Marketing Mix Analysis of Sony Electronics\' Marketing

Marketing Mix

Analysis of Sony Electronics' Marketing Mix

Identifying and analyzing the marketing mix of a particular organization requires knowledge about its elements, which are the product, pricing, place (channels of distribution) and promotion of the organization's products and/or services. In this paper, the marketing mix of Sony Electronics is analyzed.

The primary reference used for the analysis of the organization is thru Sony's online web site, www.sonystyle.com. The web site provides complete information about the products and services offered by Sony, whether purchases were made online or ordered and bought personally in Sony stores.

Sony's range of products demonstrates that the organization fulfills its customers' needs -- that is, as a business company that specializes on electronic products, Sony must create and produce electronic products that are in demand among consumers at present. Thus, the company offers products such as computers (desktop, notebooks, and laptops), digital cameras, camcorders, televisions, as well as portable audio products such as the Walkman and Discman. Apart from these products, Sony offers services or "solutions," which include offering photo printing of pictures and images taken by a Sony digicam or camcorder, small business packages, educating consumers about electronics and Sony's products, and wireless solutions, specifically those using Microsoft programs.

The wide range of products from Sony are packaged using colors of silver, white, onyx black, and its latest offering, the burgundy color. These colors are applied to all of Sony's electronic products, giving them a futuristic yet sophisticated look. This is one of Sony's strongest points, since the modern look of its products makes them more appealing than the competition. The company's product strategy clearly centers on product packaging, and Sony uses this important feature to its advantage to entice customers, loyal and potential ones, to buy and patronize their product.

The placement or channels of distribution adopted by Sony to sell their products and services is through the Sony web site and stores, which are located not only in the U.S. And Japan, but across various countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific as well. The accessibility and complete information included in the site makes it a perfect venue for online shopping and business transactions between Sony and customers be conducted.

Promotion used is also effective, primarily because Sony has captured the most accessible forms of media by which to advertise, through print (magazines and newspapers), TV, and online. Sales promotions during holidays and special days serves as additional appeal to consumers, in the form of discounts and rebates on Sony electronic products, paraphernalia, and even shipping costs. It also helps that a 24-hour customer service support is available online, which answers some of the customer's inquiries that cannot be satisfied or provided by web site information.