Technology Insider: Deena Ghazarian
I recently talked to industry icon Deena Ghazarian, Founder and CEO of Austere, about her new company, the initial product line and who is her target market.
Maureen Jenson: Please tell me about Austere? What is this new brand all about?
Deena Ghazarian: I’m so excited to tell you about Austere. I’ve brought all my business experience and passion from the fashion and consumer electronics worlds together to launch a technology accessory company where intentional design intersects with flawless performance.
Austere was created for those of us who care about style and what we connect to our devices. We use exceptional materials and the latest innovation to ensure the best performance. But beyond that, Austere pays unique attention to the details in design. Everything is done with purpose, from the packaging to its brand elements. It’s design with intent.
MJ: Isn’t there a huge gap in the accessories category right now?
DG: There is. You either have super-premium accessories or interchangeable non-descript ones that may or may not work. We saw an opportunity to fill that gap. Austere connects our customers to the products, people and devices they love and are committed to giving them more than they expect. Austere, our name, comes from our style discipline. But our tagline “more than expected” tells our customers that they can and should expect more from a brand with every element – from the design to the packaging to the website to the social content to the performance and to how we stand behind our product. Austere will always be more than expected.
MJ: What does your initial product line consist of?
DG: We will start rolling out our Home Theater and Audio accessories, including HDMI, Optical and Audio cables, along with audio interconnects and our Clean and Protect cleaning solution. The Power products will be out in August.
MJ: Who is your market?
DG: We created Austere for consumers who care about style and want the accessories they use to be as intentionally designed as their sleek, sexy HDTVs and laptops. When TVs evolved to HDTVs that are thin and elegant, they became a bespoke piece of the home. Austere believes everything that is connected to those gorgeously designed devices should be too. We are passionate about creating products that have that same carefully considered design.
Stay tuned next week when Deena goes into further detail on what makes Austere different than other brands on the market, reaching her target market and advice on starting your own business.
Part 1 article link: http://technologyinsidergroup.com/business/deena-ghazarian-austere/
I recently sat down with Deena Ghazarian, founder and CEO at Austere, to talk about her new start-up. Part 2. (Part 1 here)
Maureen Jenson: What makes Austere different than the brands already on the market?
Deena Ghazarian: There’s a lot of stuff already on the market that doesn’t perform to expectations or it easily breaks. There are also products out there that are antiquated and blah to look at, from the packaging to the colors to the materials. Consumers are ready for a premium product that’s accessible and is curated with considerable intent.
We use exceptional materials and the latest innovation to ensure the best performance. But beyond that, Austere pays unique attention to the details in design and we believe so strongly in our products we guarantee them for life.
For example, packaging is so important to me. Our packaging is gorgeous with every element of its design and material handpicked for the experience; it’s incredibly substantial and reusable and it’s made from 100 percent recycled material. Austere and our target market care about the environment and this is just one example of the depth of the choices that we make every day.
MJ: How do you plan to reach your target market?
DG: Austere is a global brand. The first products in the Austere collection will be available on Austere.com and select national, regional and global retailers starting this month. We look to be in markets where customers want stylish, exceptional technology accessories.
MJ: Any advice to young women starting out in our industry.
DG: Find your passion. From marketing to sales to manufacturing to operations. Follow it. Learn from others who share that passion and surround yourself with them. And learn how they channel their passion to careers they love. Industries and jobs can be taught. Businesses can be taught. Passion cannot and if you want a lifelong career, it must be grounded in passion.
Find mentors. Find men and women whom you admire and take parts of each of them that resonate with who you want to be. Furthermore, the lessons from diverse and inclusive mentors are unique gifts. Seek the ways to solve challenges that are well outside your own journey. Look at others who overcame obstacles that are about more than just careers and success. Lessons are everywhere. Absorb them all. And apply that dynamic learning to everything you do.
MJ: Do you recommend they start their own business, or work in an already established one?
DG: If you have the passion to start your own business, by all means you should. However, working for other people – lots of other people – shows you the invaluable lesson about what kind of leader you want to be as well as the kind of leader you do not want to be. From that you can then build your own playbook for success with the experience to back it up. It will also help you understand how to get people around you who will both support you and challenge you in constructive ways, which will drive you to greater success than you’d have on your own.