Sony Ericsson Swot Analysis Essay Example For Students

Sony Ericsson Swot Analysis Essay Sony Ericsson SWOT Analysis Strength Diversity among products. Sony as a brand name. Weakness Lack in understanding Customer Preferences Less technology advancement Lack of user centered designs. Lack of Brand awareness globally Opportunities Mobile phones market in developing High % of young market Strong Customer demand for innovative product High Disposable income in emerging markets. Network capabilities and low tariff of service providers. Threats Landline penetration and introduction of Sky phones for rural areas. Intense competition. Bargaining power of consumers. The Marketing Mix and Product Strategy Key marketing strategies which are identified:- The products should be stylish and in with the current trend and technology. One of the noted trends is the ‘only touch screen mobile handsets, with the advent of iphone from Apple and a phone from the LG- Prada tie-up. If the emerging markets and trend are focused, then style would play a major role as the Nepalese consumers are mostly young adults with an increasing amount of disposable income and they look for brands which are fashionable, especially. Sony Ericsson should be differentiated according to pricing. With heavy competition cutting down on the profits, Future Tech (Sony Ericsson) should look into new markets using the penetration pricing technique and create a new market segment, like what Nokia did in India with their Nokia 1130 mobile which was a dust proof phone with a torch. Product differentiation could be done on the basis of the respective bundling; if it focuses on music player then it should be placed in a separate category from the handset which has camera as its specialty. The emphasis should be given to direct marketing and customer relationship management (CRM). ) The Marketing Mix and Product Strategy A key part of brand development is making your brand more instantly accessible in memory and thats what product placement does. So, placement should be utilized in the digital media to make a mark on the customers psyche. Also, strategic placement of advertisements in youth oriented program to target teenagers. The product needs to be placed strategically in such a way that customers treat it as a status symbol and a fashion statement. This could be done by direct marketing in mega malls and boutique shops, to improve the brand image. Future tech should endorse local film stars and athletes for their products and not go for international stars, which the local people wouldnt be able to relate to. Physical settings of the showroom should be trendy and modern to give the general impression of the brand. It should not just confirm to the assumptions of the consumer but also delight them. The mobile phones should also be placed strategically such that the best phones should be in the front and the cheapest at the back. The employees dealing with the customers should be given special training as to how to be presentable, pleasing, and well-mannered and how to handle the customers efficiently. The training would set a certain standard across all outlets and increase the consumer satisfaction The Marketing Mix and Product Strategy Warranty and Insurance Sony Ericsson units come with a standard 1-year warranty for parts and functionality and 6 months for battery. The warranty excludes cosmetic damage whereas replacement casing may be purchased and then applied free of charge in Sony Repair Centers. For the holders of Sony Ericsson Privilege card, there is an option for upgraded warranty by payment of a nominal charge. Insurance is a new terminology in Mobile market, but it is very effective tool globally. Future Tech should tie up with some insurance company for insurance of mobile phone. ( it is a value added strategy or marketing gimmick to attract customers). After Sale service Service Plus Future Tech should heighten its already excellent customer service to further differentiate it from competitor brands. In order to align itself with the various needs of its clientele, there will be a provision for different ‘Tiers of Service for Sony Ericsson Privilege Card holders silver / gold / platinum. The Card tiering will be contingent on the points accumulated. Sony customer care service centers promise a one-day maximum period within which to respond to queries. Taking advantage of the client contact which this entails, service representatives handling repairs may extend the option of loaning temporary units at a nominal charge until the users phone has been completely repaired. Future Tech will also provide assistance to clients who need to retrieve data or contact numbers from damaged units. These servicing station should be very visible and in major outlets as well. Branding/Rebranding For Sony Ericsson to boost it’s the corporate identity, it is recommended the re-branding of mobile phones under the umbrella brand, Sony. The concept is similar to that utilized by Motorola (Moto-Razor, Moto-Flip, etc. ). This strategy will help leverage upon the existing strong brand equity of Sony in the appliance industry, as well as its reputation for product innovation. ). This not only reinforces the existing brand awareness of Sony but also tells customers about what advantages Sony Ericsson mobile phones are capable of bringing to them. It is proposed to establish strategic partnerships that will help Sony Ericsson reach the primary target market as well as the secondary target market more effectively. This will help create a stronger brand recall for Sony Ericsson mobile phones in each category. In addition, a club of Sony mobile users and users of Sony home appliances with cross-product discounts, and membership perks in other establishments will be provided upon purchase of the said appliances. For instance, a customer will be entitled to a certain number of credits which may be used in purchasing a Sony Ericsson mobile phone when he purchases a television. Launches: Any new product launched by Future tech should be talk of the town. The launch should be carried out with press meet and backed up with huge media campaign. Pricing Policies: Future Tech retail price will be issued to the distributors for strict implementation. Strict monitoring will be implemented to ensure that retailers would not dilute the brand by selling it at a lower price The Marketing Mix and Product Strategy Distribution Strategy Existing Distribution system Sony Ericsson’s current distribution system consists of one national supplier who acts as exclusive distributor agent to the Nepal. This supplier distributes to: a. 3 Concept Stores which are Future tech own store and display ONLY Sony phones. b. Over 150 Authorized dealers which are multi-brand stores The problem of ‘Grey market is huge due to a VAT to be paid to government Channels Members: Proposed Distribution System In order to increase sales volume and market share, the following alternate distribution model is proposed: Traditional Distribution Channels Marijuana Persuasive EssayThe objective of sales promotion is to induce purchase as well as to retain existing customers by providing special incentives for Future Tech customers. It is specially encouraged that Future tech should tie-up with corporations to allow discounts for employees. This promotion move will prove to be highly effective as the primary target segment is the young working professionals. This is an ideal strategic tie-up as it will certainly generate sales volume as well as brand awareness. There is no better advertising strategy than word of mouth advertising. In addition, there will be strategic tie-ups with TV, FM. For example, audience tuning to Kantipur TV programs answering questions correctly given after the end of the program can get Sony Ericsson mobile phones as prizes. In turn, KTV will indirectly promote Sony Ericsson brand awareness by mentioning the Sony Ericsson as prize-givers. For music stores: customers purchasing CDs, VCDs, DVDs from music stores will get their points added in their. Sony Ericsson Privilege Cards. Kiosks located in the business district will be geared at promoting the new line, Executive series. This will bring us closer to our primary target segment. Sales Promotion or Sales Tactics Sony Ericsson Privilege Cards: Sony Ericsson Privilege Cards forges a community of Sony Ericsson customers. This club is not only exclusively for Sony Ericsson mobile phone users but also for users of other Sony Ericsson products. It is aimed at strengthening corporate identity. Based on the amount of purchase, there will be 4 tiers of membership: 1) Regular, 2) Silver, 3) Gold ; 4) Platinum. Promo mechanics will operate along the lines of purchases entitling customers membership in Sony Ericsson Privilege Cards. In this system, customers may earn loyalty points commensurate to the amount of their purchase. Upon accumulating a certain number of points, their membership will be upgraded to Silver or Gold status, allowing them increasing privileges. Sony Ericsson Privilege Cards membership will provide customers many benefits. First, redemption of loyalty points will be in the form of discounts among an extensive range of Sony Ericsson or Sony Products. Depending on level of membership, customers may avail of offers for extended warranties and product service. Members may also earn points on the surrender or exchange of Sony Ericsson products which they intend to replace. Replacements can then be purchased at a discount, using loyalty points as credit. Special promotions and exclusive discounts will be exclusive to members of the Sony Ericsson Privilege Cards. Sony Ericsson Privilege Card Club will be beneficial not only to customers, but to the company as well. The club will create sustainable strong brand loyalty, promoting customer advocacy and stronger repeat purchase due to perks and conveniences. The Sony Ericsson Privilege Cards Club will be an ambassador for Corporate Social Responsibility, a medium for communicating Sony Ericsson’s social responsiveness to the public. Members will be made aware of Sony Ericsson’s initiatives of proper disposal of hazardous parts via notices which accompany promotional letters, emails, and text messages Sales Promotion or Sales Tactics Public Relations: Sony Ericsson should embark on the program Batteries Return. Most of the time, when the battery is no longer usable, customers will just throw away and therefore cause damage to the environment. Future Tech should practices Corporate Social Responsibility by asking its customers to return its batteries and to reproduce/or discard them so as not to damage the environment. In return, customers will be able to add in Sony Ericsson points for their Sony Ericsson privilege Cards. This action plan will no doubt be receiving coverage from media such as television/newspapers of this action program is to project Future Tech as a green corporation and that people in the Sony Ericsson community care greatly about the environment. Sales Promotion or Sales Tactics Dealer Commission Dealer commission to be at par with Competitors and additional commissions on cash purchase bulk lifting to be given to the dealers. Additional 1% bonuses on total turn over to be given if achieved 100% target which is additional to target bonus. Incentives to Sales persons Model wise sales wise incentives to be given to the sales persons to motivate them. Participations in trade shows and fairs To get the word out about our product we will participate in market and trade fairs in different parts of the country. Trade shows in Nepal are no longer based on strictly industrial goods and the business class. Today, the biggest trade shows are organized for the middle income group and more towards household groups that fit into our target market These Trade fairs will provide us with an incredible opportunity to get in touch with the real end consumers and to understand the needs and also what their demands of our product are. Continuous Training Programs on sales and Marketing Programs related to sales and marketing to be conducted on regular basis so as to ensure that sales team is motivated and are not new to the innovation and ideas of the world. Direct Marketing or mass mailing It is recommended to have a tie up with different commercials banks and magazines to distribute our product leaflets and schemes to their clientele.