Many products need to be timed to critical points in the business cycle. The new product must be tested to be sure that it has the features the customer wants, as well as making sure the distributor and sales organization are comfortable selling it. Sony also tests its advertising and promotion, as there are significant up-front selling costs involved in introducing new products, and all parties in the channel need assurance that the investment of time and money will be recovered. Sony has also demonstrated a capability to manage the complexity of marketing channels by analyzing distribution in the marketing mix. The industry that Sony operates in is also very easy to enter, as many companies are able to manufacture cheap products overseas. In other words, all existing channels (local, regional, and global) are accessible to the competitors and opportunities for growth may be exploited (Kimerling & Sood, 1998). As a result, Sony faces a significant threat of substitutes, as there are many other shoe companies that can manufacture comparable products at a lower cost. Sony also faces counterfeiting, which is the manufacture of imitation products that are passed off as if they are the real product, and many copies are very hard to catch by customs officials. These products are cheaply made overseas and shipped to the U.S., where many go undetected as infringements of the brand. Sony has lost revenues to these companies, which can be set up and taken down overnight.

Sony has properly assessed the impact of technology on marketing distribution, as many products...

These products are also advertised online, and the widespread touch of Internet advertising has paid off for the company. Sony has also demonstrated competence in distinguishing retailer and wholesaler marketing strategies in the global distribution of products. Industries are constantly changing, and Sony has focused on markets in less-developed areas. Research indicates that other growing countries, such as Latin American countries, are becoming more industrialized. Sony has also acted to motivate employees by including them on the management decisions, and instill values such as truthfulness, respect for individuals, and the stimulation of intellectual curiosity. Management in turn passes these values down through the products, workers, and financial success.
As a final step in the marketing process, companies must have a means for evaluating the effectiveness of their channel performance. Sony has additionally achieved this thru means of analyzing company revenues by breaking down different business lines and revenues attributable to each channel. Finally, the future of Sony appears to be continued success, as a result of their marketing channel strategies.

Bibliography

Fujitsu Limited. (2005). Sony Marketing. Retrieved November 8, 2007 at http://www/fujitsu.com.

Kimerling, L. & Sood, S. (1998). Nike: Building a Global Brand. Prentice-Hall Inc.

Siebart, M. (2007). Consider Franchising an Existing Business? Retrieved November 5, 2007, at http://www.entreprenuer.com.