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Tag: Sony Electronics

  • MEC APAC named most competitive agency in pitches

    MEC APAC named most competitive agency in pitches

    MUMBAI: MEC, a leading media agency, has been named the most competitive agency in APAC according to the latest annual Compitches Report from the Research Company Evaluating the Media Agency Industry (RECMA).

     

    The 2013 compitches report evaluates the media agencies’ success in winning new business pitches taking into account client budgets, contenders and degree of involvement in global/regional pitches. Not only is MEC Apac ranked best overall performing agency in the region, but the media agency is also awarded A grades for competitiveness in Singapore, Australia and China.

     

    The ranking reflects MEC’s success in retaining key clients following competitive reviews; including Mitsubishi in Australia, as well as winning significant new businesses for the region such as Sony Electronics, Tiger Airways and GE.

     

    MEC Apac CEO Stephen Li said, “The days of just price comparison are gone and clients today are looking for an agency that can help them embrace the digital possibilities of a changing marketplace. This is especially true of the fast growing Apac region. That MEC comes out as the region’s most competitive agency is a testimony to our amazing teams around the region and our ability to deliver genuine growth for our clients.”

  • Sony Electronics focusses on transformation this year

    Sony Electronics focusses on transformation this year

    MUMBAI: Sony Electronics says that it is continuing its transformation into an entertainment powerhouse.

    At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas it has a 100,000 square-foot exhibit that brings together all of the company’s strengths from electronics, music and gaming to movies, television and online entertainment.

    In a press conference kicked off by Sony BMG Music Grammy award-winning musician Joshua Bell, several of the company’s US business leaders announced products and technologies related to four strategic growth areas — gaming, high definition, digital imaging and mobile products.

    Sony Electronics president and COO Stan Glasgow unveilled the company’s first Internet video system. He announced that in 2007 the majority of new Sony televisions — starting
    with several Bravia flat-panel LCD TVs this year– will accept an attachable module that can stream broadband high-definition and other Internet video content with the press of a remote control button. The module will be available this summer.

    Glasgow said, “While other companies struggle with standard definition, Sony has developed a scalable Internet HDTV solution with some notable partners providing content”. Those partners include AOL, Yahoo! and Grouper, now part of Sony Pictures Entertainment, as well as Sony Pictures itself and Sony BMG.

    Sony’s Xross Media Bar (XMB), an icon-based user interface similar to what is already found on Playstation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable
    and a recently introduced Sony A/V receiver, made its debut in conjunction with the Internet video demo.

    Glasgow also reported that Sony Electronics enjoyed strong holiday sales in the US, which have put the company on track for a year of double-digit growth.

    PlayStation: Sony claims to have shipped one million units of PS3, equipped with high-definition, Blu-ray disc drives, in the US by the end of December.

    More High Definition: Acknowledging its position in what the company calls ‘Full HD’ across practically every product category in both consumer and professional
    arenas Sony Electronics’ home products division senior VP Randy Waynick highlighted a continuum of HD technology from the lens
    to the living room.

    Waynick previewed a prototype 55-inch SXRD Grand Wega rear projection micro-display television with a new laser light engine
    technology that enhances color uniformity and brightness, while maintaining a slim profile.

    He also recounted the success of Sony’s Bravia flat-panel LCD line, which comprises 16 models ranging in size from 23- to 52-inch screens,
    before announcing the newest member of the family, a 70-inch 1080p HD television.

    The model features a new backlighting system and contrast ratio enhancements, as well as three HDMI inputs for full 1080p connectivity to
    the latest Blu-ray Disc players. It is also distinguished by its high refresh rate and x.v.Colour technology, which is Sony’s name for xvYCC, a new international standard in colour technology for personal video applications.

  • Compelling content the key for mobile TV adoption

    Compelling content the key for mobile TV adoption

    MUMBAI: Mobile TV will succeed if the content on offer is compelling. Also one or two channels will not suffice. An operator should give around 20 channels. It should also be easy for the consumer to switch from one channel to another.

    This was the message delivered by Qualcomm president India and SAARC Kanwalinder Singh. As an example, he noted that if certain geography requires about 30,000-40,000 base station for wireless coverage, the same region can be served by about 400 MediaFLO towers to deliver mobile TV service.

    If the bandwidth is not enough then the picture is jerky and consumers will be put off. The key to successful mobile television is to do interactivity with the broadcast. MediaFLO is an end to end system that allows this. Mobile television is one to one interaction unlike television which is one to many.

    Qualcomm bought spectrum in the US and is now in a deal with Verizon to launch a mobile TV service next year in the US. He noted that MediaFLO has a Conditional Access System which allows only those phones who have paid for the content to access it. When desired, the operator can still have free to air content.

    The basic challenge is to have the maximum number of channels possible with relatively limited spectrum. Power consumption by the mobile phone should also be low.

    Mobile television also offers unique commerce opportunities. For instance secondary generation opportunities exist when a music video is playing. One can offer a ringtone, the music album of that artist to the user to buy on the spot. He added that Qualcomm is keen on doing a trial project with mobile operators in India.

    Another session looked at the business of retail and home entertainment. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment country manager N. Muthuram noted that there is a 60 per cent DVD penetration in TV homes in India. The DVD has features like subtitles, language options which has energised the market.

    “It is a catalogue driven business. Classic titles like Sholaty perform well contrary to perception in some quarters that one the new titles sell. In the US home videos earn thrice as much as theatrical releases. In fact Sony Pictures has a deal with Steven Seagal and Wesley snipes for direct to video films. It is also a positive sign that window of release for videos is falling.”

    He noted the importance of retail in the home video market in the US. Walmart contributes 50 per cent to the home video business. He noted that increasingly companies across the globe tie up for home video releases. An example is in Mexico. There Act II Popcorn did a deal for the home video release of Spiderman.

    The aim was to once again generate excitement for Spiderman when the sequel was being released theatrically. Act II found relevance with the product and 42,000 units were sold. In Italy a pizza company has an association with DVD releases. Basically a DVD comes with a pizza. They also do a DVD choice of the month initiative. The message is that the consumer can enjoy the pizza while watching a film. This gives the home entertainment firm an avenue that would have exited earlier. The retail firm meanwhile gets an extra hook for its product.

    In Germany a tie up was done for Terminator 3 between Sony, Sony Electronics and Hatari which had developed a game based on the game. The good thing was that it was a combined promotional effort. There was TVC pushing all the three firms. When consumers bought a product there would be leaflet inside telling them about the other two products. In India the key challenge is to educate brand marketers about the possibilities in this arena.

    Saregama VP and head – films Sweta Agnihotri gave more examples of how synergies work between DVDs and brands. Motrorola for instance made a phone on Spongebob. Samsung had done a tie up for the Matrix which was all about having information. Kelloggs regularly does stuff with Disney. Mitsubishi did a promotion for 2 Fast 2 Furious where they had kits distributed in their dealership outlets. All this allows a brand to be associated with famous stars for a relatively less cost. In India Saregama had done a Barbie called Hope has Wings for a brand. The song played on music channels. There was also a tie up with micro processor solution firm AMD for the DVD release of Madagascar.