Introduction
Televisions (TVs) just like any other technological devices are, as a result, of discoveries and inventions of different scientists and men. The earlier TV sets were not as electronic as the current generation sets. Before the 1935, the TVs mainly consisted of spinning disc on a rotating motor and one neon lamp. In combination, this worked together to generate a blurry picture which was reddish-brown. The pictures produced were as small as the size of half the today’s business cards. This period was then referred to the Mechanical TV Era. After the 2nd world war, almost everybody bought a TV set as just like any other luxury in the American states and the trend has heavily increased since then, with very many households all over the world owning a TV set today.
TV Manufacturers
Sony and Samsung have been the largest TV and other electronics manufacturers in the world with the former rating second and the latter being the largest marketer and producer of the devices. There are also other manufacturers in the market such as LG, Panasonic, Vizio and Sharp.
Samsung
Samsung has been in existence since 1970 producing products that have been known for the balance of both the quality and their affordability. They have produced such TV sets such as the DLP, Plasma TVs and LED which have clear and very goods graphics. The company is among the first manufacturer of the TV sets to incorporate 3D and LED backlighting technology (The Editor, 2010).
Sony
Sony TV manufacturers are also dealers in other electronic devices. It came to existence in 1946 and has been a leader in electronic products though it slipped to the second position recently in the sales of their TV sets. Their brand of sets includes the cutting edge LCD and Plasma models. It was amongst the group of companies that produced the seventy inch one thousand and eighty pixel TV sets. The XBR9 series in the Bravia line of products has the three dimensional functionality in addition to a reader for the memory stick. This enhances the display of the camcorder and digital camera contents and other video, pictures and music that could be contained in any other flash disk. The sets also have an HDMI (High Definition media Interface) ports which enables one to connect their laptops or projectors to the TV sets.
Promotional methods
Sony Company
The Sony Company majors in the increase of their Sales for their devices apart from delivering corporate value to their partners and customers. The company has been trying to major on the production of the products that are liked by women as they influence about eighty percent of the market. This will ensure that most of their products that have been declining in value though are expensively produced can gain a market base as the women population is highly more than those of men.
Samsung
On the other hand, Samsung has not been considering such an approach since people of all gender as its products. Sony Company has also been using different slogans to market their products by making them look superior and unique hence appealing to the consumers, such slogans include:“make believe” and the current one“be moved." Currently, the company have been continuing with their “Greatness Awaits” campaign to convince their market that they still produce quality electronics. Samsung has also employed the use of Slogans though have not been doing a lot of campaigns as their products are self-advertising (Peterson, 2013).
Samsung Company have also been investing in advertising to increase their market base, by launching product specific campaigns in order to familiarize the market of the existence of the new product. Such campaigns have been held by the company engaging in different social based activities like music dance competitions. During such activities that are normally aired over the televisions. Many people both in the physical attendance and those watching it at home are informed on both the existing and new products. The same approach has not been taken by Sony Company to keep in the market as they have been having an idea of being in the market for long hence does not need to sensitize the market on such basis.
Pricing strategies
Both the companies have used their unique abilities to produce the different products according to their own models. This has ensured that each product produced is very different from the others and has the striking qualities that will leave the market divided on which one to buy. This has also ensured that the errors have been eliminated in order to maintain their customer loyalties and to ascertain that they continue commanding the market.
Sony
When the Sony produced the TV sets that could be used to access the internet, that was a quality that other Companies had not incorporated hence at such a time the sales of their products tremendously increased.
Samsung
Samsung employs the use of skimming strategy that involves the production of the best performing sets before the other companies. The sets are then sold to the market at premium prices before other players come into the market to trigger competition. On the emergence of other players the prices are deemed to go down, at such a time they will be thinking of launching new products to the market to edge out the previous ones and be ahead of the competitors. Sony Company prefers the use of the penetrating strategy to determine their prices in which they would sacrifice the short term profits before they increase the prices of their products later (The Editor, Marketing Strategy, 2010). In order to sell their current line of product and increase their market base, Sony Company have slashed down their prices in order to promote their products and allow for more sales.
Customer promotional methods
The two companies have been doing the customer promotion through different methods. Through the point of sale display, celebrity appearances, sampling and demonstrations, sweepstakes, games, coupons, competitions for the customers, bonuses, multipacks, loyalty reward programs. Through these methods, the two companies have been able to keep their market. Such promotional strategies have seen different customers continuing to use the product from the same line of manufacturer.
Rewarding customers
A part from the televisions, the customers, would also buy the electronics from the same company as they would always be rewarded. Under such circumstances where the celebrities such as the Drogba, Mikel and Essien being used to advertise the Samsung Fridge, the football fans could buy this products just due to the players being associated with the product (The Editor, 2014).
Other Companies marketing ways
The two marketing ways that other companies could use include direct mail and telemarketing, seminars and workshops. Through the telemarketing and the direct mail, the other manufacturers will be in direct contact with their customers, at such moments they are able to directly access the market. They will be able to know the performances of their products directly from their customers. Through the seminars and conferences the other manufacturers will be able to give a detailed information on their products and also listen to new ideas from other professionals in that field hence producing better quality televisions than those of the main competitors. These methods have seen Vizio start commanding a larger market in the USA edging out Samsung (Reisinger, 2010).
Loyalty reward programs and the multipacks
Loyalty reward programs and the multipacks are some of the methods that if well used by the companies then they will be able to maintain their markets in the long and short run. Loyalty reward programs are achieved by the company’s selling other electronic devices other than the tV sets or adding a gift of sizable value whenever they buy the TVs. Samsung Company, for example, urges their customers to register their electronic devices with a chance of winning other devices such as laptops, mobile phones and cameras and even a TV set. Under such a program someone would prefer buying the Samsung devices with the belief that they might win other products. It is also common for loyal customer to get discounts on other devices hence the company maintaining its relationship with its customers. Through the multipack, it will be cheaper to buy the whole package than buying the devices one by one hence many people will always opt for such methods.
Pricing objectives
Through the maximum long run profits as one of the pricing objectives.
Sony
Sony have used the penetrating strategy during their pricing. This method has allowed them to make a long run profit and forego the short run profits.
Samsung
The other objective has mainly been employed by Samsung; this method is referred to as the maximum short run profits through the skimming strategy as the other competitors flogs the market with the same product if they had already had the best prices translating to good profits within that duration. At such a time, they would invest in new ideas.
Advertising method
The number of the TV sets all over the world is very many with each country having a station that broadcasts in their native language and local dialects. As such any new release and other functionalities of the existing TV sets could easily be advertised under such circumstances. Such a platform will also attract a number of potential customers more so when such advertisements are aired before, after and in the middle of their favorite programs. The football lovers will be able to view such advertisements just before the match is aired live meaning that any potential customer will not be left out as the advertisement will be both audio and visual. This is, therefore, the best advertising method through which the Companies need to invest heavily on as almost everybody will be in a position to watch a program over the television.
References
Peterson , S. (2013, July 2). Sony’s Marketing Strategy: Greatness Awaits. Retrieved from Small Business Advisor: https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/sony-marketing-strategy-greatness-awaits-103029262.html
Reisinger, D. (2010, 11 22). Vizio, Samsung battle for control of TV market. Retrieved from C|net: http://www.cnet.com/news/vizio-samsung-battle-for-control-of-tv-market/
The Editor. (2010, June 8). Marketing Strategy. Retrieved from Marketing: http://www.quickmba.com/MarketingStrat.shtml
The Editor. (2010, November 28). Who are the Largest TV Manufaturers? Retrieved from The TechScoop: http://thetechscoop.net/2010/11/28/who-are-the-biggest-tv-manufacturers/
The Editor. (2014, June 5). New Audience Measurement Service Launches With Unprecedented Data on the Viewing Habits of More Than 300 Million People. Retrieved from GeoPoll Unveils First Ever Overnight TV Ratings in African Markets: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/geopoll-unveils-first-ever-overnight-080000210.html;_ylt=AwrBEiKPo5BTUAoAI9TQtDMD
