Sony Analysis Marketing

Contents

Section 1        

Section 2        

Section 3        

Section 4        

Section 5        

Conclusion        

Appendix        

References        

Introduction

The impact that a business can gain from the powerful tool of marketing can have a positive or negative effect, depending on how it is utilised and implemented.  Mega corporations have reaped the benefits of marketing, which is create a personal relationship between the customers and the product/services offered by the organisation. The advert chosen is based on a flawless product by technology powerhouse, Sony. The PlayStation portable was the benchmark for handheld gaming industry and was a very huge rival for other gaming companies such as Nintendo.  This report intends to explore the geographical effects  on a product/service, the marketing process and major factors that contribute to the fantastic world of marketing. The report will begin with the marketing process and how it was involved in an advert.

Section 1

1.  marketing process elements.

• Needs, wants and demands.

The basis of marketing is giving the consumer what they want and the introduction of the PlayStation portable in 2003 did exactly that, specifically for the younger generation. During the period, the market for handheld gaming consoles was not competitive, with the Nintendo Ds and Nokia N-gage being major forces. With the introduction of the PlayStation portable, the market finally had a competitive device that was bigger, faster and had more quality that every gamer demanded. Sony and its innovative PlayStation projects have always been successful in the past and that contributes  to a positive image to the company. With that being said, Echavarria (2015) states that, “the image contributes to the demands of a consumer because they are backed by the buying power”.

• The marketing offering.

The market advantage that the PlayStation portable had was the introduction of the revolutionary universal media disk feature which gave users a high quality gaming experiences that surpassed their competitors. Park(2005)   stated that the Nintendo Ds (PlayStation portables main competitor) system could only play specific cartridges, which is a step down to the quality the PlayStation portable possessed.

The product was extremely appealing, with its slick design concept and luminous colour options. Park(2005) examines the dimensions between the Playstation portable and  Nintendo Ds, explaining that  “the PSP has a 6.7x2.91x091 inch screen while the Nintendo Ds had a 5.85x3.33x1.13 inch screen”. This explains yet again, the competitive advantage the PlayStation portable had at the time.

The product was physically tangible and offered services to users who might have had a problem with the device. Every customer that bought a PlayStation portable was entitled to a warrantee that would usually last up to twenty four months, maximum. Sony ran promotions where the PlayStation portable would come with two games to play.

• Value satisfaction and quality.

Carnoy(2005) explains that “the slick design of the device was in a class of its own with the wide screen display and graphic similarities that are close to the PlayStation 2”. The PSP had the ability to offer the consumer a revolutionary gaming experience that they can assess and compare the quality to other competitors.  This clearly connects to the customer satisfaction due to the fact that the device exceeded expectations and surpassed with quality gaming experience.

• Exchange, transaction and relationship.

The exchange between the customer, being the child holding the Playstation portable and the Sony corporation is seen in the ad. The device is something of value, ranging from $249.99 at the time of release in 2003. Sony started to create awareness of the PlayStation portable in 2003 at one of the biggest gaming expos, E3, where they revealed a few teaser images to the public, that being a form of communication.  Before the development of the PlayStation portable, Sony had already established a strong bond with its stakeholders and customers because of their previous products. The aim of the PlayStation portable was to capitalise off the solid relationship and maintain a long term relationship with not just stakeholders  but retailers, dealers and consumers.

• Market

The advertisement suggests that the device is suited for young children when in reality, the PlayStation portable is a product for any gamer, no matter what age or gender.  Sony, being the sellers, have constituted a solid step in the handheld gaming industry with the introduction of the PlayStation portable.

Section 2

1. Advantages and disadvantages of doing marketing

Sponsor profile(2014) elaborates on Sony’s recent marketing strategy, stating that “they have revolved around promoting themselves via partnerships with film festivals, action sports events and other events to promote recent products such as the Sony action cam and other media players”.  Sponsor profile(2014) elaborates on how this is a ideal advantage because “ Sony can speak about their products in very unique environments.