Spectrum Sense, a Rockville-based B2B earphone production company, has launched Project Peaceful Purple, a campaign to increase awareness about bullying and cyberbullying. Spectrum Sense's founder, Carlton Plummer, has designed purple
Listen Up! Earphones for the campaign. The special purple earphones are available to consumers, and a portion of the proceeds from each sale are donated to local programs that promote self-confidence and self-esteem in youth.
"Bullying is a big issue," says Plummer. "Our approach [to bringing awareness to the issue] is unique. You don't see a lot of purple earphones, especially on males."
According to Plummer, Project Peaceful Purple is "just starting to gain traction." He participated in an event in D.C. and donated some of the proceeds to
Seeing Color Arts Collective in the District, which "teaches inner-city kids about art."
Plummer says that he would like any money generated from earphones sold as part of Project Peaceful Purple to "stay local within the community where they are purchased." That means getting more local businesses onboard to stock the earphones. "I'm looking for interns to help with getting them into coffeeshops and other locations," he explains.
On the B2B side, Spectrum Sense sells earphones wholesale to other companies, either for gifts or to be resold. Plummer says the products come in a variety of colors and can be branded with a company's logo for a custom look. So far, M&T Bank and Geico are among his clients.
Plummer says the technology in Spectrum Sense's earphones is a major selling point. His company is an offshoot of Atlanta-based
TBI Audio Systems, his family's business. According to Plummer, TBI's proprietary technology,
HDSS, or high definition sound standard, "allows for incredible sound for the fraction of the cost" of speakers and earphones that don't use HDSS.
"The technology is over people's heads," he says, "so I focus on the earphones."