Sony Cyber Shot-Dsc-W300 Black Strategic

sony cyber shot-DSC-W300 BLACK

Strategic Group Analysis

The Sony Corporation operates in a highly dynamic industry, characterized by numerous and rapid changes, most of them due to technological advancements. This means that both Sony and its competitors must quickly adapt to the emerging requirements. The company's top competitors and the components of its strategic group include Japanese Panasonic Group, Dutch Phillips Electronics and Japanese SANYO (Hoovers, 2009). These companies manufacture similar products (such as digital cameras, television sets, play stations or other numerous electronic appliances with applications in all entertainment and leisure, professional activities or day-to-day chores) and address the same target market. The primary strategy used to overcome competition is that of differentiation. However, with the technological innovations, most products came to reveal similar features. As a result then, the differentiation strategy based on product characteristics becomes more and more difficult to reap on. Consequently, Sony and its competitors have made increased efforts to differentiate in terms of cost.

The Sony Corporation has developed strategic partnerships with various providers that insure it with a timely delivery of high-quality components is cost-effective conditions; other endeavors have also been launched to further reduce expenditures. This allows the organization to reduce the retail price of their items and better attract the attention of the customer base. However the demand for the Sony products varies based on independent features, it has generally been observed that "the demand curve for Sony will be downward sloping, implying that more sets will be sold as the retail price is reduced" (Nellis and Parker, 2006)

2. Product Life Cycle

With the numerous advancements that are being made in Information Technology, the product life cycle of various items has suffered drastic modifications. The most eloquent example in this sense is given by the decrease in product life duration as newer technologies emerge and the best product of last year's is today outdated. The players in the electronics or telecommunications industry suffer greatly from this as they must continually strive to advance their products, services and technologies in order to keep up with the new emergent demands. This then gives the rapid and dynamic rhythm of the industry and explains the modifications in product life cycle.

Historically, the PLC of digital cameras required massive investments in development, launch onto the market, growth, support at maturity stages and revival in decline. Today, most of the investments are made in development, introduction and sales. Sony and its competitors understood the futility of trying to support a declining product in an era of rapid technological innovations. As such, most of the financial resources and time is spent on research and development of newer technologies and their integration within products that will further increase customer satisfaction.

In placing their new digital camera, the marketing team at Sony has to consider a pivotal piece of information - the PLC of digital cameras has been rethought to focus more of market, brand and technology, rather that the product itself. "The development of digital cameras (a significant step in the camera technological life cycle) has implications both for the film processing industry and for the number of type of players within the market" (Wilson and Gilligan, 2005). This basically means that the competition in the field has dramatically increased and the launch of the Sony Cyber Shot-DSC-W300 BLACK will have to revolve around modern characteristics of product life cycle.

3. Boston Consulting Group Growth-Share Matrix

The Boston-Consulting Group growth-share matrix reveals four types of products - stars, cash cows, question marks and dogs. These stages could be assimilated with the product life cycles and they are relevant as they signal the strategies to be implemented at each stage. In this line of thoughts, star products generate increased amounts of money (due to a strong market share), but also consume high budgetary levels (due to rapid growth rates). Cash cows consume reduced amounts of money and generate less that stars, but are more stable (they are leaders in a mature market). Dogs are products that consume little money, but also generate low levels of profitability - they are often in the stages of decline. Finally, question marks consume large amounts of money and generate little profits; they could either become stars (and then cash cows) or dogs (Net MBA, 2007).

Sony currently manufactures and produces items belonging to all four categories previously mentioned. The Sony Cyber Shot-DSC-W300 BLACK could be considered a cash cow for the simple reason that it generates stable and reliable incomes, but requires minimalist investments. Additionally, the digital camera currently possesses a significant relative market share, meaning that the Sony Corporation can continue to reap the benefits of their leading product on the maturing market of digital cameras (despite the initial requirements of cash cows being present in mature markets, the market of digital cameras is a relatively new industry and it would be false to say that it is fully mature).

4. SWOT Analysis

Strengths - the black color of the digital camera makes it easier for the user to keep the device clean (this is a strength as cleaning instruments cost additional money); the titanium frame is protective of the camera; it has face recognition and can even differentiate between older people and children; the lens stabilize the image; high speed feature which allows for the taking of five pictures per second; three noise reduction opportunities; Smile Shutter technology can make the photograph when the people are smiling; highlight and shadow technologies incorporated; highly responsive; rapid download through USB; high performances in low light environments; HD output (Imaging Resource, 2009).