Skullcandy VP on brand's new aesthetic

Skullcandy is debuting its new packaging, new messaging and new look during the current trade show season.

VP of Marketing & Creative Nate Morley told me that Skullcandy has invested heavily in upgrading and refining its product and its sound profile, including hiring a premiere audio engineer from Bose.

The more refined packaging reflects those changes, he said, and will be found in all levels of distribution.

Nate Morley

The goal is to communicate that Skullcandy is a performance lifestyle audio brand rather than just a lifestyle brand, Nate said.

While Skullcandy will never forget its roots, it is also growing up and evolving, he said.

It also believes the performance of Skullcandy headphones are a differentiator and thus the “Supreme Sound” message will be prominent on all packaging, Nate said.

The new packing is also white, easier to open, and with Helvetica lettering, which Nate described as clean.

One side of the packaging has the Skullcandy branding, the skull logo, and the other shows images of the product. Retailers have the option of merchandising goods with just the logo side, the product side or even by color.

The old look of the Hesh

The entire look is quite different for Skullcandy, and I asked Nate if there is any risk in that.

He acknowledged that Skullcandy is putting itself out there a bit, but added that the new look and packaging had been vetted by many key retailers and received positive reviews.

Not only the packaging changed. In addition to the upgraded sound profile, many product materials have changed as well.

For instance the look of the Hesh is now more refined, and the materials upgraded.

The DB Collection, Skullcandy’s segmented product for the core that has special colors and materials, will now be called the Decibel Collection to reinforce that premium audio message, Nate said. The DB had always stood for decibel, but the company is now calling that out.

The new Hesh

Going through this big of a change will also be a logistical challenge as the new look enters the market in April. Lots of retailers have big Skullcandy buildouts, and the new product and packaging will move first to key retailers, eventually filtering through all of Skullcandy’s retail networks in a phased rollout.