Marketing AssignmentOn

Sony India Pvt. Ltd.

Company Profile:One of the most recognized brand name in the world today, Sony Corporation, established its India operations in 1994, focusing on the sales and marketing of Sony products in the country. In a span of 19 years, Sony India has emerged as a digital lifestyle brand in the field of consumer electronics. With consistent commitment to quality and dedication to customer satisfaction and high standards of service.

Sony India is one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand in the country with a reputation for new age technology, digital concepts and excellent after sales service.

With brands names such as Bravia, Xperia, Cybershot, Xplod, etc. Sony has established itself as a value leader across its various products categories of audio and visual entertainment products.

Sony has its footprints across all major towns and cities with a distribution network of overall 20,000 dealers and distributors, more than 300 exclusive Sony outlets and 25 branch locations. It also has a strong service network with 365 service outlets.

It provides customers with a highly motivated and well trained staff and is committed to ensure that both the products and the marketing activities employed truly make a difference to people’s lifestyles.

Company History:Sony Corporation was founded in Tokyo, Japan in the year 1946 by an engineer Masaru Ibuka and physicist Akio Morita, with just 20 employees. They started by creating Tokyo Telecommunication Engineering Corporation, also known as Totsuko, to repair and build electrical equipment’s.

The company built Japan’s first tape recorder, called the Type G. In 1955, the company decided to use the Sony logo on Totsuko products and three years later changed its name to Sony Corporation.

From then on Sony has aggressively expanded into new businesses like Sony Picture Entertainment (films), Sony Life (insurance) and Sony Bank (banking).

First Sony logo (1955)

Marketing Strategies:To make the company’s vision a reality, Sony is trying to strengthen the core electronic business.

By applying information technologies to product design, production, distribution, and sales this will strengthen their network globally and add value to Sony’s music, pictures, game and financial services businesses.

Other global strategies that enable Sony to progress in global competitions are the choice of the location, global marketing and competitive move.

Innovative quality products, strand brand and worldwide presence have made Sony a truly global company.

Sony offers same products in different countries to serve the similar needs of worldwide consumers. This successful strategy has derived from the strengths of Sony over competitors in terms of anticipating hidden consumer needs such as Walkman served worldwide consumers for entertainment. This puts the Sony one step ahead over their competitors.

As a consequence of global availability and serviceability of Sony, it has global recognition, which enable Sony to be familiar in every country.

Product Mix:

Marketing Mix:Product:

Sony has a variety of products ranging from electronic devices, games and entertainment. So, briefly Sony products can be categorized in the following major product categories:

A. Television and Projectors:Sony has tried to fulfill the demand of displaying devices from the home television sets, Office projectors and Public display panels.

Example: Bravia LED TV, Bravia LED TV, Home theatre projector, Business Projector, Public Display Panel.

B. Home Video:In this category, Sony has tried to bring in new format so as to dominate the market, for example the emerging data storage format called Blue- ray.

Example: Blue-ray disc player, DVD player, DVD portable player.

C. Home Audio:Sony has provided several home products ranging from small packages to big audio systems. With additional features such as the ability to handle multiple formats, track programming and repeat and random play. 

Example: Hi-Fi Systems, Home audio accessories.

D. Home Theatre System:Sony has tried to combine the latest video and audio technologies.

Example: DVD Home Theatre System, Home Theatre Component System, Home Theatre System Accessories.

E. Digital Photography:Sony has produced a variety of imaging devices depending on the users and their professions.

Example: Digital SLR, Cybershot Digital Camera and Digital Photo Frame.

F. Handy Cam Video Camera:Sony has produced a variety of video camera for home and office use.

Example: HD video Camera, Handycam SD Video Camera.

G. Computer and Peripherals:

Combining form, function and the latest in technology, Sony provides a range of IT and computing devices.

Example: VAIO Laptops, Disc Drives, Monitors, etc.

H. Portable AudioSony has produced a lot of various varieties of portable audio whose main target are the youth of the new generation.

Example: Walkman mp3 series, CD Walkman series, Portable Radio.

I. GamesSony has produced Powerful consoles which are accompanied with compelling games.

Example: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PSP (PlayStation Portable).

J. Mobile PhonesSony has produced a variety of mobile phones for different people, lifestyle, usage, budget and profession.

Example: Xperia Series.

K. In-Car Entertainment Different in-car entertainment products have been produced by Sony.

Example: XPLOD DVD, CD, FM Player.

L. Storage and Recording MediaSony has developed a range of reliable storage and recording media for recording, transferring or storing the information.

Example: Memory Stick, USB storage media, Data storage.

Price:The prices of Sony’s products range from moderately-high to high prices, depending on the use and the targeted customer since the company emphasizes more on product quality. But to increase their market share they have launched mobiles and laptops in the low price segment also.

Place (Distribution):

Sony being the company which positions itself as a seller of durable and high-end products, it is practicing selective distribution of its products from the selective dealers i.e. SONY World, Croma, Reliance Digital, etc.

Sony distributes its products in various channels. It uses Zero-level channel, one level channel and two-level channel. In India, Sony has used the method of one-level distribution channel. This means that, customer buy their Sony product from the retailers recognized by Sony, and these retailers buy the products directly from the company itself.

Sony’s Distribution Process

Promotion:Sony India will spend Rs 200 crore in this financial year on advertising and promotion. The major elements of promotion mix include advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing, and publicity. Sony Corporation has used all of these marketing communication mix elements. 

Advertising 

SONY has advertised its products through many different ways and media. Through TV we have seen different advertisements of its products. Sony also advertise its products by targeting television programs, like sports and also it has its own channel called Sony TV channel. Sony uses some events like Miss India to promote its products. Also, Sony has advertised its gaming consoles like PlayStation 4 in sports like football. Through newspapers like Times of India, Sony has advertised a wide range of products it offers to its customers. 

Sony incorporates co-operative advertising in its advertising process. Sony Corporation provides the dealers (e.g. Sony World) with the materials and guidelines to develop ads for print, television or radio commercials. The company and the dealers usually share the media costs and hence, the name ‘co-operative advertising’. 

Sales PromotionSales promotions for example includes free samples, discount, coupons, scratch cards, exchange offers, early bird prizes, etc. Sony has promoted its products through different sales promotional strategies. For example after the release of the Sony Bravia television sets, Sony promoted them by early bird prizes by saying that all Bravia full HD LCD TVs purchased registered within two weeks of purchase qualify for a Bonus PlayStation 3 and free Bluetooth headset with one year manufacturer’s warranty with purchase of phones.

Public Relations and PublicityPublic relations is a broad set of communication activities employed to create and maintain favourable relationship with employees, shareholders,suppliers, media, educators, potential investors, financial institutions, government agencies and officials and society in general.

Through its website, Sony Corporation has provided contacts for those customers who will be in need of any information from the company. In this way Sony can create a mutual relationship with its customers and ensure that it serves the wishes and demands of its customers. To minimize the negative effect of situations leading to unfavorable coverage, the company has policies and procedures in place to manage help any such public relation problems. So it’s the duty of the public relation department of Sony

to solve any issues so as to ensure that it maintains a good public relation with the public.

Customer Relationship Management:Customer relationship management includes responding to changing customer needs, repair services and building a structure for providing the best possible repair service quality. 

Sony is taking various steps to improve its customer service capabilities, in line with its Pledge of Quality - to "respect our customers' viewpoints in striving to deliver product quality and customer service that exceed their expectations."

Sony has assigned officers to coordinate customer service operations in markets around the world where its products are sold.

With the aim of providing high-quality services to customers, Sony provides ongoing training for employees and the staff and reducing the number of days required for repairs.

Sony Corporation have found a new way to make more customers buy their products by online courses to enhance customer’s total Sony experience. The online tutorials provide courses to online visitors in personal computing, home entertainment, digital photography and business solutions.