Samsung LED TVs and Sony Bravia

Introduction This research compares the marketing mix of Samsung LED TVs and Sony Bravia. The comparison between these two competitive products is helpful in determining what Sony Bravia brands benefits the company. Bravia is the brand deployed by Sony to market its high definition televisions and projection TVs. Sony Bravia television, like other televisions, have various uses at home (Sony Corporation, 7).

These televisions are widely used for entertainment purposes such as watching movies and TV shows. Sony targets two customer segments: present users of Sony products and new buyers of televisions. The key success factors in the market comprising of present users of Sony products is that they are loyal and are most likely to extend their loyalty by buying Sony Bravia televisions. The main reason for choosing Sony Bravia televisions was influenced by the extreme volatility of the global electronic market. SWOT Analysis The first strength of the product is the strong brand of the company. Sony has been a key player in the electronics industry for a very long time (Sony Corporation, 6).

This has enabled the company to establish a strong brand name and customer loyalty. The first weakness of the product is that it costs much higher than a similar LCD television. This makes customers opt for other cheaper alternatives that can fulfill similar needs. Sony seeks opportunities, which capitalize on their abilities of innovation. The company treasures design more than just a good looking product.

The design of Bravia televisions is necessary differentiator when comparing electronic products such as televisions. Competition from other television manufacturing companies such as Samsung is a threat to Sony Bravia. Sony’s Marketing Mix The four Ps of marketing mix include product, price, place and promotion (Yoo-chul, 5). In relation to the product marketing mix, Bravia televisions are luxury products. The high quality of the product is communicated by a stylish perfect attention and design to detail.

The present line of product has three different series that come in different sizes. The present price mix of Sony Bravia televisions is wedged between that of Panasonic and Samsung. The prices of the three series of Sony Bravia range from 3200 to 6500 dollars. In relation to place mix, Sony Bravia might be bougt at the nearest high-end consumer chain, electronics store, through online retailers or directly from Sony’s online store. The promotional mix brings Sony Bravia experience to the consumer, irrespective of his or her demographics.

Sony uses a countrywide, promotion centered strategy mobile campaign strategy that showcases the Bravia Brand (Sony Corporation, 6). Methods This section discusses the various ways used to collect data. The research will use secondary sources data such as the internet and print sources, and interviews to assist in achieving the objectives of the study. Secondary sources are beneficial since they save time and cost related to performing the actual research (Kumar, 56). In addition, there are various websites that can be used to acquire information concerning the two competitive television brands discussed by this paper.

The comparison of this information is crucial in achieving research objectives.Research Findings The key competitor to Sony Bravia is Samsung LED TV. The findings discuss the marketing mix and SWOT of the main competitor. In relation to product, there are various series of televisions offered by Samsung. These series include LED, LCD and plasma 3D TVs. In terms of promotion, Samsung LED, LCD and 3D TVs are advertised in North America, Asia and Europe.

According to Alessandri and Alessandri (67), Samsung Company spends about 8 billion dollars in Europe alone for advertising campaigns. The company also uses international celebrities to advertise its television line of products. The price of Samsung televisions ranges from 1200 to 7000 dollars. The Samsung LED 9000 series costs about 6000 dollars. In relation to the place mix, most of Samsung’s televisions are sold online, where consumers can find shipping deals for free.

Samsung’s televisions are not sold in super centers or wholesale stores such as Target or Wal-Mart. Customers have the opportunity to buy them from specialized electronic retail stores such as HH Gregg and Best Buy (Balmer and Gray, 67). With regard to SWOT, the major strength of Samsung TVs is high quality innovative products. About 40 per cent of the interviewees affirmed that Samsung 3D TVs have the highest quality in the industry.

The following figure summarizes the quality of the Brands that offer competition to Sony Bravia. Samsung LED TVs have been praised for best picture quality. From the interviews, Samsung TVs have a weakness that lies in their prices (Alessandri and Alessandri, 67). The high quality of these televisions comes along with high prices that cannot be afforded by a significant number of customers. The production of Samsung TVs experiences an opportunity that needs to be exploited.

Strategic alliances with other companies that improve the product offerings of the company are an opportunity. The threat faced by the production of these TVs is their slow diffusion rate in the consumer market. Discussion The wide range of products offered by Samsung is crucial in attaining customer satisfaction. The unmatched quality of their televisions gives them a competitive advantage over Sony Bravia.

Presently, Samsung is the main competitor to Sony Bravia. The huge amount of money Samsung invests in promotion is also a major reason why its televisions are widely accepted universally. Samsung’s product promotion has increased customer awareness and significantly increased their sales. The quality of Samsung televisions dictates their prices. This has made consumers of Samsung televisions to have the value for their money. Samsung 3D televisions are at the forefront of the industry because the invented this new market segment in 2010.

Sony has been a key player in the electronics industry for a very long time (Yoo-chul, 67). This has enabled the company to establish a strong brand name and customer loyalty. However, the company is still not able to command about half of the television market. This might be due to the inability to cope with the dynamic technology industry. As companies such as Samsung, LG and Sharp are increasingly improving their products, Sony seems to be stuck. Conclusions and Recommendations Sony Bravia continues facing competition from Samsung.

The high quality of Sony Company has become a significant part of its mainstream culture. Sony seeks opportunities, which capitalize on their abilities of innovation. The wide range of products offered by Samsung is crucial in attaining customer satisfaction. It is recommended that Sony should consider the changes in the market demand in their production of Bravia television brand.

Failure to consider these changes gives Samsung and opportunity to acquire additional market share, which reduces the profitability of the company.