‘We will be in Las Vegas,’ insists Greg Estes, Avid’s chief marketing officer, just not as an exhibitor.

Industry tongues started wagging last November when the post manufacturer announced that, contrary to tradition, it wouldn’t be exhibiting at NAB 2008. But Avid’s new management team explains the manufacturer is listening to its customers.

CEO Gary Greenfield and Kirk Arnold, EVP and GM of Avid Video, authorized the new marketing chief to examine how it spends its marketing coin, which, in this case, is an expense in the range of US$3 million to US$4 million.

‘We want to fundamentally rethink how we are approaching our customers and speaking to our customers and servicing them,’ says Estes. ‘You’re going to see a really new approach to the company. If you read the blogs [on Avid’s website] you’ll find people responding well. People can tell that we’re for real on this.’

Estes tells Playback that the landmark decision was a direct result of its clients’ fundamental editing needs.

‘We read 150 pages of single-spaced customer input that was about simplifying the product line, pricing, better service, supporting the community in a different or larger way,’ says Estes. ‘Some of it amounted to ‘You’re not listening to us, really.”

The extensive client research led the team to believe that customers want more individual attention, so customer appreciation events are scheduled at NAB on the evenings of April 13 and 14.

‘The show floor itself will feature about 50 Avid partners, so you’ll be able to find Avid solutions,’ Estes notes. ‘For instance, Sony will be demonstrating the XDCAM workflow with an Avid Media Composer.’ Audio manufacturer Digidesign, owned by Avid, will have a booth.

And the parent company isn’t ruling out the idea of having a stand if this year doesn’t pan out, according to Estes. The key message that Avid is avidly trying to underline is its new emphasis on customer service.

‘The important thing is we’re doing a lot more on the web,’ Estes says. ‘We’re getting to new audiences that we’re not already speaking to, and we’re doing different things to have a real dialogue with the customers we already have.

‘It can be as mundane as showing up in their office and showing them some equipment,’ he explains.’ It doesn’t always have to be sexy.’