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          Beats by Dre - Essay Extract                                                                                                                           K




               2. Semantics

               Semantics is how meaning is communicated. The Colour, Form and              sound, created a foundation for a successful company. Including
               Styling all give visual cue to the Social and Cultural References           iconic figures in pop culture from the beginning of the process
               portrayed by the brand.                                                     allowed the product to be developed and improved so that by the
                                                                                           time Beats by Dre was a recognizable name, the product was
               2.1 Colour                                                                  elegant and refined (Dogan, 2015) This is shown by the product’s

               On the official Beats by Dre website, Beats Solo 4 is offered to            UltraPlush ear cushions and padding on the headband. Softer
               consumers in 3 colours: Matt Black, Slate Blue and Cloud Pink. The          than soft. It is also a very lightweight product which adds to its

               Matt Black pair offers a modern, focused and professional appeal,           effortless comfort. At just 217 grams, you could almost forget
               whereas the Slate Blue and Cloud Pink pairs portray health and              you’re wearing them (“Beats Solo 4 - Matt Black”).
               fitness, simplicity and elegance. What is unique about Dre and
               Iovine as entrepreneurs is that they saw this practical, common             2.3 Styling

               item as an opportunity to create a new demand. They did that by             A modern style is conveyed through the product’s matt finish. The
               creating headphones to be stylish items that can become a status            descriptions and slogans around the product all give the sense of
               symbol, and increase sound quality and people’s listening                   confidence and simplicity. Stands out. Stays on. Their stylish
               experience (Dogan, 2015)                                                    and unique design is one of their major selling points. It was the
                                                                                           first time that headphones became as much a fashion accessory as

               2.2 Form                                                                    a useful listening device (Blue, V., 2017) (Dogan, 2015) Simplicity in
               The form of the product demonstrates the beauty in subtle                   the product’s outer form to hide its complex interior gives a sense
               transitions between hard and soft edges. Being a premium                    of humility. While Walkman users surpassed the domestic audio

               product, refreshingly the Beats Solo 4 headphones doesn’t                   Hi-Fi craze by giving an urban function to the headphones, Dr. Dre
               compromise comfort in ergonomics for minimalism. Their                      headphone users have completely absorbed this urban function
               commitment to high quality materials that delivered a high-quality          and are adding new stylish meanings to them (Barbosa, 2020)



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