The folks at Martin recently shared some information about the final KISS concert at Madison Square Garden last December. Lighting designer and programmer Michael Cooper used lots of Martin gear on the band's lighting rig, including MAC Ultra Performance (as follow spots), MAC Ultra Wash, and other fixtures. Based on the clips I've seen online, it was a fitting sendoff for one of the most successful musical acts of all time.
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What more needs to be written about KISS that hasn't been covered in the past 50 years? Well, here's one nugget: KISS is one of my favorite bands. I'm sure this comes as something of a surprise for many of you, especially after a quick glance at my headshot. "Love Gun?" This guy?
Basically, I grew up with KISS as my rock 'n' roll superheroes. They were larger than life (even had a song with that title on KISS Alive II). Many albums had awesome cover art and included cool bonus items such as posters and temporary tattoos. The band members had even had secret identities like superheroes.
Despite commercial success (more Gold records than any other American band), the band always had and always will have its critics. But if someone sings the lyric "I wanna rock and roll all night," you can rest assured someone else, even haters, will complete it with "and party every day."
The band went through several lineup changes, released more compilation albums than many bands released with original content, and experimented with disco, pop, grunge, and the whole concept album concept. Through it all, here I am, decades later, a grateful fan who still listens to their music.
What can I say? I like KISS. So, if I were purchasing a jukebox, you know what band would be taking up plenty of auditory real estate. What I wouldn't want is for the person selling me said jukebox telling me that I don't want KISS songs.
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Now, imagine that jukebox is actually a Pro AV installation. And KISS? Well, instead of a band, it's a particular product or technology. Yes, integrators are the experts, but sometimes it's easy to forget to actually listen to customers and consider their preferences.
Over the past few years, for example, a handful of videoconferencing platforms have been battling it out for market dominance. Maybe your company is known for Microsoft Teams integrations and you have the best elevator pitch in the business for adopting the platform. If there's no particular brand loyalty at play, it might be an easy sell. But what if your customer is all Google all the time and it's Google Meet or nothing?
It doesn't have to be videoconferencing software, either. From switchers to microphones to displays and more, people familiar with Pro AV tend to develop preferences over time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it—it's not just a cliché, it's a way to reduce your product search and find equipment you can trust.
Conversely, a bad experience or two can swear clients off brands, too. Cooper had good reason to choose Martin lighting fixtures for the KISS project—he is clearly a fan of these products and the results speak for themselves. That said, he also told me there are some lights out there that he won't use again.
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Whether it's a rock band or a videoconferencing platform, people like what they like. When a company invests in an AV infrastructure, it tends to be a long-term relationship. Sometimes it's simply a matter of familiarity. For some projects, as Cooper reminded me, it comes down to product availability. But more often than not, there are specific reasons for brand loyalty. Before you decide what your client needs, make sure they've had a chance to tell you want they want.
