Consumerism in Sony - Overlapping Function and Market

Phone with walkman function and photo taking function.

W series – Phone with walkman function


K series – Phone with cyber shot function

Consumerism in Sony - Product Segmentation

Product groups are divided into sub-categories to cater for different target groups of consumers. For example, walkman, digital cameras and mobile phones are divided into different series:

Walkman
X series High Performance
W series
A series
S series
E series
B series Simple and Basic Function

Digital Camera
T series Sleek and Trendy
W series
G series
S series
H series Professional

Mobile Phone
Normal Straight Style
Clam Shell Style
Sliding Style


Touch Screen Organiser Style

Consumerism in Sony - Innovation

Sony is the company of innovation. It developed new technologies, new models which encourage consumers to buy and change their products over time.

Innovative products
· Walkman (1979) – Create a new experience of listening to music while walking



· Compact Disc (1980s)




· Mini Disc (1992) – dominate the audio world in the 1990s
· Blu-ray Technology (2000s)

Design Direction 1970s

A simple and functional design was characteristic of Sony products in the 1970s. Approximately ten years after the launch of the first Trinitron TV, the color television market was maturing. Ohga, then deputy president of Sony Corporation, took it upon himself to develop a 13-inch color television with a unique design appealing to young people. This marked the birth of the "Citation" model. At the time, mainstream television design was centered on the "wood-grain" look, but the sleek and black "Citation," with its simple panel of buttons at the top, was a hit. Its success changed the course of television design.(www.sony.net/Fun/SH/,2009)

Sony Lifestyle - Passion, Sexy

Today, a lot of the advertisements use sexuality to sell their products. Some of the Sony advertisements adopt female bodies or love scenes to give a character to the products. They are either selling the appearance, such as shape and form, or the functions of the products.

Sony Lifestyle - A prediction from the past

This is the television of the future. This is the personal set predicted for the decade of the Seventies. So light and compact you carry it with you like a book, wherever you go. Put it beside your bed, on your desk at the office, outdoors for picnicking on the patio anywhere on its own rechargeable battery pack, auto battery or AC, with a picture so bright and sharp ordinary sets pale by comparison. Weighing only 8Ibs…. (Hold the future in your hand with Sony, 1970s’)

Sony Lifestyle - To be dynamic

Cyber shot T20/ W200: Convenient Portable Photo Album feature combines an ultra-bright, high resolution 3.5" LCD, dual library : 4GB internal memory or Memory Stick Duo^™ slot for storing hundreds of pictures, easy image management and password protection. Carry your memories in your pocket and share them anytime.

Alpha 350: A new king of the hill in the Sony a (alpha) DSLR lineup. Experience a new level in phenomenal control and inspiring features that let you focus on creativity.

Another Fashionable Notebook - Sony Vaio P

"The world’s lightest 8" notebook, the 1.4-pound VAIO^® P Series Lifestyle PC does more than you could imagine–with impeccable style. Email at the airport, IM from the park, or just show it off when you want some attention. Traveling to a new city? Turn-by-turn GPS navigation will get you there faster. Best of all, it fits right in your purse or jacket pocket."

"The P-series Lifestyle PC is one of the smallest laptops we've seen; it is almost similar to a UMPC, but with a traditional clamshell laptop design."

Fashionable and flashy, this ultra-portable Lifestyle PC makes a statement wherever you go. Choose from four colors, each inspired by the crystalline shimmer of natural gemstones.

Sony Lifestyle - Smallest and Lightest

Sony always strives to manufacture products that fit the Sony brand image. These products are usually classified and marketed as the "World's First," "World's Smallest," "World's Biggest," or "World's Best" products. By the same token, Sony approaches the design of new products in a way that nobody else has done before, emphasizing originality and uniqueness. Good examples include the Walkman, Profeel and Handycam products.