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Martin Guitar wants to reach the young’uns through TikTok: “We either participate in that, or we don’t at our own peril”

“There are a lot of things [we] can do, [but] we need to be clear on who we are as Martin, and what our role is in this space,” Martin CEO Thomas Ripsam said.

Martin Guitars on TikTok

Credit: Martin Guitars Official TikTok

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Martin Guitar may turn to TikTok and YouTube in an effort to connect with younger audiences, CEO Thomas Ripsam says.

Speaking to Guitar World on how the pandemic has created scores of new musicians, Ripsam said, “There are a lot of people who love to create and make music and get something out of it that frankly don’t play yet. And so to me, there is the potential to tap into that much more than we have done [so far].”

“There are a lot of things [we] can do, [but] we need to be clear on who we are as Martin, and what our role is in this space.”

Adding that he felt Martin was not “opportunity-constrained”, Ripsam nonetheless voiced out his concern with the industry’s slow reaction to the rise of social media platforms. “…I think our industry hasn’t necessarily been educated to change quickly enough and stay connected,” Ripsam elaborated, explaining, “Younger audiences, their main sources [of information] are TikTok and YouTube, it’s simply that. And we either participate in that, or we don’t at our own peril.”

Ripsam pointed to the company’s Rich Robinson D-28 signature model as an example of using storytelling to form a bond with people who choose the model, which was modelled on Robinson’s father’s personal D-28 guitar, road wear and all. “I think the Rich Robinson example is a good one – that to me is something that brings out what’s so special about us,” Ripsam says.

“Rich Robinson and many others have a very deep connection to an instrument that we created. And once you have that deep connection, I think you’re looking to engage much more with a company, [so the company can get into] stories, content, [and] a lot of [other] things.”

It’s early beginnings for the company on TikTok, which has 115 followers and just six videos. However, we’re expecting to see loads more from the brand on the space.

https://www.tiktok.com/@martinguitarco/video/7103907108868853038?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

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