As fortune.com
reported, Sony is launching an updated version of the Sony Walkman. The walkman
is not making a comeback, because it has been on the market for more than 35
years. 2007 the company launched a Walkman and tried to compete with the Apple
iPod, but it did not work out. Last fall, Sony made a fairly quiet move into
the world of high resolution of digital media with a $300 Walkman (NWZ-A17SLV).
This product promised to play files at a near studio quality. Due to a lack of
promotion, the product was not as popular as the company expected. Therefore
Sony announced their new luxury walkman at the CES 2015 in Las Vegas. This product
is especially geared towards audiophiles that would be willing to pay $ 1119.99
for it. For this price the customer receives a product with touch screen, up to
256 GB storage, Bluetooth connectivity, a 60 hour playback and can download apps
from the Google Play Store. The main
feature would be the updated amplifier and wiring mean less signal disruption
between the file and the listener’s ears to preserve as much of the original
recording sound data as possible. Critics would say that Sony is taking a risk
with launching their developed walkman, but they are just one out of many
betting on customers getting into the portable audiophile trend. An example for
that would be Astell&Kern or Pono. Although technology is developing more
and more the old format of the original walkman is seeing new life among trendy
music fans.
This article
links to the new topic we started last week, the marketing mix. The walkman is
a product with a very long lifecycle, not necessarily at its Maturity anymore,
but Sony is trying to bring it back into a growth again. The walkman itself has
been in a decline since technology evolved, but has not completely vanished
from the market as music fans still buy and use them. Right now the product is
at a launch. Sony is mainly trying by product development to expand the
walkmans lifecycle and increase their sales.
It also links to Strategy of the
CUEGIS, because by developing their product the firm is using an extension
strategy to maintain and increase their sales. In this case they are rather
trying to increase their sales than maintaining them, due to the fact that the
earlier versions of then walkman in the previous years were not a success for Sony.
Furthermore it also links to Change of the CUEGIS, because Sony changed their promotion
of the Walkman when they introduced it at the CES 2015, changed many features
of their product and went for a new target audience. Lastly the article links
to Innovation, because of it is an innovated product for Sony as they aim for
the audiophile market and made a move into the world of high resolution of
digital media, which they were not included in before.
All in all Sony tried to
improve their sales by developing their product and changing their promotion strategies.
4/4 - very good, you make some super links to the course and the concepts! In a way this is almost the Polaroid camera making a comeback thanks to the "retro" fashion and the strength of the brand. I would be careful in saying that the walkman itself has a long product cycle, certainly the brand Walkman does but in effect there are numerous products that have used this brand - each an update on the last. Otherwise great job!
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