Sony Walkman

Even though Sony is one of the top companies in the most influential electronics firms. To be survive in a highly competitive marketplaces, like electronics, cellphone, or IT industries, Sony must always be moving forward with marketing programs, innovating products and services, keeping in touch with customer needs, and seeking a new advantages rather than only trust on past strengths.

Questions

1. What groups of potential buyers exist for the Walkman?

Since Sony introduced the Walkman at the end of 1979, which start new era as an innovative device to use for entertaining in any occasions and all kind of activities. In this case study, we find that the groups of potential buyers are divided into four or five categories and these are:

(1) Teenagers (12-18 year old) : the target group is focused especially on young people.

Accounting to the case study, in Japanese market, Sony preferred to introduce Walkman via magazine rather than newspaper. This is because it can draw more attention from high-school and university student since most of them tend to read magazines to cash up with new fashion. Moreover most teenagers like music and love to explore variety of activities. Walkman is easy for them to carry and enjoy wherever they want.

(2) Working age (18-50 year old) : because of this group can carry and enjoy this Walkman while they go to work by a bus, on train or in car, or on their free time.

(3) Elder people or retired (50 and over) because of this group have a lot of free time to do their activity, thus they could enjoy Walkman while reading books, playing crossword, walking, exercising, gardening ETC.

(4) Music lover/ Artist: In this case, it is obvious that the potential targets for the Walkman are the people who love outdoor activities and love listening to music at the same time. Moreover, Music Artist can also use Walkman to help create they work.

(5) Traveller : because of Walkman is easy to carry and convenient, so they can use Walkman when they are travelling everywhere.

2. What can Sony do to increase the sale of the product to each of these groups?

Sony’s marketing activities should attempt to increase a firms' revenue base, This approach called Marketing Concept, believes that customer's want-satisfaction is the economic and social reason for an organization's existence.

After Sony’s Marketer dividing the market into the segment, identifying these exist groups of buyer who may prefer a varying product and service mixes. Sony