA and operationalizing brand behavior to create proprietary, defensible and dynamic brand tenets that permeate both product narratives and how the brand speaks to potential consumers and loyal brand fans.

At B&O PLAY, it’s about how we utilize our rich heritage as a brand in design, acoustics, and technology to lead and explore the world of cultural aesthetics, whether that's being in contemporary art, music, architecture or film.

AM: What is the relationship between B&O Play and Bang & Olufsen.

TM: PLAY is the contemporary iteration of Bang & Olufsen. All of the thoughtfulness, passion, pursuit and perfection in craftsmanship that is the legacy of Bang & Olufsen, but with a product portfolio aimed at a lifestyle that suits a modern urban living environment.
i.e wireless speakers, headphones etc.

AM: How does B&O Play differ from its parent's company and who is the target demographic for this?

TM: It's about Urban creative professionals who embrace a design ethos and interest in exceptionally designed and manufactured audio products that enhance everything from your commute to your home living space.

AM: What role does design play into B&O Play?

TM: Everything :) it is at the core of everything we think, do and make.

AM: What is the ethos of B&O Play?

TM: Here technology, design and how the art of human experience intersects.