A PROJECT REPORT ON

PRODUCT STRATEGY AND NEW MARKET OFFERINGS OF SONY

SUBMITTED BY
TEHSEEN HANIF ANSARI
ROLL NO-15004
M.COM- SEM-II
(BUSINESS MANAGEMENT)
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2014-15

PROJECT GUIDE
MR.S.N CHITALE

SUBMITTED TO
UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
MULUND COLLEGE OF COMMERCE
S.N ROAD, MULUND (WEST)
MUMBAI 4000080.

DECLARATION
I, TEHSEEN HANIF ANSARI, ROLL NO 15004, STUDENT OF MULUND COLLEGE OF
COMMERCE, S.N ROAD, MULUND (WEST), MUMBAI 400080 STUDYING IN M.COM
PART-I HEREBY DECLARE THAT I HAVE COMPLETED THE PROJECT ON PRODUCT
STARTEGY AND NEW MARKET OFFERINGS OF SONY UNDER THE GUIDANCE
OF PROJECT GUIDE PROF.MR.S.N CHITALE DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 20142015.THE INFORMATION SUBMITTED IS TRUE AND ORIGINAL TO THE BEST OF MY
KNOWLEDGE.

DATE:
PLACE:
SIGNATURE:

CERTIFICATE
I, PROF.MR.S.N CHITALE hereby certify that MISS TEHSEEN HANIF ANSARI, ROLL
NO.15004 of Mulund College Of Commerce, S.N Road, Mulund (West),Mumbai-400080 of
M.Com Part-I (Business Management) has completed her project on PRODUCT STARTEGY
AND NEW MARKET OFFERINGS OF SONY during the academic year 2014-2015.The
information submitted is true and original to the best of my knowledge.

PROJECT GUIDE

COURSE CO-ORDINATOR
DATE:

PRINCIPAL

EXTERNAL GUIDE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I, Tehseen Hanif Ansari would like to express my sincere gratitude to the principal of Mulund
College of Commerce Dr Mrs. Parvathi Venkatesh, Course Co-ordinator and our project guide
Mr S.N Chitale, for providing me an opportunity to do my project work on PRODUCT
STARTEGY AND NEW MARKET OFFERINGS OF SONY Special thanks to library in
charge, which provided the necessary books and other data which acted as stepping stone in my
project and also those who have directly or indirectly helped me in project for their
encouragement and timely help.
Last but not the least, I wish to avail myself of this opportunity, to express a sense of gratitude
and love to my friends and my beloved parents for their help and support.

SIGNATURE:
DATE:

INDEX
SR.NO

TOPIC

PG.NO

CHAP 1

PRODUCT STRATEGY

1-3

CHAP 2

INTRODUCTION TO SONY

4-10

2.1

11-14

2.2

PRODUCT PLANNING DECISION OF

SONY
PRODUCT LIFECYCLE OF SONY

15-19

2.3

PRODUCT FAILURE OF SONY

20-23

CHAP 3

NEW MARKET OFFERINGS OF SONY

24-27

CHAP 4

CONCLUSION

28

WEBLIOGRAPHY

CHAPTER 1-PRODUCT STRATEGY

A product strategy draws from the ultimate vision of the product. It states where the product will
end up. By setting a product strategy, you can determine the direction of your product efforts.
Product is anything that can satisfy human needs and wants. The product is a combination of
tangible and intangible aspects of the products offered by the manufacturer to the customers. It
can be defined as a bundle of satisfactions and dissatisfactions offered by company to the
customers at a point of time.
Similar to making effective use of a map, you first need a destination, and then you can plan your
route. Just as a business has a strategic vision of what it wants to be when it grows up, the
product has its own strategy and destination.
The product strategy forms the basis for executing a product roadmap and subsequent product
releases. The product strategy enables the company to focus on a specific target market and
feature set, instead of trying to be everything to everyone.
Elements of a product strategy
When defining your product strategy be sure to answer the following questions.
WHO ARE YOU SELLING TO?
Define your target customer or market. Identify whom you are selling to, and what that market
looks like.
WHAT ARE YOU SELLING?

Describe how potential customers will perceive your product compared to competitive products.
Understand what makes your product unique in the market.
WHAT VALUE DO YOU PROVIDE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS?
Determine what problems your product solves for customers. You cannot be everything to
everyone within a particular market, but you can help to solve specific problems. Create a value
proposition to position the value you provide and the benefits that customers will receive with
your solution.
HOW WILL YOU PRICE YOUR PRODUCT?
State how you will price the product. Include its perceived value and a pricing model.
HOW WILL YOU DISTRIBUTE YOUR PRODUCT?
Describe how you will sell your product, and how your target market will acquire your product.
Creating your product strategy
To create your product strategy, start with identifying the market problems you would like to
solve. This includes interviewing your target market, understanding the competitive landscape
and identifying how you will differentiate yourself.
Your product strategy will change over time as you learn more about your market, and as (if) you
decide to enter different markets. Listening to your market and developing your product strategy
is a circular process; as you learn more, you will evolve your product strategy and the problems
you solve.
Example: Product strategy

Here is a brief example of a product strategy. Your product strategy will vary, and will probably
be longer, but should follow the theme of the five questions above.

We build quality kitchen hardware for residential kitchen customers.

Our customers are young North American families who want kitchen hardware that
can stand the wear and tear of young children. They are interested in materials that
are safe for children and eco-friendly.

We sell our products through a retail channel.

Our products are priced per unit, and are considered high-end hardware
solutions.

Power of the product strategy

The power of a product strategy comes from what you define as well as what you
exclude. By identifying a particular target market in your product strategy, you are also
excluding other markets. This helps your company to understand which projects fall outside the
product strategy and distract from strategic goals.

CHAPTER 2-SONY CORPORATION

Sony

Corporation

commonly

referred

to

as

Sony

is

Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Knan Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

Its diversified business is primarily focused on the electronics (TV, gaming consoles,
refrigerators), game, entertainment and financial services sectors. The company is one of the
leading manufacturers of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony is
ranked 105th on the 2014 list of Fortune Global 500. Sony Corporation is the
electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group, which is engaged in
business through its four operating segments electronics (including video games, network
services and medical business), motion pictures, music and financial services. These make Sony
9

one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony's principal business
operations

include Sony Corporation (Sony Electronics in the U.S.), Sony Pictures

Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Mobile

Communications (formerly Sony Ericsson), and Sony Financial. Sony is among the Worldwide
Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders and third-largest television manufacturer in the world,
after Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.
Sony offers a number of products in a variety of product lines around the world. Sony has
developed a music playing robot called Rolly, dog-shaped robots called AIBO and
a humanoid robot called QRIO.
As of 1 April 2012, Sony is organized into the following business segments: Imaging Products &
Solutions (IP&S), Game, Mobile Products & Communications (MP&C), Home Entertainment &
Sound (HE&S), Devices, Pictures, Music, Financial Services and All Other.
Electronics
SONY CORPORATION

Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group. It
primarily conducts strategic business planning of the group, research and development (R&D),
planning, designing and marketing for electronics products. Its subsidiaries such as Sony EMCS
Corporation (6 plants in Japan), Sony Semiconductor Corporation (7 plants in Japan) and its
subsidiaries outside Japan (Brazil, China, England, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South
Korea, Thailand, Ireland and United States) are responsible for manufacturing as well as product

10

engineering . In 2012, Sony rolled most of its consumer content services (including video, music,
and gaming) into the Sony Entertainment Network.
AUDIO

Sony produced the world's first portable music player, the Walkman in 1979. This line fostered a
fundamental change in music listening habits by allowing people to carry music with them and
listen to music through lightweight headphones. Walkman originally referred to portable
audio cassette players. The company now uses the Walkman brand to market its
portable audio and video players as well as a line of former Sony Ericsson mobile phones.
Sony utilized a related brand, Discman, to refer to its CD players. It dropped this name in the late
1990s.
COMPUTING

Sony sells many of its computer products using the VAIO brand.
Sony produced computers (MSX home computers and NEWS workstations) during the 1980s,
exclusively for sale in the Japanese market. The company withdrew from the computer business
around 1990. Sony entered again into the global computer market under the new VAIO brand,
began in 1996. Short for "Video Audio Integrated Operation", the line was the first computer
brand to highlight visual-audio features. Sony faced considerable controversy when some of its
laptop batteries exploded and caught fire in 2006, resulting in the largest computer-related recall
to that point in history.

11

In a bid to join the tablet computer market, the company launched its Sony Tablet line
of Android tablets in 2011. Since 2012, Sony's Android products have been marketed under
the Xperia brand used for its smartphones.
On 4 February 2014, Sony announced that it will sell its VAIO PC business due to poor sales and
Japanese company Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) will purchase the VAIO brand, with the deal
finalized by the end of March 2014. However, in news release on the Sony Global website,
published on 5 February, the corporations states: "Sony continues to address various options for
the PC business, but Sony has no further comments."
PHOTOGRAPHY

Sony offers a wide range of digital cameras. Point-and-shoot models adopt the Cyber-shot name,
while digital single-lens reflex models are branded using Alpha.
The first Cyber-shot was introduced in 1996. At the time, digital cameras were a relative novelty.
Sony's market share of the digital camera market fell from a high of 20% to 9% by 2005.
Sony entered the market for digital single-lens reflex cameras in 2006 when it acquired the
camera business of Konica Minolta. Sony rebranded the company's line of cameras as
its Alpha line.

Sony

is

the

world's

third

largest

manufacturer

of

the

cameras,

behind Canon and Nikon respectively.

VIDEO

In 1968 Sony introduced the Trinitron brand name for its lines of aperture grille cathode ray
tube televisions and (later) computer monitors. Sony stopped production of Trinitron for most

12

markets, but continued producing sets for markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. Sony
discontinued its series of Trinitron computer monitors in 2005. The company discontinued the
last Trinitron-based television set in the USA in early 2007. The end of Trinitron marked the end
of Sony's analog television sets and monitors.
Sony used the LCD WEGA name for its LCD TVs until summer 2005. The company then
introduced the BRAVIA name. BRAVIA is an in house brand owned by Sony which produces
high-definition LCD televisions, projection TVs and front projectors, home cinemas and the
BRAVIA home theatre range. All Sony high-definition flat-panel LCD televisions in North
America have carried the logo for BRAVIA since 2005. Sony is the third-largest maker of
televisions in the world. As of 2012, Sony's television business has been unprofitable for eight
years. In December 2011, Sony agreed to sell all stake in an LCD joint venture
with Samsung Electronics for about $940 million. On 28 March 2012, Sony Corporation
and Sharp Corporation announced that they have agreed to further amend the joint venture
agreement originally executed by the parties in July 2009, as amended in April 2011, for the
establishment and operation of Sharp Display Products Corporation ("SDP"), a joint venture to
produce and sell large-sized LCD panels and modules. Sony also sells a range of DVD players. It
has shifted its focus in recent years to promoting the Blu-ray format, including discs and players.
SEMICONDUCTOR AND COMPONENTS

Sony produces a wide range of semiconductors and electronic components including image
sensors, image processor (BIONZ), laser diodes, system LSIs, mixed-signal LSIs, OLED panels,
etc. The company has a strong presence in the image sensor market. Sony-manufactured CCD
and CMOS image sensors are widely used in digital cameras, tablet computers and smartphones.
13

SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

Sony Mobile Communications Inc. (formerly Sony Ericsson) is a multinational mobile

phone manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and a wholly owned subsidiary of
Sony Corporation.
In 2001, Sony entered into a joint venture with Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson,
forming Sony Ericsson. Initial sales were rocky, and the company posted losses in 2001 and
2002. However, SMC reached a profit in 2003. Sony Ericsson distinguished itself with
multimedia-capable mobile phones, which included features such as cameras. These were
unusual for the time. Despite their innovations, SMC faced intense competition from
Apple's iPhone, released in 2007. From 2008 to 2010, amid a global recession, SMC slashed its
workforce by several thousand. Sony acquired Ericsson's share of the venture in 2012 for over
US$1 billion. In 2009, SMC was the fourth-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world
(after Nokia, Samsung and LG). By 2010, its market share had fallen to sixth place. Sony Mobile
Communications now focuses exclusively on the smartphone market under the Xperia name.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Computer Entertainment is best known for producing the popular line of PlayStation
consoles. The line grew out of a failed partnership with Nintendo. Originally, Nintendo requested
for Sony to develop an add-on for its console that would play Compact Discs. In 1991 Sony
announced the add-on, as well as a dedicated console known as the "Play Station". However, a

14

disagreement over software licensing for the console caused the partnership to fall through. Sony
then continued the project independently.
Launched in 1994, the first PlayStation gained 61% of global console sales and broke Nintendo's
long-standing lead in the market. Sony followed up with the PlayStation 2 in 2000, which was
even more successful. The console has become the most successful of all time, selling over
150 million units as of 2011. Sony released the PlayStation 3, a high-definition console, in 2006.
It was the first console to use the Blu-ray format, although its expensive Cell processor made it
considerably more expensive than competitors Xbox 360 and Wii. Early on, poor sales
performance resulted in significant losses for the company, pushing it to sell the console at
a loss. The PlayStation 3 sold generally more poorly than its competitors in the early years of its
release but managed to overtake the Xbox 360 in global sales later on. It later introduced
the PlayStation Move, an accessory that allows players to control video games using motion
gestures.
Sony extended the brand to the portable games market in 2005 with the PlayStation
Portable (PSP). The console has sold reasonably, but has taken a second place to a rival
handheld, the Nintendo DS. Sony developed the Universal Media Disc (UMD) optical disc
medium for use on the PlayStation Portable. Early on, the format was used for movies, but it has
since lost major studio support. Sony released a disc-less version of its PlayStation Portable, the
PSP Go. The company went on to release its second portable video game system, PlayStation
Vita, in 2011 and 2012. Sony launched its fourth console, the PlayStation 4, on 15 November
2013.

15

On 18 March 2014, at GDC, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios

Shuhei Yoshida announced their new virtual reality technology dubbed Project Morpheusfor
PlayStation 4. The headset, still in prototype form, will bring VR gaming and non-gaming
software to the company's new console.

2.1-PRODUCT PLANNING DECSIONS OF SONY

1. PRODUCT LINE DECISIONS:
16

The marketer should decide whether to concentrate on one product or deal with a product line.
Product mix involves a set of products which a marketer may offer to the market. For instance,
SONY corporation has a huge product line. They concentrate on a number of products precisely
and uniformly.
For instance Sony product line consist of Audio Home, portable and car as well as personal
navigation systems
Video Video cameras, digital cameras, DVD/Video players & recorders
Televisions LCD televisions, Projection televisions CRT-based televisions
Information and computers personal computers, printers
Semiconductors- LCD, CCD, and other types of semiconductors
Games PlayStation
Television and motion pictures
The company offers a Sony Card and a PlayStation card, these are rewards cards credit cards
which allows customers to earn redeemable points when they purchase Sony products and
services

2. PRODUCT PACKAGING:
The marketer should design the proper packaging. Packaging serves various purposes-protection,
preservation, and promotion of the product. For instance SONY uses streamlined packaging
Smaller product packaging not only enables the product to use less packaging material, it also
makes a big difference in reducing the environmental impact of distribution, because more

17

products can fit in each shipping container. Sony is streamlining packaging in all product
categories.
Packaging for smaller products
Packaging redesign not only targets televisions and Blu-ray equipment but also smaller products.
Sony is refining the shape of product packaging and the layout of accessories inside to trim the
amount of packaging material used. This blister pack for a Bluetooth laser mouse is a good
example. The new packaging slashes the amount of plastic used by nearly 70%.
Environmentally conscious packaging material, too
As SONY shrinks product packaging, we also take every opportunity to switch to
environmentally conscious packaging material. Use of oil-based polystyrene foam is minimized,
and we are introducing recycled plastic and similar material while shifting to alternatives with
recycling infrastructure in place.

3. PRICING OF THE PRODUCT:

The products are in such a way that there are designs for different budgets. The company targets
all the customers ranging from low-end customers to high end customers. The Pricing of
products start fromRs.1700/- and it goes up to Rs. 70000/-

18

Price variables such as dealer price, retail price, discounts, allowances, credit terms etc. influence
the development of marketing strategy, as price is a major factor that influences the assessment
of value obtained by customers. . Sony being a company which emphasize product quality, it
tends to sell its products with price range from moderately-low to high-prices, depending on the
use and products.

4. PROMOTION DECISIONS:
The marketer has to resort to promotional activities to inform and to induce the target
customersto purchase the product. 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 earl bird prizes by saying that all BRAVIA full HD LCDTVs during July 2008
and registered within two weeks of purchase qualify for a Bonus Playstation 3 as long as the
customer claims is one of the first 35,000 received and validated by Sony. .The Promotional
activities are mainly done through advertising. Sony has been sponsoring WTA tours. The Brand
Ambassadors of the company include many tennis stars such as Maria Sharapova, pop stars and
actors in different countries. The company has also adopted the method of Sales Promotion by
giving free gifts or use of Scratch Card.

5. DISTRIBUTION DECISIONS:

19

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. Apart
from this there are grey-markets in India and other countries where a practice of intensive market
coverage is practiced, and the products in these kind of markets normally do not posses all the
features and benefits which Sony offers e.g. warranty and guarantee. 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 buys their Sony product from the retailers recognized by Sony, and these retailers buy
the products directly from the company itself.

6. AFTER-SALE-SERVICE DECISIONS:
The marketer should decide about the after sale service decisions, especially in case of consumer
durable and on industrial items such as machinery. For instance; effective after sale service is
provided by Sony to build long term relationship with the customer.
They provide 24 hours after sale service to the customer. The customer care staff are also polite
towards the customers and solves their queries on time.

20

2.2-PRODUCT LIFECYCLE OF SONY

Product Life Cycle Stages Explained
The product life cycle has 4 very clearly defined stages, each with its own characteristics that
mean different things for business that are trying to manage the life cycle of their particular
products.

21

Introduction Stage This stage of the cycle could be the most expensive for a company
launching a new product. The size of the market for the product is small, which means sales are
low, although they will be increasing. On the other hand, the cost of things like research and
development, consumer testing, and the marketing needed to launch the product can be very
high, especially if its a competitive sector.
Growth Stage The growth stage is typically characterized by a strong growth in sales and
profits, and because the company can start to benefit from economies of scale in production, the
profit margins, as well as the overall amount of profit, will increase. This makes it possible for
businesses to invest more money in the promotional activity to maximize the potential of this
growth stage.
Maturity Stage During the maturity stage, the product is established and the aim for the
manufacturer is now to maintain the market share they have built up. This is probably the most
competitive time for most products and businesses need to invest wisely in any marketing they
undertake. They also need to consider any product modifications or improvements to the
production process which might give them a competitive advantage.
Decline Stage Eventually, the market for a product will start to shrink, and this is whats
known as the decline stage. This shrinkage could be due to the market becoming saturated (i.e.
all the customers who will buy the product have already purchased it), or because the consumers
are switching to a different type of product. While this decline may be inevitable, it may still be
possible for companies to make some profit by switching to less-expensive production methods
and cheaper markets.

22

Product Life Cycle Examples

Its possible to provide examples of various products to illustrate the different stages of the
product life cycle more clearly. Here is the example of watching recorded television and the
various stages of each method:
1.

Introduction - 3D TVs

2.

Growth - Blu ray discs/DVR

3.

Maturity - DVD

4.

Decline - Video cassette

The idea of the product life cycle has been around for some time, and it is an important principle
manufacturers need to understand in order to make a profit and stay in business.
However, the key to successful manufacturing is not just understanding this life cycle, but also
proactively managing products throughout their lifetime, applying the appropriate resources and
sales and marketing strategies, depending on what stage products are at in the cycle.

23

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE OF SONY WALKMAN

Stage1:Introduction
Development:
The Sony Walkman was developed in the Sony Research Center, Yokohoma, Japan.
Sony

invested

billions

of

dollars

in

R&D,

especially

product

development.

It had 4 corporate laboratories, nine development groups, and R&D labs around the world.

The first Sony Walkman, the TPS-L2, entered the marketplace on July 1, 1979, in Japan.
Sony had designed a heavy, portable tape player before at $1,000 per unit, but there was no
demand.
Sony chairman Akio Morita had requested for a design with cheap components and a small,
stylish

body.

Sony

Walkman

was

priced

to

sell

at

$200.

Sony's obsession with making popular devices smaller helped perpetuate Japan's reputation for
producing technology in miniature. Along with highlighting the compact design, Sony also
pioneered

the

idea

of

portable

music

as

sign

of

youth.

Teenagers were often the target demographic in advertisements for the Walkman, and Sony
hoped that the device would become associated with fitness, youth and mobility.
Walkmans came in a variety of bright colors, and many models were labeled "Sports."

Stage2:Growth
On

average,

minor

Sony

product

changes

occur

about

once

year.

For Sony Walkman, new models were introduced every six months or less. Plus an anniversary

24

model

on

first

July

every

year.

Major model changes that require the introduction of new technology occurred only once every
three to five years. Sony worked to prolong the product's life in the marketplace.
Sales were very good. A total of 220 million cassette Walkman players were sold.

Stage3:Maturity
By late 1980s, competition grew, from Toshiba (Walky), Aiwa (CassetteBoy) and Panasonic.
Sony's

compact

disc

player,

the

Discman,

was

introduced

in

1984.

As CDs became more popular, cassettes naturally began to disappear. As a testament to the
strength of the brand, though, Sony began to market other products with the name "Walkman,"
abandoning

the

Discman

name

altogether.

Walkman lived its product life well. It set the stage for innovation and further development and
brought about new products like MP3 players and iPods.

Stage4:Decline
Sony failed to maintain its leadership in the segment that it had created itself! MP3 players were
more popular soon, and not many people were interested in the cassette player.
Sonys youth-in-motion branding was taken over by the more dynamic and aggressive iPod from
Apple.
In October, 2010, Sony announced that April 2010 was the last month of production in Japan.

25

26

2.3-PRODUCT FAILURES OF SONY

Betamax video, 1975

Sony developed Betamax back in the day to combat JVC's rival VHS format. The video quality
actually superseded VHS, and the tapes were smaller. But JVC's format won the day, in a classic
marketing triumph, leaving Sony's format to limp on as the little-used underdog for decadesthe
last tape was produced in 2002.
Digital Audio Tape, Mid-1980's

Sony introduced the DAT as a digital successor to the regular analog cassette tape for consumers,
combining spinning-head technology from video tape machines and digital-encoding. It was
controversial, with the RIAA lobbying to prevent DAT machines being sold in the U.S. on the
27

grounds it would facilitate high-res album copying (sound familiar?). DAT saw limited take-up
by the consumer, thanks partly to expensive players. Sony officially killed the format in 2005, as
it never lived up to the success of cassettes, and was overtaken by recordable CD tech.

Minidisc, 1993
I remember being hugely excited by the Minidisc when Sony launched it. It seemed like a tiny,
recordable digital music standard was a good thing. The discs came in a sled that protected them
from harm. Though they could've been successful, Sony sadly added stern digital copy
protection, and that, combined with high media prices and the steep cost of buying a
player/recorder meant it never took off. It was also superseded by recordable CDs. The product
has disappeared, though Sony still makes a single player/recorder unit.

ATRAC Audio Compression, 1993

Sony developed ATRAC for the Minidisc, where it was used to fit near CD-quality and size
audio files onto the much smaller physical disc space. That was a fabulous use, but when Sony
introduced its first all-solid-state Walkman much later, it chose to use ATRAC. In fact it took
until 2004 for Network Walkman to support MP3s natively, by which time MP3s had taken off. It

28

was a nasty, close-minded move by Sony, and it failed. MP3, an open standard, is king for a
reason.
Memory Stick, 1998
Sony developed its Memory Stick technology for its own digital cameras and portable music
players. It was an entirely proprietary format, initially limited to Sony alone, and designed as an
additional revenue stream for the company. After all, if you wanted to buy a Sony digital camera,
you had to spend more money on media for it. The core technology also went into the memory
cards for the PlayStation range, and Sony enhanced it with the Duo and Micro variations. While
Memory Stick slots are occasionally found on non-Sony laptops, the format has never taken off
with other manufacturers.
Universal Media Disc, 2005

Sony took some of its miniDisc thinking into the design of the optical discs for the PlayStation
Portable. Games and movies were distributed on the format, but since it was clunky it made the
PSP larger than it needed to be and never saw widespread support from movie studios

29

production of UMD movies was significantly cut back as soon as 2006. The new PSP Go has
ditched the UMD for a digital-only distribution model.
With the impending death of UMD and MemoryStick Micromaybe implying MemoryStick
itself is on the way outwe really hope Sony's evil proprietary format-loving days are over. But
with a Sony heritage dating back to 1975, it may be a forlorn hope.

30

CHAPTER 3-NEW MARKET OFFERINGS OF SONY

Companies first find the target market than segment and then customers. After these companies
go about developing products, which may be product modification or it may be a completely new
product. Product offerings are increasing every year as consumers are looking for more and more
variety of products. Companies which are unable to churn out new products fall back on
competition and suffer the consequences. Companies face danger not just from competitors but
consumer needs, technology, and product life cycle. New product development has its share of
challenges. Research shows that 95 percent of new products fail in USA and in Europe failure
rate is 90 percent.
Organizational set up has to be conducive to support new product development. Foremost
companies must allocate funds for research and development, the conventional way is the
percent of sales technique. Others chose to allow employees dedicate a certain amount of work
time on new product development. Companies next have to organize the process of development.
This can be done by product managers with new product development experience or by cross

31

functional team with members chosen from various departments having the knack of developing
new products.

NEW PRODUCTS:
1. TELEVISION: Sony Electronics showcased its new line of BRAVIA 4K Ultra HD
televisions, designed to enhance image quality and provide expanded access to content. The
televisions were built with a new 4K Processor X1, further advancing the color accuracy,

contrast and clarity of the Sony 4K viewing experience. The new XBR X900C Series features a
new ultra-thin floating style, making it Sonys thinnest TVs yet with edge-to-edge viewing. The
new models range in size from 43 to 75-inches and include four new series and 10 new models.
As the industry leader in 4K picture quality, Sonys commitment to developing technologies to
enhance the viewing experience is showcased with this line-up. The new 4K Processor X1 was
built to enhance color, contrast and clarity while improving the streaming quality of images that
4K content providers supply. Combined with the advanced 4K X-Reality PRO up scaling
Algorithm technology, these televisions will analyze and upscale 4K resolution, providing the
best image quality, regardless of the image source. For the first time, these televisions will
32

support Googles Android TV operating system, making it easy to stream video, function as a
gaming device and provide enhanced features like voice-enabled searching through a remote
equipped with a microphone.
2. PORTABLE AUDIO: Sony Electronics introduced new portable audio products designed to
reproduce the ultimate audio sound quality without restictions or set-up hassles. Consumers can
utilize the new High Resolution NW-ZX2 Walkman player and MDR-1ABT Headphones or
the PHA-1A headphone DAC/amplifier to enhance their mobile or computer listening
experience. Further advancing the reach of high quality sound, Sony also announced a Hi-Res
car audio head unit.
Sony has made it possible to enjoy music at a higher sound quality by applying unique audio
technologies that bring listeners closer to the spirit and intent of the artists original performance.
These new products further the desire to equip consumers with the best portable products
possible to enjoy a fully immersive, Hi-Res audio experience from practically any location.
3. VIDEO CAMERAS:

33

Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging, has today introduced its most powerful
POV camera to date, the 4K Action Cam.
The new camera, model FDR-X1000V, applies the companys vast expertise in 4K video
production to a compact, splash-proof POV camera design, allowing adventurers to capture
stunning 4K content (38402160@30p 100Mbps1/60Mpbs) with ease, which can be played back
on a compatible 4K TV directly from the camera through HDMI. It also features enhanced HD
video performance with upgraded stabilization, image quality and high-frame rate shooting.
4. BLU-RAY DISC PLAYERS: Sony Electronics today unveiled its latest and smartest Bluray Disc players. Capable of delivering top quality video from packaged Blu-ray Discs or
instantly streaming a wide variety of online movies, videos, TV shows, and music from over 300
applications including Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Video
Unlimited, and more, these new models reinforce Sonys leadership in the Blu-ray Disc player
category.
5. 4K PROJECTOR:

Sony Electronics unveiled today the new full 4K VPL-VW350ES projector, broadening its home
theater projector line-up. The VPL-VW350ES is Sonys latest product to deliver a true 4K

34

experience, offering four times the resolution of Full HD with a 4K native resolution (4,096 x
2,160).
With our 4K projection expertise, Sony is unrivalled in our ability to offer breathtaking image
quality, said Toshifumi Okuda, Sony Electronics Deputy President. The VPL-VW350ES
enables us to deliver the very best home cinema experience to even more of our customers.

CHAPTER 4-CONCLUSION

The impact of technological change on a firm is usually considered an external influence. By

taking such an essential role, driving the markets forward through its innovative research and
development, Sony has been able to become a proactive force, rather than having to react to
changes. By internalising much of the technological advances, Sony put itself in a strong position
to fulfill its goals and objectives. However, Sony has only been able to achieve this by being
prepared to change and adapt from within.
Sony has been a very well-established company over the years and has always been known for
quality and innovative products. Although the company's strategies are geared towards the right
35

direction since they are facing all their challenges and issues with improvements, the company
can always seek a more proactive approach on dealing with the market rather than reacting to it.
For instance, Sony can revolutionize a particular market by creating a product that is far more
innovative than competitors that competition is virtually non-existent. Although it may be riskier
to approach the market this way, it can yield much higher returns and ultimately make a huge
impact on the market as well as consumers. However, Sony has been remarkably successful over
the years through its more conservative approach and continues to dominate multiple markets to
this day.

WEBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.sony.net/
http://www.11points.com/
http://blog.sony.com/ces/
http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/

36