If you want market share, you have to get your brand out there. Alarmed by the growth of other brands, like rival/collaborator Samsung, Viewsonic, and others, Sony is commiting to the general goods big box channel, with new offerings in Wal-mart, and Target.
ZD Net: Sony plans TV line for Wal-Mart, Target
Without revealing too many other details, Randy Waynick, Sony Electronics' senior vice president of marketing, said Monday that the company would supply a "unique series of models" of liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions to big-box retailers for availability in the next 60 days. It's part of the company's strategy to sell to targeted groups of consumers. That means smaller specialty electronics sellers will also be supplied specific models, so they won't be competing as directly with the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart.
Although Sony ranks as the top seller of televisions, the company (like all established electronics vendors) is facing increased competition from new companies offering cheaper sets. Often, these companies avoid the electronics superstores and sell their products in club stores and big-box retailers. The new sets will allow Sony to better fend off newcomers without alienating its traditional partners by selling the same sets in different stores for the same price.
ZD Net: Sony plans TV line for Wal-Mart, Target
Without revealing too many other details, Randy Waynick, Sony Electronics' senior vice president of marketing, said Monday that the company would supply a "unique series of models" of liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions to big-box retailers for availability in the next 60 days. It's part of the company's strategy to sell to targeted groups of consumers. That means smaller specialty electronics sellers will also be supplied specific models, so they won't be competing as directly with the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart.
Although Sony ranks as the top seller of televisions, the company (like all established electronics vendors) is facing increased competition from new companies offering cheaper sets. Often, these companies avoid the electronics superstores and sell their products in club stores and big-box retailers. The new sets will allow Sony to better fend off newcomers without alienating its traditional partners by selling the same sets in different stores for the same price.
This isn't a radical new strategy, as Sony has been available in department stores like Sears and HBC for some time. This is just Sony's first forray into successful general goods retailers.
In addition, unique model numbers for the mass market are a standard procedure in the CE business. It's not uncommon for manufacturers to offer the same television, camcorder or whatever under one model name for a national account retailer like Best Buy, and a different model name for the regional independents. It's supposed to reduce price competition, but it doesn't really fool anyone. Savvy comparison shoppers inevitably figure out that it's the same damn tv, and it gets discounted anyway.
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