Sonance at a Turning Point

In 1982, Sonance, a high-end audio company, invented a new product category: in-wall speakers. At the close of 2005, Sonance was at a turning point. The company attempted to benefit from the boom in the housing market in the 2000s by shifting its focus from its traditional channel of custom installation dealers to pursuing production developers and mass-market consumers. While growth accelerated, its relationship with the high-end audio dealers began to deteriorate. Led by recent Columbia Business School graduate Ari Supran, Sonance's sales and marketing teams struggled to determine the best strategy for the future.