A

PROPOESD RESEARCH STUDY

ON

“CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ELECTRONIC GOODS WITH REFERENCE TO SONY IN MEERUT REGION”

SUBMITTED TO

MAHAMAYA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, NOIDA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

OF

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

SUPERVISOR INVESTIGATORDR. DEEPALI MONGA AMIT SRIVASTAVACOLLEGE DEAN Roll No: 1026370009

VIDYA SCHOOL OF BUSINESSBAGHPAT ROAD, MEERUT

UTTAR PRADESH2011-12

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COLLEGE CERTIFICATE

It is certified that the research project report entitled “CONSUMER BUYING

BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ELECTRONIC GOODS WITH REFERENCE TO SONY

IN MEERUT REGION “ submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of

Master of Business Administration, to Mahamaya Technical University, Noida is a record of

bonafide research project work carried out by Mr. AMIT SRIVASTAVA , Roll No

1026370009. The data given in project report is genuine and original to the best of my

knowledge. The summer training project report is complete in all respect and is fit for

submission.

Date: (Dr Satish Kumar) Director

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DECLARATION

It is certified that the Research Project Report entitled “CONSUMER BUYING

BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ELECTRONIC GOODS WITH REFERENCE TO SONY

IN MEERUT REGION” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of

Master of Business Administration of Mahamaya Technical University, Noida is a record of

bonafide research project work conducted by me. I have collected the data personally. The data

given in the Research Project Report is genuine and original. Further, I also declare that it not

submitted to any other university for the award of any degree or diploma.

Date: Name Amit SrivastavaRoll No 1026370009

Session 2011-12Address 12/75vikas nagar lucknow

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It gives me immense pleasure to express my indebtedness and deep sense of gratitude to

my supervisor and guide Dr. Deepali Monga ,college dean, Vidya school Of Business, Meerut

for his valuable and scholarly guidance. His sympathetic and helpful attitude and motivation

helped me to work on this dissertation.

I am extremely grateful to Dr. Satish Kumar, Director, Vidya School of Business, Meerut

for having extended his guidance during the course of this research project. I wish to express

my sincere regards and heartful thanks to Mr.Sachin Chauhan, Class Coordinator and Mr. P. K.

Roopak, Co-ordinator , Research Project Report, Vidya School of Business, for their

cooperation that enabled me to complete this dissertation.

I am extremely thankful to Mr. P.K. Pathak, Librarian, & Mr Pawan Kumar , Asstt.

Librarian of this college for gracious cooperation in making this research projects a success.

This acknowledgement would be incomplete without grateful mention of all the people who

formed the sample and were kind enough to fill in the questionnaire and respond warmly to my

questions.I acknowledge my heart full gratitude to my dear father and mother Sh. D P Singh &

Smt. Shashi respectively I shall be falling in my duty if I do not thank to Bajaj computers who

typed this report well in time.

Last but not the least; I thank ALMIGHTY for His blessings.

Amit Srivastava (1026370009)

(MBA-IV Sem)

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CONTENTSCHAPTER ITEMS PAGE

NO.CHAPTER - I INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE 7-38

  INTRODUCTION7

  INTRODUCTION OF TOPIC8

SONY HISTORY9-23

  SONY STORY24

  COMPANY PROFILE29

  OBJECTIVE OF PROPOSED RESEARCH38

  CHAPTER – II LITERATURE REVIEW39

  CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR40-44

BUYER BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ELECTRONIC GOODS 44-46

CHAPTER -III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY47-54

RESEARCH METHEDOLOGY48-51

  RESEARCH PROCESS52-53

  CHAPTER-IV DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 55-87

  ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

84-87CHAPTER-V FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION, CONCLUSION, & LIMITATIONS

88-99   FINDINGS

89-90LIMITATIONS

90RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

91CONCLUSION

92-93REFERENCE

94-95QUESTIONNAIRE

96 - 98

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CHAPTER - I

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

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One of the most recognized brand names in the world today, Sony Corporation, Japan,

established its India operations in November 1994, focusing on the sales and marketing of Sony

products in the country. In a span of 12 years Sony India has exemplified the quest for

excellence in the world of digital lifestyle becoming the country’s foremost consumer

electronics brand. With relentless commitment to quality, consistent dedication to customer

satisfaction and unparalleled standards of service, Sony India is recognized as a benchmark for

new age technology, superior quality, digital concepts and personalized service that has ensured

loyal customers and nationwide acclaim in the industry.

In India, Sony has its footprint across all major towns and cities through a distribution network

comprising of over 7000 channel partners, 215 Sony World and Sony Exclusive outlets and 21

direct branch locations. Manned by customer friendly and informed sales persons, Sony’s

exclusive stores ‘Sony World’ are fast becoming the most visible face of the company in India.

Sony India also has a strong service presence across the country with 21 company owned and

172 authorized service centers. A distinctive feature of Sony’s service is its highly motivated

and well-trained staff that provides the kind of attentive and sensitive service that is rare today.

Sony is committed to ensuring that both the products and the marketing activities employed

truly make a difference to people’s lifestyles and offer them new dimensions of enjoyment and

an experiences which are ‘like no other’.

INTRODUCTION OF TOPIC

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Consumer behavior refers to the mental and emotional process and the observable behavior of

consumers during searching, purchasing and post consumption of a product or service.

Consumer behavior involves study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why

they buy. It blends the elements from psychology, sociology, socio-psychology ,anthropology

and economics. It also tries to assess the influence on the consumer from groups such as family,

friends, reference groups and society in general. Buyer behavior has two aspects: the final

purchase activity visible to any observer and the detailed or short decision process that may

involve the interplay of a number of complex variables not visible to anyone.

Consumers are mainly focused on the broad-scale adoption of new technologies that can

empower them in previously unimagined ways. As a result, buying behavior of consumer is

changing to adapting to new technological advances so rapidly that marketers or the consumer

based enterprises sometimes cannot keep pace.

To maintain the pace of consumer for advanced technologies Sony is putting in the effort over

the years in Meerut region and has the limits of possibilities and boggled the mind with its

breakthrough technology. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that it’s been the soul of technology

for the past few years.

Sony cutting-edge digital products have set new standards in entertainment for Meerut

customer.They have enriched and evolved Meerut people lifestyle. Whether people consider the

brilliance of the Sparkling Wega technology in its colour televisions or the incredible colour and

clarity of BRAVIA in its LCDs, they are engineering marvels that bring images to life of Meerut

people.

Company Profile

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Sony is a name synonymous with technological revolutions. Over the last 53 years, the company

has evolved into a luminous brand with a unique selling proposition - technology innovation,

quality and premium.In the last 50 years, the company had already established itself in the field

of hi-tech entertainment. Today, Sony has gone further by becoming a preferred choice for

professional requirements as well, whether it is broadcast media or color monitors. The

company's leadership position in the world, today, is a reiteration of its ability to connect with

the customer's mental space.

Sony is not new to India. Whether it was the television, or the walkman, a Sony always remained

a must on the wish list of any Indian returning home. This love for the brand culminated in a new

relationship when inspired by a reform friendly Indian business environment, Sony Corporation

decided to set up a 100% subsidiary called Sony India on 16th January 1995. 

In a fiercely competitive Indian consumer durables market, Sony India's mission is to "make a

difference in the lifestyles and introduce new dimension to enjoyment. Offer new age technology

and digital concepts; work hand in hand with the domestic industry to produce and sell

excellence and come closer to the Indian customers through committed service."

Since its inception in 1995, Sony decided to have sales and distribution channels, which are

exclusive to Sony India. The business partners are country managers in their own areas.Sony

India today has about 33 distributors and 1475 dealers. In all the metros the Company has direct

sales operations. The company also has about 13 exclusive Sony outlets, which showcase

products ranging from analog to digital throughout the country.

Company Perspectives:

Recognizing that environmental protection is one of the most pressing issues facing mankind

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today, Sony incorporates a sound respect for nature in all of its business activities. With this

philosophy, Sony has defined environmental conservation as an important part of its

management strategy. The Sony Group has created a global action plan and conducts

environmental preservation programs. This program has five core components: reducing the

environmental impact of business activities and production processes; designing environmentally

sensitive products and promoting recycling; developing environmental technologies; promoting

the environmental education and full participation of Sony employees; and disclosing

environmental information to the public.

Sony’s History -- Through The Eyes of the Company’s Leaders

Sony Corporation is one of the best-known names in consumer electronics and ranks second

worldwide in electronics behind Matsushita Electric Corporation. Since it was established

shortly after World War II, Sony has introduced a stream of revolutionary products,

including the transistor radio, the Trinitron television, the Betamax VCR, the CD player, the

Walkman portable cassette player, and the PlayStation game console. The company's

electronics segment--which includes audio and video products, televisions, personal

computers, monitors, computer peripherals, telecommunications devices, and electronic

components (such as semiconductors)--generates about two-thirds of the overall revenues.

Sales of game consoles and software account for about 9 percent of revenues. Another 10

percent of revenues are derived from Sony's music businesses, which include the Columbia

and Epic record labels. About 7 percent of revenues come from Sony's motion picture and

television business, which includes the Columbia TriStar studio. Sony's other major business

segment is insurance, from which about 6 percent of revenues originate.

Early History: From Tape Recorders to Transistor Radios to the

Trinitron

Sony was founded by a former naval lieutenant named Akio Morita and a defense contractor

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named Masaru Ibuka. Morita, a weapons researcher, first met Ibuka during World War II

while developing a heat-seeking missile-guidance system and a night-vision gun scope.

After the war Ibuka worked as a radio repairman for a bomb-damaged Tokyo department

store. Morita found him again when he read in a newspaper that Ibuka had invented a

shortwave converter. In May 1946 the two men established a partnership with $500 in

borrowed capital, and registered their company as the Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki

Kaisha (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, or TTK). Morita and Ibuka

moved their company to a crude facility on a hill in southern Tokyo where they developed

their first consumer product: a rice cooker, which failed commercially. In its first year TTK

registered a profit of $300 on sales of less than $7,000.

But as the Japanese economy grew stronger, demand for consumer goods increased. Morita

and Ibuka abandoned the home-appliance market and, with injections of capital from

Morita's father, concentrated on developing new electronic goods. Ibuka developed a tape

recorder fashioned after an American model he had seen at the Japan Broadcasting

Corporation. Demand for the machine, which was introduced in 1950 and was the first

Japanese tape recorder, remained low until Ibuka accidentally discovered a U.S. military

booklet titled Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Uses of the Tape Recorder. Translated into

Japanese, the booklet became an effective marketing tool. Once acquainted with its many

uses, customers such as the Academy of Art in Tokyo purchased so many tape recorders that

TTK was soon forced to move to a larger building in Shinagawa.

Norio Ohga, an opera student at the academy, wrote several letters to TTK criticizing the

sound quality of its recorder. Impressed by the detail and constructive tone of the criticisms,

Morita invited Ohga to participate in the development of a new recorder as a consultant.

Ohga accepted, and subsequent models were vastly improved.

Constantly searching for new technological advances, Masaru Ibuka heard of a tiny new

capacitor called a transistor in 1952. The transistor, developed by Bell Laboratories, could

be used in place of larger, less-durable vacuum tubes. Western Electric purchased the

technology in order to manufacture transistorized hearing aids. Ibuka acquired a patent

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license from Western Electric for $25,000 with the intention of developing a small tubeless

radio.

TTK began mass production of transistor radios in 1955, only a few months after they were

introduced by a small American firm called Regency Electronics. The TTK radio was

named Sony, from sonus, Latin for 'sound.' The Sony radio had tremendous sales potential,

not only in the limited Japanese market but also in the United States, where the economy

was much stronger.

Traditionally, international sales by Japanese companies were conducted through trading

houses such as Mitsui, Mitsubishi, and Sumitomo. Although these trading companies were

well represented in the United States, Morita chose not to do business with them because

they were unfamiliar with his company's products and did not share his business philosophy.

Morita traveled to New York, where he met with representatives from several large retail

firms. Morita refused an order from Bulova for 100,000 radios when that company required

that each carry the Bulova name. Morita pledged that his company would not manufacture

products for other companies and eventually secured a number of more modest orders that

assured his company's growth at a measured pace. Another highlight of 1955 was the first

listing of the company's stock on the over-the-counter market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The rising popularity of the Sony name led Morita and Ibuka to change the name of their

company to Sony Kabushiki Kaisha (Corporation) in January 1958. The following year

Sony announced that it had developed a transistorized television, which was introduced in

1960. That same year, after a business dispute with Delmonico International, the company

Morita had appointed to handle international sales, Sony established a trade office in New

York City and another in Switzerland called Sony Overseas.

A subsidiary called Sony Chemicals was created in 1962 to produce adhesives and plastics

to reduce the company's dependence on outside suppliers. In 1965 a joint venture with

Tektronix was established to produce oscilloscopes in Japan.

During the early 1960s Sony engineers continued to introduce new, miniaturized products

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based on the transistor, including an AM/FM radio and a videotape recorder. By 1968 Sony

engineers had developed new color-television technology. Using one electron gun, for more

accurate beam alignment, and one lens, for better focus, the Sony Trinitron produced a

clearer image than conventional three-gun, three-lens sets. In what has been described as its

biggest gamble, Sony, confident that technology alone would create new markets, invested a

large amount of capital in the Trinitron.

Also in 1968, Sony Overseas established a trading office in England, and entered into a joint

venture with CBS Inc. to produce phonograph records. The venture was under the direction

of Norio Ohga, the art student who had complained about Sony's early tape recorder, whom

Morita had persuaded in 1959 to give up opera and join Sony. The company, called

CBS/Sony, later became the largest record manufacturer in Japan. In 1970 Sony Overseas

established a subsidiary in West Germany to handle sales in that country.

1970s: Betamax and the Walkman

After a decade of experience in videotape technology, Sony introduced the U-matic three-

quarter-inch videocassette recorder (VCR) in 1971. Intended for institutions such as

television stations, the U-matic received an Emmy Award for engineering excellence from

the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 1973, the year Sony Overseas

created a French subsidiary, the academy honored the Trinitron series with another Emmy.

Sony developed its first VCR for the consumer market, the Betamax, in 1975. The following

year the Walt Disney Company and Universal Pictures filed a lawsuit against Sony,

complaining that the new machine would enable widespread copyright infringement of

television programs. A judgment in favor of Sony in 1979 was reversed two years later.

Litigation continued, but by the time the matter reached the U.S. Supreme Court the

plaintiffs' original case had been severely undermined by the proliferation of VCRs, making

any legal restriction on copying television programs for private use nearly impossible to

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enforce.

During the mid-1970s, competitors such as U.S.-based RCA and Zenith and Japanese-based

Toshiba and Victor Company of Japan (JVC) effectively adopted and improved upon

technologies developed by Sony. For the first time, Sony began to lose significant market

share, often in lines that it had pioneered. Strong competition, however, was only one factor

that caused Sony's sales growth to fall (after growing 166 percent between 1970 and 1974, it

grew only 35 percent between 1974 and 1978).

Like many Sony officials, Akio Morita lacked formal management training. Instead, he

relied on his personal persuasive skills and his unusual ability to anticipate or create markets

for new products. In typical fashion, Sony introduced the Betamax VCR well before its

competitors, in effect creating a market in which it would enjoy a short-term monopoly. At

this stage, however, Morita failed to establish the Betamax format as the industry standard

by inviting the participation of other companies.

Matsushita Electric (which owned half of JVC) developed a separate VCR format called

VHS (video home system), which permitted as many as three additional hours of playing

time on a tape, but which was incompatible with Sony's Betamax. When the VHS was

introduced in 1977, Morita was reported to have felt betrayed that Sony's competitors did

not adopt the Betamax format. He appealed to 81-year-old Konosuke Matsushita, in many

ways a patriarch of Japanese industry, to discontinue the VHS format in favor of Betamax.

When Matsushita refused, many believed it was because he felt insulted by Morita's failure

to offer earlier collaboration.

Matsushita launched a vigorous marketing campaign to convince customers and other

manufacturers not only that VHS was superior, but that Betamax would soon be obsolete.

The marketing war between Matsushita and Sony was neither constructive nor profitable;

both companies were forced to lower prices so much that profits were greatly depressed.

Although Betamax was generally considered a technically superior product, the VHS format

grew in popularity and gradually displaced Betamax as a standard format. Despite its falling

market share (from 13 percent in 1982 to 5 percent in 1987), Sony refused to introduce a

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VHS line until the late 1980s.

In 1979 Morita personally oversaw the development of a compact cassette tape player called

the Walkman. Inspired by Norio Ohga's desire to listen to music while walking, Morita

ordered the development of a small, high-fidelity tape player, to be paired with small,

lightweight headphones that were already under development. The entire program took only

five months from start to finish, and the product's success is now legendary--Walkman even

became the generic term for similar devices produced by Sony's competitors.

1980s: CD Player, Video Cameras, CBS Records, Columbia Pictures

During the 1970s, Masaru Ibuka, 12 years Morita's senior, gradually relinquished many of

his duties to younger managers such as Norio Ohga, who was named president of Sony in

1982. Ohga became president shortly after a corporate reorganization that split Sony into

five operating groups (marketing and sales, manufacturing, service, engineering, and

diversified operations). While not formally trained in business, Ohga nonetheless understood

that Sony was too dependent on an unstable consumer electronics market. In one of his first

acts, he inaugurated the 50-50 program to increase sales in institutional markets from 15 to

50 percent by 1990.

During this time, Sony's research and development budget consumed approximately 9

percent of sales (Matsushita budgeted only 4 percent). Another groundbreaking result of

Sony's commitment to research and development was a machine that used a laser to

reproduce music recorded digitally on a small plastic disk. The compact disk (or CD) player,

introduced by Sony in 1982, eliminated much of the noise common to conventional, analog

phonograph records. Sony developed the CD in association with the Dutch electronics firm

Philips, partly in an effort to ensure broad format standardization. Philips, which had

developed the most advanced laser technology, was an ideal partner for Sony, which led in

the pulse-code technology that made digital sound reproduction possible. Soon the CD

format was adopted by competing manufacturers; by the mid-1990s it had virtually replaced

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phonograph systems as the recording medium of choice.

Early in the 1980s, Morita began ceding some of his duties to Sony's president, Norio Ohga,

the young opera student hired 30 years earlier to improve Sony's tape recorders. Under

Ohga, Sony entered into a new acquisitions phase with the intent of protecting itself from

the costly mistake it had made with Betamax. One example of the changes Ohga brought

about was Sony's video camera, introduced in 1985. Lighter, less expensive, and more

portable than VHS cameras, the camera used 8mm videotape, and was incompatible with

both Betamax and VHS machines. The key difference between this and earlier Sony

products was that Sony developed the new 8mm video format in conjunction with over 100

competitors. While the camera may have been incompatible with the older Betamax and

VHS technologies, Sony ensured that it would be compatible with the next generation of

video cameras. Within three years of its introduction, the camera captured over 50 percent of

the European, 30 percent of the Japanese, and 20 percent of the North American markets.

In May 1984 Sony purchased Apple Computer's hard-disk-technology operations. As a

result of this acquisition, Sony was able to control about 20 percent of the Japanese market

for workstations, personal computers used in business offices, thus helping to increase the

proportion of its sales derived from institutional customers. Ohga also broke a decades-old

tradition in 1984 when he established a division to manufacture and market electronics

components for other companies. By 1988, fueled by strong sales of semiconductors (once

manufactured only for Sony products), the components division had grown to represent

about 11 percent of Sony's total sales.

Sony also sought to gain control of the software end of the electronics/entertainment

industry. On November 29, 1985 the Sony Corporation of America, which operated several

assembly plants in the United States, purchased the Digital Audio Disk Corporation from its

affiliate CBS/Sony. Two years later, Sony purchased CBS Records for $2 billion. CBS

Records, whose labels included Epic and Columbia, was during this time the largest

producer of records and tapes in the world.

Sony had learned through its Betamax experience that a superior product alone would not

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ensure market dominance; had Sony been able to flood the market with exclusively Beta-

formatted movies, the VCR battle might have turned out differently. Looking toward the

future development of audio equipment, including digital audio tape (DAT), Sony bought

the record manufacturer with an eye toward guaranteeing that the products it manufactured

to play music would remain compatible with the medium used to record music. The

acquisition marked less of a diversification for Sony than an evolution toward dominance in

a specific market.

Sony sought further diversification in U.S. entertainment companies. In 1988, the company

considered an acquisition of MGM/UA Communications Company, but decided the price

was too high. Then in 1989 Sony made headlines around the world when it bought

Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc. from Coca-Cola for $3.4 billion. Columbia provided

Sony with an extensive film library and a strong U.S. distribution system. It also carried $1

billion in debt, which almost tripled Sony's short-term debt to around ¥8 billion. Industry

analysts applauded the move; when a recession hit the film industry shortly after Sony's

purchase, however, some began to question Sony's ability to deliver its traditionally strong

profits.

1990s and Beyond: PlayStation, VAIO, and the Networked Future

Sony did deliver, however, posting record earnings in 1990 of ¥58.2 billion ($384 million), a

38.5 percent increase over 1989. In 1992, Columbia Pictures and its subsidiary TriStar

jointly captured 20 percent of the U.S. market share, far above the shares held by competing

studios. By this time the entertainment operation had been renamed Sony Pictures

Entertainment, Inc.

The complexities of operating a truly multinational corporation, however, began taking their

toll on Sony. Most of the world's largest economies (Europe, Japan, and the United States)

were experiencing a slowdown in the early 1990s. This factor created what Sony called 'an

unprecedentedly challenging operating environment.' Although sales in most of Sony's

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businesses increased in 1992, operating income dropped 44 percent to ¥166 billion ($1.2

billion). Net income increased slightly to ¥120 billion.

The ongoing appreciation of the yen against most major currencies had an even more

adverse effect on Sony's bottom line in 1993: net income fell a dramatic 70 percent to ¥36

billion ($313 million) on sales of ¥3.99 trillion ($34.4 billion). Had the yen's value held

steady at 1992 figures, Sony's net income would have totaled about ¥190 billion ($1.3

billion).

During that year, Ohga assumed the duties of chief executive in addition to his role as

president. He and Morita responded to Sony's tough economic situation by bolstering

marketing, reducing inventory levels, streamlining operations, and keeping a watchful

control of capital investments. The company also embarked on an extensive reorganization

effort with the goal of decentralizing operations and reducing unnecessary management.

Despite these measures, Sony was unable to stem the slide. Net income plummeted another

50 percent in 1994 to ¥15 billion, on sales of ¥3.73 trillion.

By this time Morita had relinquished virtually all his duties in the company, having suffered

a stroke in late 1993. In Sony's 1994 annual report, his picture and signature were

conspicuously absent from the letter to shareholders, implicitly announcing Ohga's new

leadership position. Under Morita's leadership, Sony's rise to preeminence in the world

consumer electronics market was almost entirely self-achieved; Sony outperformed not only

its Japanese rivals, among them associates of the former zaibatsu (conglomerate) companies,

but also larger American firms, which by 1995 had all but abandoned the consumer

electronics market.

In the late 1980s Morita told Business Week that he regarded Sony Corporation as a 'venture

business' for the Morita family, which had produced several generations of mayors and

whose primary business remained the 300-year-old Morita & Company. Under the direction

of Akio Morita's younger brother Kuzuaki, Morita & Company produced sake, soy sauce,

and Ninohimatsu brand rice wine in Nagoya. The company, whose initial $500 investment

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in TTK was worth $430 million in 1995, owned a 9.4 percent share of Sony.

In April 1995, Ohga ascended to the chairmanship of Sony, and Morita was made an

honorary chairman. The company's new president was Nobuyuki Idei, a 34-year veteran of

the company, who had founded Sony's French subsidiary in 1970 and had since played a

role in many of the company's major accomplishments, including audio CD technology,

computer workstations, and the 8mm video camcorder.

Sony's success had been a direct result of the wisdom of its founders, who had the talent to

anticipate the demands of consumers and to develop products to meet those demands; Idei's

presidency, some suggested, signaled a new era for the company.

Immediate among Idei's concerns were helping Sony become an integral player in the

information highway industry. He also hoped to help the company establish an industry

standard for DVDs, or digital videodisks, CD-like disks capable of holding full-length films

for play on television screens via players. Once again, Sony had teamed up with Philips to

develop a DVD format, but the partners quickly discovered they were facing a rival format

developed by Toshiba and Time Warner. This rival format quickly gained the support of a

number of the world's consumer electronics powerhouses. Rather than face a replay of the

bloody battle between the Betamax and VHS formats, Sony and Philips in late 1995 agreed

to support the DVD format developed by Toshiba and Time Warner. Sony subsequently

introduced its first DVD player in March 1997.

Meanwhile, Sony unexpectedly entered the video game market in the mid-1990s, making an

immediate splash. The development of the Sony PlayStation had actually begun in the late

1980s as a joint project with game giant Nintendo Co., Ltd. Nintendo had agreed to help

develop a new game console that would combine the graphic capabilities of a computer

workstation with Sony's CD-ROM drive, but then pulled out of the project in 1992. Sony

decided to develop the new machine solo, introducing the 32-bit PlayStation to the Japanese

market in 1994 and the U.S. market one year later. It was an immediate and huge success, in

part because of the hundreds of software titles that were quickly available for the console

thanks to Sony's ability to entice top Japanese and U.S. developers to create games for the

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PlayStation. By 1998, the PlayStation had grabbed about 40 percent of the worldwide game

market, and Sony's game unit, Sony Computer Entertainment, accounted for 10 percent of

the company's worldwide revenue and a whopping 22.5 percent of its operating income.

Unfortunately, the mid-1990s were also marked by continued problems at Sony Pictures

Entertainment. Top management at the motion picture arm spent hundreds of millions of

dollars on a string of flops, such as Last Action Hero and Geronimo, in addition to spending

lavishly on hiring, studio renovations, and other expenses. Sony ended up taking a $3.2

billion write-off--one of the largest ever by a Japanese company--related to the

entertainment unit during the fiscal year ending in March 1995; consequently, the company

posted a net loss for the year of $2.8 billion (on sales of $44.76 billion). A major

management shakeup occurred as well.

As Sony attempted to turn around its motion picture unit, in electronics the company

surprised many observers by entering the crowded and low-margin personal computer

business in 1997. That year, through a partnership with Intel, Sony began selling its VAIO

line of PCs. Including both desktop and notebook models, the line received plaudits for its

quality but got off to a slow start in the United States thanks to its above-average price tags.

Sony designed the VAIO computers specifically for the home market, and they sported

unique features that made them particularly well-suited to consumers who owned other Sony

products. For example, software and ports were included to allow owners of Sony

camcorders to transfer their home videos to the VAIO PC and to edit and manipulate the

videos in a variety of ways. Sony also continued to stay on the cutting edge in the venerable

television field, introducing its first flat-screen TV in 1996 and its first digital, high-

definition model two years later. Also in 1998 came the launch of AIBO, a robot dog, which

was touted as having the capability of expressing emotions and learning.

During 1999, a year that saw the passing of company cofounder Morita (the other founder,

Ibuka, died in 1997), Idei launched a sweeping reorganization to position the company for

the future--in Sony's vision, 'the network era of the 21st century.' In March 1999 Sony

announced that it planned to cut its workforce by 10 percent and its manufacturing capacity

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by one-third before 2003. The cutbacks were slated for areas where growth had been

slowing: analog televisions, VCRs, and Walkmans. The company planned to increase the

amount of resources committed to such hot areas as digital products and the PlayStation, as

well as placing increased emphasis on developing software, hardware, and services for the

new networks that were beginning to emerge at the end of the 20th century--home networks,

broadband networks, wireless networks. For Idei, the key for Sony was a historic shift in

focus: hardware had traditionally driven product development, but Idei instead wanted

software development and services to drive hardware design.

Perhaps the first example of such an approach came with the 2000 introduction of the Sony

PlayStation 2. Although it was a technical marvel featuring high-end 3-D graphics and more

processing power than most desktop PCs, the 128-bit PlayStation 2 was much more than a

souped-up version of the original. It was of course designed for game software but it was not

just a game console, having been conceived as a home entertainment center. Its DVD drive

not only played game software but also audio CDs and DVD movies. It had the capability of

connecting to the Internet and as such could be used as a broadband device controlling an

Internet-connected home network. Despite manufacturing difficulties that limited production

during the first year, the PlayStation 2 had a stellar debut, with about nine million units sold

in the first 12 months. The high costs associated with developing and manufacturing the

machines, however, depressed profits at Sony for the 2001 fiscal year. Also in the wake of

its debut came rival Sega's exit from the game console business in favor of concentrating on

developing game titles for other companies' machines, including the PlayStation 2. Sony

continued to face competition in the game field from Nintendo, which planned to release a

new machine in the fall of 2001, and faced the prospect of a new competitor, Microsoft

Corporation, which was also planning a fall 2001 release of its XBox machine.

In June 2000 Idei was named chairman and CEO of Sony, while Kunitake Ando, who had

headed the VAIO unit, was named president and COO. Rounding out the new management

team was Teruhisa Tokunaka, a former head of the PlayStation unit, who was named deputy

president and CFO. The new team faced a myriad of challenges in the rapidly changing

high-tech world of the early 21st century. One example was in Sony's music business, which

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was being rocked by the industry-wide threat of the rampant and unauthorized downloading

of digital music files over the Internet. Sony joined other music giants in suing Napster, the

most obvious threat to their hegemony. The company also entered into a joint venture with

Vivendi Universal S.A. to develop an online subscription service that would allow music

downloads through what was called a 'virtual jukebox.' Such a service was part of a new

push by Sony into broadband delivery of the audio and video material owned by its content

arms. With its aggressive moves in the areas of games, networking, and delivery of digital

content, Sony was almost certain to remain a frontrunner in the ever broadening field of

consumer electronics and related platforms and services.

Principal Subsidiaries: Aiwa Co. Ltd. (50.6%); Intervision Inc.; Sony Ichinomiya

Corporation; Sony Inazawa Corporation; Sony Oita Corporation; Sony Enterprise Co., Ltd.;

Sony Kisarazu Corporation; Sony Kita Kanto Corporation; Kibo Industry Corporation; Sony

Chemicals Corporation; Sony Kohda Corporation; Sony Kokubu Corporation; Sony

Communication Network Corporation; Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.; Sony

Components Chiba Corporation; Sony Siroisi Semiconductor Inc.; Sony Life Insurance Co.,

Ltd.; Sony Senmaya Corporation; Sony Assurance Inc.; Sony/Taiyo Corporation; Sony

Digital Products Inc.; Sony Denshi Corporation; Sony Tochigi Corporation; Sony Trading

International Corp.; Sony Nagasaki Corporation; Sony Nakaniida Corporation; Sony

Neagari Corporation; Sony Hamamatsu Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan)

Inc.; Sony Pictures Television Japan Inc.; Sony PCL Inc.; Sony Finance International, Inc.;

Sony Plaza Co., Ltd.; Sony Precision Technology Inc.; Sony Broadcast Products

Corporation; Sony Broadcast Media Co., Ltd.; Sony Bronson Corporation; Sony Marketing

Co., Ltd.; Sony Max Corporation; Sony Mizunami Corporation; Sony Minokamo

Corporation; Sony Miyagi Corporation; Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.; Sony

Logistics Corporation; Sony of Canada Ltd.; Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

(U.S.A.); Sony Corporation of America (U.S.A.); Sony Electronics Inc. (U.S.A.); Sony

Latin America Inc. (U.S.A.); Sony Magnetic Products Inc. of America (U.S.A.); Sony Music

Entertainment Inc. (U.S.A.); Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (U.S.A.); Sony Argentina

S.A.; Sony Comercio e Industria Ltda. (Brazil); Sony Componentes Ltda. (Brazil); Sony da

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Amazonia Ltda. (Brazil); Sony Chile Ltda.; Sony de Mexico S.A. de C.V.; Sony

Corporation of Panama, S.A.; Sony Puerto Rico, Inc.; Sony de Venezuela S.A.; Sony

Austria GmbH; Sony DADC Austria A.G.; Sony Service Centre (Europe) N.V. (Belgium);

Sony Czech, spol. s.r.o.; Sony Nordic A/S (Denmark); Sony France S.A.; Sony Berlin

G.m.b.H. (Germany); Sony Deutschland G.m.b.H. (Germany); Sony Europe GmbH

(Germany); Sony International (Europe) G.m.b.H. (Germany); Sony Hungaria kft

(Hungary); Sony Italia S.p.A. (Italy); Sony Logistics Europe B.V. (Netherlands); Sony

Poland Sp.z.o.o.; Sony Portugal Ltda.; Sony C.I.S. A/O (Russia); Sony Slovakia Spol. Sr.

O.; Sony España, S.A. (Spain); Sony Overseas S.A. (Switzerland); Sony Eurasia Pazarlama

A.S. (Turkey); Sony United Kingdom Limited; Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Limited (U.K.); Sony Entertainment Holdings Europe Ltd. (U.K.); Sony (China) Limited

(Beijing); Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Ltd.; Sony International (Hong Kong) Ltd.;

Sony India Limited; P.T. Sony Indonesia; P.T. Sony Electronics Indonesia; Sony Electronics

of Korea Corp.; Sony Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.; Sony Technology (Malaysia) Sdn.

Bhd.; Sony Philippines, Inc.; Sony Electronics (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.; Sony Industries

Taiwan Co., Ltd.; Sony Video Taiwan Co., Ltd.; Sony Magnetic Products (Thailand) Co.,

Ltd.; Sony Mobile Electronics (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Sony Semiconductor (Thailand) Co.,

Ltd.; Sony Siam Industries Co., Ltd. (Thailand); Sony Thai Co. Ltd. (Thailand); Sony

Vietnam Limited; Sony Australia Ltd.; Sony New Zealand Ltd.; Sony Gulf FZE (United

Arab Emirates); Sony South Africa (Pty.) Ltd.

Principal Competitors: Nintendo Co., Ltd.; Matsushita Electric Corporation; Motorola, Inc.;

Hitachi, Ltd.; Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; Toshiba Corporation; Yamaha

Corporation; Victor Company of Japan, Limited; Sharp Corporation; Bose Corporation;

Samsung Group; Pioneer Corporation; SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.; Canon Inc.; AOL Time

Warner Inc.; BASF Aktiengesellschaft; Bertelsmann AG; Compaq Computer Corporation;

Daewoo Group; Dell Computer Corporation; EMI Group plc; Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.;

Fujitsu Limited; Harman International Industries, Incorporated; International Business

Machines Corporation; Intel Corporation; LG Electronics Inc.; Microsoft Corporation; NEC

Corporation; Nokia Corporation; Oki Electric Industry Company Limited; Viacom Inc.;

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Virgin Group Ltd.; Vivendi Universal S.A.; The Walt Disney Company.

Chronology

Key Dates: 1946: Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka found Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo

Kabushiki Kaisha (TTK).

1950: TTK introduces the first Japanese tape recorder.

1955: TTK begins selling Japan's first transistor radio; company

goes public.

1958: Company's name is changed to Sony Corporation.

1960: Sony introduces the world's first transistor television.

1968: The revolutionary Sony Trinitron color television debuts;

Sony enters the record business through a joint venture with CBS

Inc.

1975: Company launches the Betamax VCR.

1979: The Sony Walkman is introduced.

1982: Sony introduces the first CD player.

1985: Company introduces its first 8mm video camera.

1987: CBS Records, and its Epic and Columbia labels, is acquired

for $2 billion.

1989: Columbia Pictures is acquired for $3.4 billion.

1994: The Sony PlayStation debuts.

1997: The VAIO line of PCs for the home market is launched.

2000: The PlayStation 2, featuring enhanced graphics, processing

power, and DVD and broadband capabilities, is released.

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Sony story

It was in 1946 that Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita together with a small team of passionate

and committed group of employees started to build “Tokyo Tsushin Kenkyujo” (Totsuko) or

“Tokyo Telecommunications Research Institute” into the billion dollar global conglomerate

that it is today. The main objective of the company was to design and create innovative

products which would benefit the people.

From early attempts at creating products like the rice-cooker to the later success of creating

Japan’s first magnetic recorder, the innovative company went on to create other hit products

which won the company widespread recognition and international acclaim as a truly global

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company known for its quality and innovative products. Significant product milestones

included Japan’s first transistor radio (1955), Trinitron colour television (1968), Walkman

personal stereo (1979), Handycam video camera (1989), PlayStation (1994), Blu-ray Disc

recorder (2003) and PlayStation 3 (2006).

The company name of Sony was created by combining two words of “sonus” and “sonny”.

The word “sonus” in Latin represents words like sonic sound. The other word “sonny”

means little son. Used in combination, Sony is supposed to represent a very small group of

young people who have the energy and passion towards unlimited creations and innovative

ideas. With the far-sight of expanding worldwide, it was in 1958 that the company formally

adopted “Sony Corporation” as its corporate name. Easy to pronounce and read in any

language, the name Sony, which has a lively ring to it, fits comfortably with the spirit of

freedom and open-mindedness.

List of SONY Products

      BRAVIA

 The era of High Definition has arrived and Sony’s Bravia LCD TVs are here to help you

fully enjoy its advantages. Innovation, creativity and technology come into play in the

creation of our LCD TVs, bringing an unprecedented level of realism and stunning clarity to

your movies, both visually and aurally. With slim and stylish designs, Bravia LCDs can fit

anywhere in your home. Additional features like faster response time and PC connectivity

help create the full entertainment experience.

X Series

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Precision colour reproduction and high quality screen resolution are the key factors when

creating the Bravia X-Series. Including features like a Full HD (1920 x 1080) LCD panel,

Live Colour Creation and Sony’s intelligent picture enhancement technology- the Bravia

Engine, your movies will come alive. The X-Series also offers astounding stereo sound to

match the spectacular visuals, providing you a wholesome entertainment experience.

Watching movies at home is never the same again.

W Series

The era of High Definition has arrived and Sony’s Bravia LCD TVs are here to help you

fully enjoy its advantages. Innovation, creativity and technology come into play in the

creation of our LCD TVs, bringing an unprecedented level of realism and stunning clarity to

your movies, both visually and aurally. With slim and stylish designs, Bravia LCDs can fit

anywhere in your home. Additional features like faster response time and PC connectivity

help create the full entertainment experience.

V Series

Enjoy stunning image quality and convenience with Sony’s LCD Bravia V-Series, which on

top of an unprecedented degree of detail, also provides high connectivity, thanks to the

HDMI input that allows you to link up to any other HD sources like Blu-ray players,

PlayStation 3 gaming console and HD camcorders. It delivers an uncompressed, all digital

audio/ video interface between your Bravia TV and any HDMI-equipped audio/video

components. Turn your viewing into an incredible experience now. 

S Series

The Sony Bravia LCD S-Series follows in the Sony Bravia line of high performance and

stylish LCD TVs. Thanks to Sony’s unique S-PVA technology; you can now enjoy vivid

colours, wide viewing angles and quick response time. Designed to be versatile, the S-Series

is equipped with an extensive range of input interfaces; the PC input allows your TV to

double up as a computer monitor; while with HDMI, you can hook your TV up with other

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compatible players. Experience the world of high definition now.

G Series

With Sony’s Bravia LCD G series, you get to enjoy stylish design and superior image and

sound quality. Be it for home or office use, you will find the G-series a great addition. The

TVs come with user-friendly navigation, convenient front mounted controls, and an easily

comprehensible remote control. You can also adjust the angle of the TV to suit viewers’

position with the base stand that can tilt, or choose to mount it on the wall with the Sony

wall mounting bracket.

      Home Theatre System

Combining the latest in video and audio technologies, Sony has developed a series of Home

Theatre Systems that provides you with an enhanced home theatre experience. Our up

scaling DVD players ensure the delivery of the best in video performance while our Digital

Signal Processing guarantees a surround sound environment. Some are even compatible

with the latest digital television and have dedicated audio input for connecting to your

portable digital music players.

      Cyber-shot (Digital Camera)

Everyone can be a photographer with the wide range of Cyber-shot cameras of Sony that

aim to provide you utmost satisfaction. Packed with plentiful features like Super Steady

Shot, High Sensitivity and Real Imaging Processor, you can be sure that each of our Cyber-

shot cameras delivers a superior performance. To complement their functions, Sony has also

developed a series of accessories that specifically caters to the Cyber-shot range.

      Handycam (Video Camera)

It doesn’t matter if you are making family videos, filming documentaries or developing

feature films. Whatever the purpose, we have the right kind of camcorder you need and can

afford. Sony’s Handycam® Camcorders have a variety of different features and functions

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that help deliver spectacular video performances of stunning clarity.

      VAIO

Combining form, function and the latest in technology, Sony provides a range of IT and

computing devices, storage media, accessories and peripherals to better serve all your IT

needs.

      PlayStation

Gaming would not be the same without the invention of the Sony PlayStation series. In

addition to the highly popular PlayStation 2, there’s the handy PlayStation Portable and

next-generation console PLAYSTATION 3. Powerful consoles must be accompanied with

compelling games, and Sony offers games of all genres to match your gaming preference.

      X-plod

If you spend long hours in your car everyday, it’s important to equip it with enough

entertainment so that you’ll never have a dull moment. Car audio entertainment need not be

limited to just your favorite radio stations or CDs. Thanks to Sony Xplod mobile

entertainment technology, you can enjoy music from more sources. You now can even

experience visual entertainment with our innovative Touch-Screen Multimedia Centre

receiver. Riding the car is never the same experience again.

      Hi-Fi System

Audiophiles need look no further than Sony’s selection of high-power Hi-Fi Systems that

can fill your whole room with high quality stereo sounds, thanks to superb speakers and

powerful components.

      Sony Ericsson

With Sony Ericsson’s colourful and innovative collection of mobile phones, you can

definitely find one that will fit into your lifestyle, budget and shows off your character.

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We’ve also created a series of handy mobile phone accessories so you can spruce up your

mobile phone’s appearance, prevent it from damage, or enhance its usage

      WEGA (CRT) TV

It’s all about features, quality, style and price with Sony’s CRT TVs. Our range of CRT TVs

offer analog and digital high-definition inputs, superior audio features and picture-enhancing

technologies for superior visual and aural results.

Sony: The Leader in Product Innovation

The new millennium is here and Sony has plenty to celebrate. The company’s approach –

doing what others don’t – has paid off, in the form of great products that people covet.

Throughout its history, Sony has demonstrated an ability to capture the imagination and

enhance people’s lives. The company has been at the cutting edge of technology for more

than 50 years, positively impacting the way we live. Further, few companies are as well

positioned to drive the digital age into homes and businesses around the world for the next

50 years and beyond.

Sony innovations have become part of mainstream culture, including: the first magnetic tape

and tape recorder in 1950; the transistor radio in 1955; the world’s first all-transistor TV set

in 1960; the world’s first color video cassette recorder in 1971; the Walkman personal stereo

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in 1979; the Compact Disc (CD) in 1982; the first 8mm camcorder in 1985; the MiniDisc

(MD) player in 1992; the PlayStation game system in 1995; Digital Mavica camera in 1997;

Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player in 1998; and the Network Walkman digital music

player in 1999.

Today, Sony continues to fuel industry growth with the sales of innovative Sony products,

as well as with the company’s convergence strategy. Examples include: VAIO notebooks

that raise the bar in both form and function; digital cameras that capture pictures on a floppy

disk, CD-R or Memory Stick; a handheld device that lets you store and view photos as well

as moving photo; MiniDisc recorders with a digital PC Link to marry high quality digital

audio with downloadable music; DVD/CD multi-disc changers that playback both audio and

video; digital network recorders that pause, rewind and fast-forward "live" television using a

hard-disc drive; and Hi-Scan flat screen TVs that deliver near HDTV picture quality through

Digital Reality Creation (DRC) circuitry.

But Sony is not just the market leader in consumer electronics.

Through research and development, the company has made considerable inroads in the areas

of professional broadcasting (with the creation of the Betacam, DVCAM, HDCAM and 24P

formats); mobile communications (with digital phones and the CLIE handheld); PCs (with

VAIO notebook and desktop computers); storage and media (with the invention of the

floppy disk, AIT and DTF drives, and the Memory Stick) and, now, the Internet.

Sony’s future brand success will be determined by how the company meets the challenges of

change. Sony has always led the market in terms of innovation. But in a digital networked

world, products will no longer be developed with just hardware in mind. The convergence of

technologies – consumer electronics, computing and telecommunications – is a reality, with

new competitors forming and consumer mindshare up for grabs.

Broadband Network Era

Sony is a corporation with convergence at its very heart. Driven by an integrated business

model, the company is well positioned to bring new benefits to consumers by combining

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hardware, software, content and services.

Sony’s approach is to make it possible for consumers to enjoy various forms of content on

both "home networks," consisting of connected electronic devices, and "mobile networks"

that are accessible through mobile terminals.

Products such as the i.LINK® interface and Memory Stick® digital storage media provide

greater connectivity between digital devices and will help create seamless home and

personal networks.

From a hardware perspective, Sony’s strategy is focused on four gateways to the networked

world: 1) Digital televisions and set-top boxes; 2) VAIO personal computers; 3) Mobile

devices, such as the CLIE handheld devices and digital phones; and 4) PlayStation2 game

consoles.

The company’s software strategy includes the development of new audio-visual applications

designed to personalize technology. Recent examples include updated Open MG Jukebox

music management software, and digital video editing products, such as PictureGear,

MovieShaker and DVGate.

Sony’s vision is to give consumers easy, ubiquitous access to entertainment and information

anytime, anywhere – no matter whether the content comes from cable, satellite, terrestrial,

packaged media or the Internet.

In the company’s view, the Internet is an "e.Playground" where consumers can collect, share

and manage everything from data and text information, to digital images, movie clips and

music. The result: New ways to enjoy Sony products.

Sony is also giving consumers new reasons to visit the Internet, including the recent launch

of SonyStyle.com, a new information rich, e-commerce site for everything Sony. Designed

to build a closer relationship between Sony and its customers, the site will offer a variety of

commerce, content, community and connectivity options planned for the near future.

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Other new service offerings include www.ImageStation.com and www.eMarker.com.

ImageStation.com helps consumers create, share and enjoy digital pictures and video. The

service offers free online albums and eCards, and members can share their favorite pictures

as gifts, keepsakes and high-quality prints in a variety of sizes. Select Sony hardware and

accessories are also available for purchase in the ImageStation.com store.

eMarker.com is an online service that puts an end to the most frustrating part of hearing a

song on the radio -- not knowing the title or the artist’s name. By pressing the button on the

tiny eMarker device, people can "eMark" songs they hear on the radio and locate the

information through the site.

Sony has been at the forefront of the movement to help consumers adopt digital lifestyles,

which, in a broadband network era, means helping them maximize the power and control

found within digital technology.

However, even in this broadband network era, one fact about Sony remains the same: the

company’s fundamental philosophy of providing products that are fun to use.

Sony’s vision is not necessarily about refrigerators talking to toasters. It’s about bringing to

market products that capture the imaginations of consumers and enhance their lives in the

process.

In the future, look for Sony to create entirely new forms of entertainment, blending movies,

computer generated worlds, games and music. Sony has the vision, technology and content

to forge a direction in consumer entertainment that no other company can match.

Promoting a World Class Brand

The phenomenal strength of the Sony brand worldwide is surely a testament to the

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company’s reputation for producing innovative products of exceptional quality and value.

And while traditional brand theory says brand essence should be narrowed down to one

element, Sony celebrates brand diversity -- with the Trinitron, VAIO and Walkman sub-

brands, to name just a few, each connecting with consumers across various lifestyle

segments.

Sony has the brand recognition and marketing savvy to create new product categories and

revitalize mature ones. Look no further than what the company did with the Walkman brand

and for the MiniDisc format.

Sony, the company that changed the way the world listens to music with the introduction of

the Walkman personal stereo, again set its sights on transforming the portable music

landscape when it kicked off a comprehensive, integrated marketing campaign to relaunch

the Walkman brand in June 2000.

Titled "The Walkman Has Landed," the marketing campaign, which included broadcast,

print and online advertising; Internet and dealer events/promotions; and grassroots consumer

and public relations components; strategically communicated the lifestyle attributes of the

Sony Walkman line to generation Y, its primary target market.

Additionally, the campaign brought together an entirely new product line up comprised of

CD Walkman, MD Walkman and Network Walkman personal digital audio players.

The company knew that it needed to reinvent the Walkman brand for today’s younger, more

digitally inclined music lovers. (To many, the brand had become generic, representing

"older," analog-based cassette technology.) Sony promoted a new Walkman ideology based

on personal freedom, independence, imagination and creativity in a way that appealed to

new techno-savvy, style-conscious consumers who favor digital downloading and ripping

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CDs.

The star of the television commercial from the campaign is an alien character named Plato,

who is "quintessentially diverse and knows how to have fun." His persona offers Gen Y a bit

of humor and a good dose of enjoyment.

Another example of Sony’s ability to reposition itself and its products is found in the

MiniDisc. A huge success in Japan, where it has become the dominant recording format,

MD did not become a success in the U.S. until it was marketed as a digital music player that

could record from the Internet. With its inexpensive media and versatility (units are capable

of recording Internet music, tracks from personal CD collections and favorite songs off the

radio), MD has become a gen Y favorite. U.S. sales have increased by more than 40% since

the MD to PC link was introduced.

However, the company doesn’t just rely on brilliantly executed advertising campaigns to

secure consumer attention. The company utilizes world class public relations to enhance

Sony’s value, reputation and brand image. Communications campaigns are conducted on

both an individual product and strategic platform basis. This process ensures exposure for

the company’s most important products as well as for the company’s role in key industry

issues that cross multiple product categories and disciplines, including electronic music

distribution and digital television

Brand Values

When remarking about the importance of the Sony brand name, consider this quote from

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Chairman of the Board, Norio Ohga: "In April of every year a large number of new

employees join the company. And what I always say to them is that we have many

marvelous assets here. The most valuable asset of all are the four letters, S, O, N, Y. I tell

them, make sure the basis of your actions is increasing the value of these four letters. In

other words, when you consider doing something, you must consider whether your action

will increase the value of SONY, or lower its value."

In the minds of consumers, Sony is one of the world’s greatest brands -- the company was

once again rated the number one brand in the U.S. by the 2000 Harris poll. As noted, much

of the brand equity Sony enjoys is rooted in product innovations.

However, to ensure the future of its brand, the company recently embarked on an extensive,

company-wide initiative in the U.S. designed to foster a common understanding of the Sony

brand among employees, customers and consumers. The project, dubbed Being Sony, was

necessitated because of expansive company growth, an influx of new employees, and

converging business opportunities.

Sony executives felt the need to clearly articulate the meaning and values inherent in the

Sony brand (to both internal and external constituencies), while re-examining the unique

relationship of the brand in American culture.

Despite involvement in disparate businesses, the company’s desire is to leverage the brand

beyond the products -- the primary touchpoint with consumers, and add to the brand’s value

by re-focusing it to the outside world.

In essence, Sony, the box manufacturer, is being replaced by a new Sony – a customer-

centric entity centered around broadband entertainment, yet driven by the venture spirit of

Sony’s founding days.

We Help Dreamers Dream

Sony is a company devoted to the CELEBRATION of life. We create things for every kind

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of IMAGINATION. Products that stimulate the SENSES and refresh the spirit. Ideas that

always surprise and never disappoint. INNOVATIONS that are easy to love, and

EFFORTLESS to use, things that are not essential, yet hard to live without.

We are not here to be logical. Or predictable. We’re here to pursue INFINITE possibilities.

We allow the BRIGHTEST minds to interact freely, so the UNEXPECTED can emerge. We

invite new THINKING so even more fantastic ideas can evolve. CREATIVITY is our

essence. We take chances. We EXCEED expectations. We help dreamers DREAM.

Things You Didn’t Know About Sony

Sony’s first product was a rice cooker

Sony establishes its first major overseas operation in New York City (514 Broadway) in

1960 with a capital investment of $500,000. Sony becomes the first Japanese company in

the United States to make a public offering of 2 million shares of common stock in the form

of American Depository Receipts (ADRs) in 1961.

In 1986, Walkman was included in the Oxford English DictionaryBefore the Walkman

personal stereo became a worldwide brand name, it was introduced under a variety of

names, including the Soundabout in the U.S., the Stowaway in the UK and the Freestyle in

Australia.

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OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH

1. To study the buying pattern of people towards consumer goods.

2. To determine the major factors influencing the buying decision process of the target

group.

3. To set out some basic marketing implications for the marketers to cater to different

needs of the targets group.

4. To have some insights on the relationship between marketing stimuli

and youth responses.

5. To serve as guideline for further research in this area

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Chapter -II

LITERATURE

REVIEW

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Literature review

Moneesha Pachauri

Nottingham University Business School

The Marketing Review, 2002, 2, 319-355

Consumer Buying Behaviour: a Literature Review In order to develop a framework for the

study consumer behaviour it is helpful to begin by considering the evolution of the field of

consumer research and the different paradigms of thought that have influenced the discipline.

As described in this article, a set of dimensions can be identified in the literature, which can be

used to characterize and differentiate, the various perspectives on consumer research. It is

argued that consumer behaviour itself emerged as a distinct field of study during the 1960s; and

is characterized by two broad paradigms, the positivist and the non-positivist. The positivist

paradigm encompasses the economic, behavioural, cognitive, motivational/trait/attitudinal,

and situational perspectives; these perspectives are referred to as the traditional perspectives as

they pre-date the development of the non-positivist paradigm. The positivist paradigm, which is

still the dominant paradigm, emphasizes the supremacy of human reason and that there is a

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single, objective truth that can be discovered by science. This paradigm regards the world as a

rational and ordered place with a clearly defined past, present, and future. The assumption of

rationalism is therefore fundamental to the traditional perspective.

The opposing, non-positivist paradigm, envelops the interpretive and postmodern perspectives,

which have emerged more recently during the period post-1980 to date. The proponents of this

emerging perspective argue that positivism overemphasizes the rational view and the ideology

of a homogenous social culture and thereby denies the complex social and cultural world in

which consumers live. This paradigm instead stresses, the importance of symbolic and

subjective experience and the idea that consumers construct meanings based on unique and

shared cultural experiences, and thus there can be no single unified world view.

Unsurprisingly, the two paradigms differ in their views on the benefits derived from

consumption and the objectives that underscore consumer research. The traditional, positivist

perspective takes a very utilitarian approach to the benefits from consumption. While the non-

positivist perspectives place much greater emphasis on the symbolic dimensions of choice. The

objective of non-positivist research endeavour is to achieve a better understanding of consumer

behaviour with no specific intent to influence consumer processes.Conversely, outcomes of

positivist research are directed toward advancing the goals of marketing practice. By identifying

the paradigmatic shifts within the field, this article aims to identify different streams of thought

that could guide future consumer research.

Introduction

Consumer is the study “of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase,

use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires”

(Solomon 1995, 7). In the marketing context, the term ‘consumer ’ refers not only to the act of

purchase itself, but also to patterns of aggregate buying which include pre-purchase and post-

purchase activities. Pre-purchase activity might consist of the growing awareness of a need or

want, and a search for and evaluation of information about the products and brands that might

satisfy it. Post-purchase activities include the evaluation of the purchased item in use and the

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reduction of any anxiety which accompanies the purchase of expensive and infrequently-bought

items. Each of these has implications for purchase and repurchase and they are amenable in

differing degrees to marketer influence (Foxall 1987).

The Traditional Perspectives on Consumer Research

This first section outlines the perspectives that emerged during the traditional-positivist era in

consumer research. Thus, a brief discussion onthe early models of buyer behaviour, proposed by

economists is presented,followed by a discussion on each of the traditional perspectives in

consumerresearch that emerged thereafter. These are the behavioural, cognitive, trait,

motivational, attitudinal, and situational viewpoints. Overall, the objective of this section is to

outline the features and the central arguments of each of these perspectives. While a detailed

analytical review of the paradigms is presented in section two, at this stage it is worth noting,

that the traditional perspectives while diverse with respect to the many aspects of consumer

behaviour they investigate, are fundamentally similar in terms of their philosophical and

methodological bases for undertaking the examination of consumer issues. That is, they are

built on the common foundations of “rationalism” and share allegiance to the principles of a

single traditional, positivist-based approach to consumer research.

The Rational Perspective

The economists were the first to dominate model building, in the area of buying behaviour. The

early economic view considered consumer behavior in terms of a single act of purchase itself,

and post-purchase reactions.

Economic theory holds that purchasing decisions are the result of largely “rational” and

conscious economic calculations. Thus, the individual buyer seeks to spend his income on those

goods that will deliver the most utility (satisfaction) according to his tastes and relative prices.

The antecedents of this view can be traced back to Adam Smith (1776). Alfred Marshall (1890)

consolidated the classical and neoclassical traditions in economics, into a refined theoretical

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framework which came to be known as the theory of marginal utility. His theoretical work

aimed to simplify assumptions and thereby examine the effects of changes in single variables

(e.g., price) holding all other variables constant.

The Behavioural Perspective

As mentioned above, in contrast to the economic view which underscores the importance of

internal mental processes in consumer decision making, the behavioural perspective emphasizes

the role of external environmental factors in the process of learning, which it is argued causes

behaviour. the behaviourists approach the consumer, as a “black box” and thereby assume that

consumer behaviour is a conditioned response to external events. The behavioural perspective

therefore focuses on external environmental cues (such as advertising) that stimulate consumer

response through learning. The strategic emphasis, of the behavioural modification theories, for

example, are to devise a set of expanded behaviour modification techniques (e.g., respondent

conditioning; operant conditioning; vicarious learning etc.) that can be used to influence,

modify, and control consumer behaviour (Peter and Nord 1982). While a number of researchers

have proposed models to study learning principles e.g., Thorndike (1911); Watson and Rayner

(1920), this view is represented by two major approaches to learning: classical conditioning and

instrumental learning.

The Cognitive Perspective

In contrast to behavioural theories of learning, the cognitive perspective stresses the role of

information processing in consumer decision making. This perspective views people as problem

solvers who actively use information from the world around them to master their environment

However, much debate surrounds the issue of whether or when people are actually aware of

these learning processes. On the one hand, there is some evidence for the existence of

unconscious procedural knowledge. That is, people apparently do process at least some

information in an automatic, passive way, which is a condition that has been termed

43 | P a g e

mindlessness (Langer 1983). Nonetheless, many modern theorists are beginning to regard some

instances of conditioning as cognitive processes, especially where expectations are formed

about the linkages between stimuli and responses. Studies using masking effects, wherein it is

difficult for subjects to learn CS/UCS associations, show substantial reductions in conditioning

(Allen and Madden 1985).

The Evolution of Consumer Research

This section aims to paradigmatically identify the developments within the field of consumer

research. Paradigms in consumer research can be broadly classified as a set of fundamental

assumptions that researchers make about what they are studying and how they study it. As

described below, a set of dimensions as identified by the literature, are employed to characterize

and differentiate, chronologically, the paradigms enveloping various perspectives. To further

support the discussion, this section provides a diagrammatic representation of the evolution of

the field of consumer research6, as identified

Conclusion

Overall, it is argued that the study of consumer behaviour is rapidly evolving as researchers

recognize and implement new techniques and trans- disciplinary perspectives to understand the

nature of purchase and consumption behaviour. This wider view attempts to study consumer.

BUYER BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ELECTRONIC GOODSInternational Journal of Enterprise and Innovation Management Studies (IJEIMS) Vol. 1 No. 3

Mrs. K. RAJASELVI

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Assistant Professor in Commerce, Emerald Heights College For WomenFinger Post Ootacamund- 6.

ABSTRACT

Buyer behavior is the outcome of both individual and environmental influences’ –BOONE

KURTZ. Buyer behavior is a study of how individuals make decision to spend their available

resources (time, money and effort) on consumption related items (what they buy, why they buy,

When they buy, Where they buy, How often they buy and use a product or service).

I. INTRODUCTION

Buyer behaviour is a study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources

(time, money and effort) on consumption related items (what they buy, why they buy, When

they buy, Where they buy, How often they buy and use a product or service).

II.FACTORSINFLUENCEBUYERBEHAVIOUR

The major factors influencing buyer behaviour are cultural, social, personal and psychological.

III.BUYINGROLES

For many products, it is fairly easy to identify the buyer. Many other products involve a

decision making unit consisting of more than one person. Five roles people might play in a

buying decision.

1. Initiator: A person who first suggests the idea of buying the particular product or service.

2. Influencer: A person whose views or advice carries some weight in making the final decision.

3. Decider: A person who decides on any component of a buying decision. Whether to buy,

what to buy, how to buy,or where to buy.

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4. Buyer: The person who makes the actual purchase.

5. User: A person who consumes or uses the product or service.

A company needs to identify these roles because they have implication for designing the

product, determining and allocating the promotional budget.

IV. PURCHASE DECISION

In evaluation stage, the consumer forms preferences among the brands the choice set. The

consumer may also form a purchase intension to busy the most preferred brand.

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

SOCIAL- ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE RESPONDENTS

VI. BRANDAWARENESSAND PURCHASE DECISION

VII. POSSESSION OF ELECTRONIC GOODS

VIII. CONCLUSION

Despite the basic characteristics of consumers the behavior pattern of consumers are more or

less similar to eachother, particularly in the aspects like quality, preference and decision

making. However it is evident that the presentapproaches to draw the attention of customers are

not adequate. The consumers are particular about the appropriatesystem of distribution and

hence there is a great need for change in the distribution system. It may not be always correct to

say that consumers behave in the same way as it much depends on type of products, quality of

the products and price of the products. Therefore the producer must be paid special attention at

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least with regard to price and distribution system to cover the large number of customers. This

is mainly because of the fact that the buying capacity of the consumers may not be equal to the

buying capacity.

CHAPTER- III

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RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH METHEDOLOGY

Research methodology is simple framework or plan for the study that is as guide in

collection and analyzing the data. It is the blue print that is followed in completes the study.

Thus, good research methodology ensures the completion of project efficiency and affectivity.

Since there are many aspect of research methodology, the line of action has to be chosen from

the variety of alternatives, to choose the suitable method through the assessment from various

alternatives.

Research can be classified from three perspectives:

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1. Application of research study.

2. Objectives in undertaking the research.

3. Inquiry mode employed.

APPLICATION:

From the point of view of application, there are two broad categories of research:

PURE RESEARCH

APPLIED RESEARCH.

Pure research: It involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses that are

intellectually challenging to the researcher but it may or may not have practical application at

the present time or in the future. The knowledge produced through pure research is sought in

order to add to the existing body of research methods.

Applied research: It is done to solve specific, practical questions; for policy formulation,

administration and understanding of a phenomenon. It can be exploratory, but is usually

descriptive. It is almost always done on the base basic research. Applied research can be carried

out by academic or industrial institutions. Often, an academic institution such as a university

will have a specific applied research program funded by an industrial partner interested in that

program.

Objectives:

From the viewpoint of objectives, a research can be classified as

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-descriptive

-co relational

-explanatory

-exploratory

Descriptive research: It attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon,

service or program, or provides information about , say, living condition of a community, or

describes attitudes towards an issue.

Co relational research: It attempts to discover or establish the existence of a relationship/

interdependence between two or more aspects of a situation.

Explanatory research: It attempts to clarify why and how there is a relationship between two

or more aspects of a situation or phenomenon.

Exploratory research: It is undertaken to explore an area where little is known or to

investigate the possibilities of undertaking a particular research study (feasibility study / pilot

study).

In practice most studies are a combination of the first three categories.

Inquiry Mode:

From the process adopted to find answer to research questions – the two approaches are:

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Structured approach

Unstructured approach

Structured approach:

The structured approach to inquiry is usually classified as quantitative research. Here

everything that forms the research process- objectives, design, sample, and the questions that

you plan to ask of respondents- is predetermined. It is more appropriate to determine the extent

of a problem, issue or phenomenon by quantifying the variation, e.g. how many people have a

particular problem? How many people hold a particular attitude?

Unstructured approach:

The unstructured approach to inquiry is usually classified as qualitative research. This

approach allows flexibility in all aspects of the research process. It is more appropriate to

explore the nature of a problem, issue or phenomenon without quantifying it. Main objective is

to describe the variation in a phenomenon, situation or attitude. e,g, description of an observed

situation, the historical enumeration of events, an account of different opinions different people

have about an issue, description of working condition in a particular industry.

Both approaches have their place in research. Both have their strengths and weaknesses.

In many studies you have to combine both qualitative and quantitative approaches. For

example, suppose you have to find the types of cuisine / accommodation available in a city and

the extent of their popularity.

Types of cuisine is the qualitative aspect of the study as finding out about them entails

description of the culture and cuisine The extent of their popularity is the quantitative aspect as

it involves estimating the number of people who visit restaurant serving such cuisine and

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calculating the other indicators that reflect the extent of popularity.

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The research process is similar to undertaking a journey. For a research journey there are

two important decisions to make-

1) What you want to find out about or what research questions (problems) you want to find

answers to;

2) How to go about finding their answers. There are practical steps through which you must

pass in your research journey in order to find answers to your research questions. The path to

finding answers to your research questions constitutes research methodology.

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At each operational step in the research process you are required to choose from a

multiplicity of methods, procedures and models of research methodology which will

help you to best achieve your objectives.

This is where your knowledge base of research methodology plays a crucial role.

STEPS IN RESEARCH PROCESS:

1. Formulating the Research Problem

2. Extensive Literature Review

3. Developing the objectives

4. Preparing the Research Design including Sample Design

5. Collecting the Data

6. Analysis of Data

7. Generalization and Interpretation

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8. Preparation of the Report or Presentation of Results-Formal write ups of conclusions reached.

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Objectives of Research

The objective of the study is to ensure that I as a management student develop in real life for

handling the specific project and also to develop all roundness in various management

activities related to the area of my specialization. This project gives me a substantial

corporate exposure and also serves as a useful tool of interaction with the corporate sector.

The project has been derived from the field of ‘Marketing’ and is entitled as “Buying

Behavior/Need Analysis & Generation of Prospective Customer List for Sony Products in

Meerut”. The main idea behind this project is.

To get an overall view of the product sale, promotion and problem faced by SONY Products.

To make a knowledge about the market strategy of SONY in meerut .

Sample Size: 100

Primary Data: Questionnaire distributed among 100 customers.

Secondary Data: Internet, Magazines and Newspapers.

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CHAPTER -IV

ANALYSIS

&

INTERPRETATION

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DATA ANALYSIS

1. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE BRANDS OF ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS ?

SONY SAMSUNG LG TOSHIBA

Series 1 60 30 8 2

5

15

25

35

45

55

65

favourite brands

60 people says that SONY is the favourite brand of electronic products.

30 people says that SAMSUNG is the favourite brand of electronic products.

8 people says that LG is the favourite brand of electronic products.

2 people says that TOSHIBA is the favourite of electronic products.

DATA IN PERCENTAGE :

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60%

30%

8%2%

SONYSAMSUNGLGTOSHIBA

60 % says that SONY is the favourite brand of electronic products.

30 % says that SAMSUNG is the favourite brand of electronic products.

8 % says that LG is the favourite brand of electronic products.

2 % says that TOSHIBA is the favourite brand of electronic products.

2. HAVE YOU HEARD THE BRAND OF SONY PRODUCTS ?

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YES NO

Series 1 100 0

10

30

50

70

90

110

sony products

100 people says that they heard the brand of sony.

Data in percentage :

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100%

YESNO

100% says that they heard the brand of sony.

3. DID YOU KNOW ABOUT SONY PRODUCTS ?

60 | P a g e

BRAVIA CYBER SHOT

VAIO X-PLOD HANDY-CAM

PLAY STA-TION

WALK MAN

SONY ER-ICSSON

Series 1 10 6 20 4 15 5 10 30

2.5

7.5

12.5

17.5

22.5

27.5

32.5

sony products

10 people says that they know about the BRAVIA .

6 people says that they know about the CYBER SHOT.

20 people says that they know about the VAIO.

4 people says that they know about the X-PLOD.

15 people says that they know about the HANDYCAM.

5 people says that they know about the PLAY STATION.

10 people says that they know about the WALK MAN.

30 people says that they know about the SONY ERICSSON.

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Data in percentage :

10% 6%

20%

4%15%5%

10%

30%BRAVIA

CYBER SHOT

VAIO

X-PLOD

HANDYCAM

PLAY STATION

WALK MAN

SONY ERICSSON

10 % says that they know about the BRAVIA .

6 % says that they know about the CYBER SHOT.

20 % says that they know about the VAIO.

4 % says that they know about the X-PLOD.

15 % says that they know about the HANDYCAM.

5 % says that they know about the PLAY STATION.

10 % says that they know about the WALK MAN.

30 % says that they know about the SONY ERICSSON.

4. WHICH PRODUCT YOU HAVE BUYED IN SONY OR HAVING

INTERESTED TO BUY ?

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BRAVIA

CYBER-SHOT

VAIO X-PLOD

HANDY CAM

PLAY STA-TION

WALK MAN

SONY ERICS-SON MO-BILE

WEGA TABLET SONY HI-FI

HEAD PHONE

S

Series 1

5 10 15 2 8 5 10 20 2 8 0 15

2.5

7.5

12.5

17.5

22.5

sony products

5 people says that they have buyed BRAVIA or having interested to buy.

10 people says that they have buyed CYBER SHOT or having interested to buy.

15 people says that they have buyed VAIO or having interested to buy.

2 people says that they have buyed X-PLOD or having interested to buy.

8 people says that they have buyed HANDYCAM or having interested to buy.

5 people says that they have buyed PLAY STATION or having interested to buy.

10 people says that they have buyed WALK MAN or having interested to buy.

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20 people says that they have buyed SONY ERICSSON MOBILE or having

interested to buy.

2 people says that they have buyed WEGA or having interested to buy.

8 people says that they have buyed TABLET or having interested to buy.

0 people says that they have buyed SONY HI-FI or having interested to buy.

15 people says that they have buyed HEAD PHONES or having interested to buy.

Data in percentage :

5%10%

15%

2%

8%5%

10%20%

2%

8%

15%

sony products

BRAVIACYBER SHOTVAIOX-PLODHANDYCAMPLAY STATION WALK MANSONY ERICSSONWEGATABLETSONY HI-FIHEAD PHONES

5 % says that they have buyed BRAVIA or having interested to buy.

10 % says that they have buyed CYBER SHOT or having interested to buy.

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15 % says that they have buyed VAIO or having interested to buy.

2 % says that they have buyed X-PLOD or having interested to buy.

8 % says that they have buyed HANDYCAM or having interested to buy.

5 % says that they have buyed PLAY STATION or having interested to buy.

10 % says that they have buyed WALK MAN or having interested to buy.

20 % says that they have buyed SONY ERICSSON MOBILE or having interested

to buy.

2 % says that they have buyed WEGA or having interested to buy.

8 % says that they have buyed TABLET or having interested to buy.

0 % says that they have buyed SONY HI-FI or having interested to buy.

15 % says that they have buyed HEAD PHONES or having interested to buy.

5. FROM WHERE YOU LIKE TO BUY THE SONY PRODUCT AND WHY ?

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SONY WORLD SONY EXCLUSIVE MULTI-BRAND COUNTER

Series 1 56 26 18

5

15

25

35

45

55

sony stores

56 people like to buy the sony products from SONY WORLD.

26 people like to buy the sony products from SONY EXCLUSIVE.

18 people like to buy the sony products from MULTI BRAND COUNTER.

Data in percentage :

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56%

26%

18%

SONY WORLD SONY EXCLUSIVEMULTI-BRAND COUNTER

56 % like to buy the sony products from SONY WORLD.

26 % like to buy the sony products from SONY EXCLUSIVE.

18 % like to buy the sony products from MULTI BRAND COUNTER.

6. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH PRICE RANGE WHICH OFFERED BY

SONY?

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yes no

Series 1 50 50

5

15

25

35

45

55

price range of sony

Axis Title

50 people are SATISFIED with the PRICE RANGE of sony.

50 people are NOT SATISFIED with the PRICE RANGE of sony.

Data in percentage :

68 | P a g e

50%50% YES NO

50 % are SATISFIED with the PRICE RANGE of sony.

50 % are NOT SATISFIED with the PRICE RANGE of sony.

7. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE SONY

PRODUCTS ?

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HIGHLY SATISFIED SATISFIED INDIFFERENT DISSATISFIED HIGHLY DISSATIS-FIED

Series 1 18 68 8 6 0

5

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

quality of sony products

18 people are HIGHLY SATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

68 people are SATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

8 people are INDIFFERENT with the QUALITY of the sony products.

6 people are DISSATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

0 people are HIGHLY DISSATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

Data in percentage :

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18%

68%

8%6%

HIGHLY SATISFIEDSATISFIEDINDIFFERENTDISSATISFIEDHIGHLY DISSATISFIED

18 % are HIGHLY SATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

68 % are SATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

8 % are INDIFFERENT with the QUALITY of the sony products.

6 % are DISSATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

0 % are HIGHLY DISSATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

8 . ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE DURABILITY OF THE SONY

PRODUCTS ?

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10 people are HIGHLY SATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

78 people are SATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 people are INDIFFERENT with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 people are DISSATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 people are HIGHLY DISSATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony

products.

Data in percentage :

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HIGHLY SATIS-FIED

SATISFIED INDIFFERENT DISSATISFIED HIGHLY DISSAT-ISFIED

Series 1 10 78 4 4 4

5

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

durability of sony products

Axis Title

10%

78%

4%4% 4%

HIGHLY SATISFIEDSATISFIEDINDIFFERENTDISSATISFIEDHIGHLY DISSATISFIED

10 % are HIGHLY SATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

78 % are SATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 % are INDIFFERENT with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 % are DISSATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 % people are HIGHLY DISSATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony

products.

9. RATE THE AFTER SALES SERVICES OF SONY .

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EXCELLENT GOOD AVERAGE POOR VERY POOR

Series 1 16 54 24 2 4

5

15

25

35

45

55

after sales services

16 people says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is EXCELLENT.

54 people says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is GOOD.

24 people says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is AVERAGE.

2 people says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is POOR.

4 people says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is VERY POOR.

Data in percentage :

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16%

54%

24%

2% 4%

EXCELLENTGOODAVERAGEPOORVERY POOR

16 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is EXCELLENT.

54 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is GOOD.

24 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is AVERAGE.

2 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is POOR.

4 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is VERY POOR.

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10. WHICH FACTOR INFLUENCE YOU TO PURCHASE THE SONY PRODUCT ?

COMPANY BRAND NAME

PRODUCT FEATURE

SERVICES PROMOTION ACTIVITIES

PRICE INFLUENCED BY OTHERS

Series 1 66 30 0 4 0 0

5

15

25

35

45

55

65

factors

Axis Title

66 people says that COMPANY BRAND NAME influence them to purchase the

sony product.

30 people says that PRODUCT FEATURES influence them to purchase the sony

product.

0 people says that SERVICES influence them to purchase the sony product.

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4 people says that PROMOTION ACTIVITIES influence them to purchase the sony

product.

0 people says that PRICE influence them to purchase the sony product.

0 people says that they purchase the sony product on INFLUENCED BY OTHERS.

Data in percentage :

66%

30%

4%

COMPANY BRAND NAMEPRODUCT FEATURESERVICESPROMOTION ACTIVITIESPRICEINFLUENCED BY OTHERS

66 % says that COMPANY BRAND NAME influence them to purchase the sony

product.

30 % says that PRODUCT FEATURES influence them to purchase the sony

product.

0 % says that SERVICES influence them to purchase the sony product.

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4 % says that PROMOTION ACTIVITIES influence them to purchase the sony

product.

0 % says that PRICE influence them to purchase the sony product.

0 % says that they purchase the sony product on INFLUENCED BY OTHERS.

11.WHERE DO YOU HEARD OF/GET INFORMATION OF SONY MOST

OFTEN ?

78 | P a g e

TELEVISION NEWS PAPERS MAGAZINES FRIENDS

Series 1 62 8 16 14

5

15

25

35

45

55

65

information of sony

62 people says that they get the information of sony products through TELEVISION.

08 people says that they get the information of sony products through NEWS

PAPERS

16 people says that they get the information of sony products through MAGAZINES.

14 people says that they get the information of sony products through FRIENDS

Data in percentage :

79 | P a g e

.

62%

8%

16%

14%

information of sony

TELEVISIONNEWS PAPERSMAGAZINESFRIENDS

62 % says that they get the information of sony products through TELEVISION.

08 % says that they get the information of sony products through NEWS PAPERS

16 % says that they get the information of sony products through MAGAZINES.

14 % says that they get the information of sony products through FRIENDS

12 .WHEN YOU PREFER TO BUY SONY PRODUCTS ?

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SALES OFFER DISCOUNT OFFER

Series 1 54 46

43

45

47

49

51

53

55

preference

54 people says that they prefer to buy the sony products on SALES OFFER.

46 people says that they prefer to buy the sony products on DISCOUNT OFFER.

Data in percentage :

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54%

46% SALES OFFERDISCOUNT OFFER

54 % says that they prefer to buy the sony products on SALES OFFER.

46 % says that they prefer to buy the sony products on DISCOUNT OFFER.

13. OVER ALL RATE THE SONY ?

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EXCELLENT GOOD AVERAGE POOR VERY POOR

Series 1 28 64 6 2 0

5

15

25

35

45

55

65

rating of sony

Axis Title

28 people rate the sony EXCELLENT.

64 people rate the sony GOOD.

6 people rate the sony AVERAGE.

2 people rate the sony POOR.

0 people rate the sony VERY POOR.

Data in percentage :

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28%

64%

6%2%

rating of sony

EXCELLENTGOODAVERAGEPOORVERY POOR

28 % rate the sony EXCELLENT.

64 % rate the sony GOOD.

6 % rate the sony AVERAGE.

2 % rate the sony POOR.

0 % rate the sony VERY POOR.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

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Over all analysis :

60 % says that SONY is the favourite brand of electronic products.

30 % says that SAMSUNG is the favourite brand of electronic products.

8 % says that LG is the favourite brand of electronic products.

2 % says that TOSHIBA is the favourite brand of electronic products.

100% says that they heard the brand of sony.

10 % says that they know about the BRAVIA .

6 % says that they know about the CYBER SHOT.

20 % says that they know about the VAIO.

4 % says that they know about the X-PLOD.

15 % says that they know about the HANDYCAM.

5 % says that they know about the PLAY STATION.

10 % says that they know about the WALK MAN.

30 % says that they know about the SONY ERICSSON.

5 % says that they have buyed BRAVIA or having interested to buy.

10 % says that they have buyed CYBER SHOT or having interested to buy.

15 % says that they have buyed VAIO or having interested to buy.

2 % says that they have buyed X-PLOD or having interested to buy.

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8 % says that they have buyed HANDYCAM or having interested to buy.

5 % says that they have buyed PLAY STATION or having interested to buy.

10 % says that they have buyed WALK MAN or having interested to buy.

20 % says that they have buyed SONY ERICSSON MOBILE or having interested

to buy.

2 % says that they have buyed WEGA or having interested to buy.

8 % says that they have buyed TABLET or having interested to buy.

0 % says that they have buyed SONY HI-FI or having interested to buy.

15 % says that they have buyed HEAD PHONES or having interested to buy.

56 % like to buy the sony products from SONY WORLD.

26 % like to buy the sony products from SONY EXCLUSIVE.

18 % like to buy the sony products from MULTI BRAND COUNTER.

50 % are SATISFIED with the PRICE RANGE of sony.

50 % are NOT SATISFIED with the PRICE RANGE of sony.

18 % are HIGHLY SATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

68 % are SATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

8 % are INDIFFERENT with the QUALITY of the sony products.

6 % are DISSATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

0 % are HIGHLY DISSATISFIED with the QUALITY of the sony products.

10 % are HIGHLY SATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

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78 % are SATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 % are INDIFFERENT with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 % are DISSATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

4 % people are HIGHLY DISSATISFIED with the DURABILITY of the sony

products.

16 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is EXCELLENT.

54 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is GOOD.

24 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is AVERAGE.

2 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is POOR.

4 % says that AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony is VERY POOR.

66 % says that COMPANY BRAND NAME influence them to purchase the sony

product.

30 % says that PRODUCT FEATURES influence them to purchase the sony

product.

0 % says that SERVICES influence them to purchase the sony product.

4 % says that PROMOTION ACTIVITIES influence them to purchase the sony

product.

0 % says that PRICE influence them to purchase the sony product.

0 % says that they purchase the sony product on INFLUENCED BY OTHERS.

62 % says that they get the information of sony products through TELEVISION.

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08 % says that they get the information of sony products through NEWS PAPERS

16 % says that they get the information of sony products through MAGAZINES.

14 % says that they get the information of sony products through FRIENDS

54 % says that they prefer to buy the sony products on SALES OFFER.

46 % says that they prefer to buy the sony products on DISCOUNT OFFER.

28 % rate the sony EXCELLENT.

64 % rate the sony GOOD.

6 % rate the sony AVERAGE.

2 % rate the sony POOR.

0 % rate the sony VERY POOR.

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CHAPTER – V

FINDINGS

RECOMMENDATION

CONCLUSION &

LIMITATIONS

FINDINGS

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Most of the people says that SONY is the favourite brand of electronic products.

100% says that they heard the brand of sony.

Most of the people says that they know about the SONY ERICSSON.

Most of the people like to buy the sony products from SONY WORLD.

Some people like to buy the sony products from SONY EXCLUSIVE.

Some people like to buy the sony products from MULTI BRAND COUNTER.

Half of the population are SATISFIED with the PRICE RANGE of sony.

Most of the people are highly satisfied with the QUA:ITY of the sony products.

Most of the people are highly satisfied with the DURABILITY of the sony products.

Most of the people are happy with the AFTER SALES SERVICES of sony.

Most of the people says that COMPANY BRAND NAME influence them to

purchase the sony product.

Some people says that PRODUCT FEATURES influence them to purchase the sony

product.

Most of the people says that they get the information of sony products through

TELEVISION.

Some people says that they get the information of sony products through NEWS

PAPERS

Some people says that they get the information of sony products through

MAGAZINES.

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Some people says that they get the information of sony products through FRIENDS

Most of the people says that they prefer to buy the sony products on SALES OFFER.

Some people says that they prefer to buy the sony products on DISCOUNT OFFER.

Some people rate the sony as EXCELLENT.

Most of the people rate the sony as GOOD

Limitations

The study is in limited sample.

People working there are not interested in filling the questionnaires.

It was the tough time to get response from the customers.

Time was a limitation with the quantum of data collected, hence analysis became

difficult.

The nature of project, which sometimes entered into personal zones like age, income

etc. created some difficulties during data collection.

There could have been efforts on a much detailed scale, but since time was limited,

the scope got limited.

As simple random sampling methods was adopted, the responders (units) selected by

simple random sampling method was from different places, this causes a great deal of

inconvenience.

Sample which was taken for this Survey was only 100 due to time limitation and

other constraints. 

RECOMMENDATION & SUGGESTION

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Only 60 % says that SONY is the favourite brand of electronic products.So they

have to create the awareness of their product to the other 40% people.

Marketers should have innovate new products with unique features having some

multipurpose utility which could create an appeal to the customers, for example,

company can manufacture those Cyber-Shot cameras having the capacity of 30 to 40

GB hard Disk memory which record up to 20Hrs to 27Hrs of video Recording as

Hard Disk Drive Handy-cam can do.

In case of price, price of products should not be too high. Marketer should follow the

strategy of ‘Good quality and services in fewer prices’. That can attract customers.

It was seen that generally customers like to visits those outlets which are frequently

visited by other customers, customers generally prefer Multibrands counters because

lots of products can be seen at on place (including Sony products), so Sony Exclusive

have to sharp look on the updated version Sony products at there showroom.

Regarding promotion marketers Sony Exclusive must build up unique imageryappeal

for their Sony products through advertisement (For example like Sony has an imagery

of quality).

More intense research works should be initiated, studying the specific needs and

attributes sorted by the customer for different kinds of product categories.

Conclusion

Before taking up the aspect of respondents buying behaviour, few points about the sample are

to be considered.

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      The sample size was 100, consisting the SHASTRI Nagar, Sectors and malls of

Meerut.

      Respondents mainly belong to the age groups 20 to 30 years.

      Respondents mainly belong to the Monthly income group of 10,000 – 15,000.

      Most of the respondents are Graduates and Post Graduates.

      All respondents are resident of Meerut.

      Sample consists of youth belonging to different socio-economic group. But a majority

of respondents belonged to the middle class.

It is important to consider these points because the conclusions are valid for this population

only.

By the age Mix Sample it was found that most of the respondents are male how want

to purchase those products how are technically very advanced as per the launched of

new products came they rush to Sony outlets (Sony Exclusive or Multi-Brand

counters) to buy those products, as comparing to female they have less interest in

products advancement as compared to there necessity requirement. Most of

respondents who belong to the monthly income group of Rs10,000 – Rs15,000 buy

the Sony products from finance scheme which is offered by Sony India private

Limited.(0 % Finance offer).Meerut city is famous for his educational excellence, so

it was decided that in this survey we are going to collect some information about the

responder educational profile, so that marketer can understand deeply which kind of

consumers buy or show interest for Sony products, by the way it can be noticed that

most of the respondents are Graduates and Post Graduates who are technically have

good skill of handling electronic products.

Maximum numbers of respondents who participate in the survey have a family size

less then 4 members and they are most potential customers of Sony, this is because

with the average monthly income of 10,000 – 15,000 they easily choose the finance

offer which Sony gives.

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It has been found that the buying behavior of respondents is different across different

socio-economic groups depending upon the factors like monthly income of the

respondents and their age.

It has been found that Below 20 years (youth) respondents whose family income is

between 15,000 – 20,000 rupees preferred branded items like Sony. They prefer

quality more than price and they particularly focused on service and quality which is

offered by Sony.

It has been found that today’s customers is an aware lot and are much conscious about

their purchasing decisions. Even though it is only sometimes that they enquire about

the products or services. But often enquire about the quality, features, advancement,

contents of product before making a purchase. Television ads (Local channels) are

main source of information for customer. They are not all influenced by sales persons,

that points to the fact that even the company like Sony have to focus on their

promotional activities in Meerut.

Self opinion is very important for the customer; even through they go for purchase of

products with family and prefer company of people while making purchase decision.

But their purchase decisions are completely self influenced. The customer is found to

be very careful in the expenses and often keep a check on it and always consider

family’s financial position before purchasing. They do not prefer the finance offer

which the company gives to them; they prefer to buy on cash discount. All these show

that customer makes a conscious decision.

REFERENCES

1)      Kotler Philip, “Marketing Management”,8th Edition, June, 1995, Page no. 172-197.

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2)      Boyd, Westfall, Stasch, “Marketing Research”, 7th Edition, 1998, The Marketing

Research process, Page no. 63-127,311-465.

3)      Schiffiman Leon G. and Leslie Layas Kanuk, “Consumer Behaviour”, 6th Edition,

1997, Market Segmentation, Page no. 48-64, Consumer Behaviour, Page no. 376-392,

Consumer Decision Making, Page no. 503-508.

4)      Schiffman-Kanuk Consumer Behaviour- Prentice Hall of INDIA

5)      Neal Mc, James V, An Introduction to consumer behaviour,New York, Willey 1973

Sharma, D. D. Marketing research,New Delhi, Sultan Chand & Sons, 1999

6)      Kothari, C. R. – Research Methodology, New Delhi, New Age International (P) Ltd,

Edition 2006

Websites:

http://yanyong91.blogspot.in/2011/02/introduction-of-sony-company.html

https://news.sel.sony.com/en/corporate_information/sony_brand

http://compareindia.in.com/companyprofile.php?id=51

http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/61/Sony-Corporation.html

http://www.echeat.com/free-essay/Sony-Company-Profile-History-and-Culture-and- SWOT-27662.aspx

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/history.html#page_body_hp

http://www.sony.co.in/article/212772/section/sonysstory

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http://www.sony.co.in/article/342596/section/sonysstory

http://www.sony.co.in/article/211979/section/overview

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QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name:………………………………………………….

2. Age (in years)

Below 20 ( ) 20 – 35 ( )

3 5 - 50 ( ) 50 Years & above ( )

3. Gender

Male ( ) Female ( )

4. Educational Profile

Up to School level ( ) Up to H.S ( )

Graduates ( ) Post Graduate ( )

5. Family Size

Less then 4 member ( ) 4 to 6 member ( )

More Then 6 member ( )

6. Monthly Income (in Rupees)

Below 10,000 ( ) 15,001 – 25,000 ( )

10,001 – 15,000 ( ) Above 25,000 ( )

7 . What are your favourite brands of electronic products?

Sony ( ) Samsung ( )

LG ( ) Toshiba ( )

8. Have you heard the brand of ‘SONY’ before?

Yes ( ) No ( )

9. Did you know about SONY Products? (Tick 1 product)

Bravia ( ) Handycam ( )

Cyber-Shot ( ) Playstation ( )

Vaio ( ) Walkman ( )

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X-plod ( ) Sony Ericsson ( )

10. Which product you have buyed in SONY or having interested to buy it? (Tick 1 product)

Bravia ( ) Handycam ( )

Cyber-Shot ( ) Playstation ( )

Vaio ( ) Walkman ( )

X-plod ( ) Sony Ericsson Mobile ( )

WEGA ( ) Sony hi-fi ( )

Tablet ( ) Head phones ( )

11. From where you like to buy the SONY Product and Why?

Sony World ( ) Sony Exclusive ( )

Multi-Brand counter ( )

12. Are you satisfied with the price range which offered by SONY ?

Yes ( ) No ( )

13. Are you satisfied with the Quality of the sony products?

Highly satisfied ( ) Satisfied ( )

Indifferent ( ) Dissatisfied ( )

Highly dissatisfied ( )

14. Are you satisfied with the Durability of sony products?

Highly satisfied ( ) Satisfied ( )

Indifferent ( ) Dissatisfied ( )

Highly dissatisfied ( )

15. Rate the after sales services of sony.

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Excellent ( ) Good ( )

Average ( ) Poor ( )

Very Poor ( )

16.Which factor influence you to purchase SONY products?

Company brand name ( ) Promotion activities ( )

Product feature ( ) Price ( )

Services ( ) Influenced by others ( )

17 . Where do you heard of/get information of SONY most often?

Television ( ) Magazines ( )

News papers ( ) Friends ( )

18. When you prefer to buy Sony products?

Sales offer ( ) Discount offer ( )

Any other (Please specify) …………………………………………….

19. Over all you the Sony ?

Excellent ( ) Good ( )

Average ( ) Poor ( )

Very Poor ( )

20. View about Sony products?

………………………………………………………………………………

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