Sony: Carrying a 3D dream

3D TV has become a new bargaining chip for Sony to win the future, but what is the difference between dream and reality? Author: Chen Qingchun is ready to welcome the arrival of the National Day Golden Week, he is a little excited, also a bit disturbed.　　In the past six months in the 3D television market, I do not know whether to see a satisfactory market effect. As Sony (China) Co., Ltd. Consumer Electronics Business Department of the home Real Product division manager, the main task is to Sony TV sales in the Chinese market to do a specific plan, this year's focus is 3D TV. "From April onwards, our promotional ads are all 3D products."　　"More than half of what he has done since then is about 3D," says Gao. January this year, Sony released 3D TV products, April announced the product listing plan, May to the channel display products, June finished the shop listing, September released 3D products. At this point, Sony 3D TV has 4 series, 7 products.　　Sony has also released a 3D digital camera, with the ability to penetrate the entire industry chain from content production (Sony's Columbia, MGM) to professional cameras, game consoles to playback equipment (Blu-ray) and digital cameras. Sony has made 10 years of TV market planning, the smart feeling, before 3D, China's color TV market technology homogeneity more and more serious, "3D will give Sony an important opportunity to go beyond."　　"According to the survey data, Sony 3D TV in China's 3D TV retail market share has reached more than 40%, and Sony in the Chinese LCD TV market, only 5% of the market share. Betting on 3D Dream one of Sony executives once advised CEO Meg: "You can't gamble on a career for 3D, it's a mistake." Stringer, 68, said: "I don't have much career, you think how old I am." It may have been a gamble at the age of 38, but it wasn't a brave thing to be at the age of 68.　　"Perkins is not going to change the decision. By the end of March 2010, fiscal year 2009, while benefiting from cost-cutting and sales of consumer electronics, remained a net loss of $439 million and laid off 18000 people. Even so, Sony has invested heavily in sponsoring the World Cup and promoting 3D through the platform.　　Sony is betting on 3D, as the world has described. The reason for the golden lattice is very good. 3D is becoming one of the most important functional selling points in the television field. Sony plans to reach more than 50% of Japan's 3D TV market this year. If the proportion of global markets can also reach about 50%, then by 2014 Sony only 3D TV will be able to sell more than 20 million units. This is a huge number, to know that this year, Sony TV sales target in the world is only 25 million units. If it does, Sony will return to global TV. There is no doubt that the 3D growth space is Sony's imaginary space. Someone once advised Perkins not to gamble for 3DHis career, his answer is very interesting, "I do not have much career, you think how old I am."　　It may have been a gamble at the age of 38, but it wasn't a brave thing to be at the age of 68. More importantly, Stringer believes Sony is qualified to imagine. As we all know, the biggest bottleneck of 3D TV promotion is not the hardware itself, but the content. Fortunately, Sony's biggest advantage compared to other hardware manufacturers is content. Sony Film and Entertainment company owns Hollywood Columbia Film and MGM two film companies, its film database has more than 30% of the market share of North America. Currently, Sony has issued more than 450 film blockbusters worldwide, with more than 100 listed in China. In July, Sony's first 3D Blu-ray film, "Food for the Day", has been released worldwide.　　In addition, Sony has a joint venture with the discovery and IMX company to establish its first dedicated 3D television network, which is involved in the content transfer field. In addition, in the field of 3D technology, Sony also has a shooting, program production, content provided to the terminal (Blu-ray machine), such as complete process equipment and technology, 3D movie "Avatar" is a Sony camera to shoot.　　These technology products on the one hand to prove the level of Sony hardware, on the other hand, it can be further extended in 3D content, Sony's new 3D digital camera is a good example, it can attract people to take the 3D digital photos, and then buy 3D TV to enjoy. In fact, Sony has always been a lack of manufacturing capabilities, the lack of how to integrate products and content. The last president of the gold grid, after 10 years of work, deliberately put the product together with the Internet function, did not complete the integration of the two. 5 years ago, Stringer, a Japanese-speaking American, was still in the job of completing the integration of content and products.　　He has tried several times, including implementing the "Light Asset strategy", launching a variety of products--e-reader (reading), Internet television, and creating a PlayStation Web site similar to the Apple Web site, and reorganizing the organization in February 2009. But all that was done did not make Sony's content advantage stand out until 3D TV appeared. "3D TV, unlike internet TV, is not affected by the policy environment of various regions, it is a universal technology, applicable globally." "3D TV can maximize Sony's advantages in content and products," said Nagata, president of Sony (China) Ltd. "To enrich 3D content, Sony Studios can make its own" food for the day "such as the 3D film, Sony Music Company can immediately launch its own artist Lang's 3D recital, with the professional advantage of filming equipment, Sony can produce 3D World Cup tidbits, Sony can also take advantage of the gaming industry, Launch 3D games.　　Samsung, which is listed as an early-stage 3D TV, can only buy the content later. GoldEarlier, the reorganization of Sony's organizational structure was improving the synergy between content and products, and the active operation of Sony 3D in the whole industrial chain took only half a year. "If you don't know that Sony is doing 3D now, it just means you're not concentrating," Stringer said confidently.　　However, "Do" and "do" or some distance. The gap between ideal and reality in the 3D field, Sony's competitors a lot. At present, in the global market occupies more than 50% of the share of the 4 major TV manufacturers (Samsung, LG, Sharp, Panasonic) are vigorously implementing 3D technology, Chinese color TV manufacturers have joined. Samsung's 3D TVs were listed globally in February, 2 months before Sony.　　At this point, Sony still faces the speed of Samsung. Displaysearch statistics show that in the second quarter of this year, Samsung in the global flat-screen TV market share reached 24.4%, ranked first, LG ranked second in 14.1% market share, Sony ranked third in 12.8%. Thankfully, Sony is the world's top five brands with the highest growth rate in the previous quarter. Sony officials also say the company's revenue share in global LCD TV sales has returned the world's second-ranked position from LG Electronics within a year. Sony China, president of the Nagata, he will be in the 3D strategy and realistic market sales to grasp the balance, to complete the Sony market in China's target but the gap between Sony and Samsung market share, short time is difficult to leveling. Another statistic shows that Samsung 3D TV sales to the first half of the cumulative breakthrough 600,000 units, 7 ~ August Monthly sales reached 200,000 units, the first time in the industry set a "3D TV sales breakthrough million" record.　　In the first 7 months of this year, Samsung has a market share of 88.3% in the U.S. 3D TV sales market. Samsung's speed has always been a magic weapon to win the market, from plasma to liquid crystal to OLED (a new organic display). Samsung's layout of next-generation display technology (OLED) is also earlier than that of other rivals. According to the Ubindustryresearch survey, Samsung's OLED sales accounted for 73% of global market share in 2009. Currently, Samsung's operations show that the company (SMD) has the world's largest OLED panel production line.　　The company will be in May 2011 to produce 5.5 generation of active electromechanical excitation diode (AMOLED), 2012 began to produce 30 inches above the large size AMOLED panel. Compared with Samsung's clear OLED production schedule, Sony, the first to launch OLED TVs, has made no mention of the next production plan, which makes it more felt that Sony is too desperate for 3D. Once Samsung quickly turns to the OLED industry, other manufacturers will follow. LG has announced that it will produce 20-inch OLED panels this year, while a 40-inch large-screen OLED TV will be produced next year. Then how does Sony get from 3D quit? In the CRT era, Sony has relied on famous's "Super Dragon" technology, but the rapid popularity of flat-screen TV, so that its "super dragon" technology immediately eclipsed, Sony has lost the status of global TV boss.　　Will Sony's repeat the same? From the LCD to the LED TV, it is easy to understand, because the LED significantly improved the quality. But it is difficult to easily accept the excessive from led to 3D, because now there are only seven or eight 3D TV channels worldwide, China will not have one until the end of this year (Tianjin TV is going to pilot).　　In the Chinese market, LED TV is developing rapidly, the first half of its shipments accounted for the total LCD TV shipments of about 25%, and 3D TV only about 0.5%. 3D takes time. Yong Tian Kang smiled and said, "Our present investment will be rewarded in the next four or five years." Sony itself seems to realize that there is a gap between ideal and reality in the 3D field.　　The real market trader is more aware of this. LED is still sales force smart side looking forward to the arrival of the National Day Golden Week to release sales, side and a little worried about China's color TV manufacturers take the opportunity to set a price war. This fear is not unreasonable, China's color TV manufacturers have at least two reasons for price reduction: one, the first half of the market did not reach expectations, the second half is bound to clean up the inventory; Secondly, the standard of energy efficiency limit and energy efficiency of flat panel TV will be formally implemented on December 1, about 14.5% of the high-energy products will be eliminated　　Colour TV manufacturers must dump their goods as soon as possible. The price reduction of Chinese color TV manufacturers will inevitably affect the market share of foreign brands. In January-July this year, the overall market share of foreign color TV brand sales grew by 5%, to 38%, according to the Sino-Hong-yee data. One of the biggest reasons is that the price of foreign color TV brands has fallen to 25%, while the price of domestic color TV brands almost unchanged, the current 32-inch LCD TV As an example, foreign and domestic prices are very close. In this context, the fastest growing market share of Sony TVs in foreign brands has grown by 2%.　　However, if the second half of the domestic brand significantly lower prices, Sony TV market share will inevitably be affected. This is the reality that Sony must face in the Chinese market. Now, smart every day to observe the whole market and competitor changes, once found abnormal, it is necessary to adjust their own product prices.　　However, the more brilliant attention is LED products, this part of the product is Sony's sales force. In the specific market operation, Sony China has formed a clear level of market strategy, not only 3D or LED. 3D is the future of products, "although not to bring sales, but can attract people." "Smart says he can make 3D TV to better prove that Sony's" quality "unique," even if not buy 3D, will attract them to buy LED products. "Therefore, Sony China's market strategy is: as long as the sale of Sony products dealers, as long as the willing, Sony will provide 3D products for display (free or borrowed). Such a big fanIt is not a small expense to provide free display products.　　Plus all the advertising input, Sony for 3D tilt, can be seen. But that does not mean Sony ignores real market share. Earlier this year, in order to gain greater market share, Sony launched 2 models of entry-level products to penetrate the three or four-tier market. "Dealers in the three or four-tier market didn't want to sell Sony products because it was too expensive," he said. Now with entry-level products, they will gradually accept Sony's midrange models as sales accumulate.　　"The entry-level product is to lead Sony into more sales outlets," says Gao. Sony's products thus formed a high and low ends of the extension. For the main source of sales of midrange products, Sony gave the most terminal promotional resources, which led to sales growth. Sony, who carries the 3D dream, is not a visionary.　　The 2% rise in the first half of Sony's LCD TV seems to illustrate this point. Nagata for the future is not worried, "the Chinese market this year, Sony LCD TV sales completed 100% growth, no problem!" "he said. His confidence comes from the careful operation of the market strategy, on the one hand, also from the company's internal consolidation in recent years. At present, Sony China's inventory level in the market is about 1%, which contributes a lot to capital turnover.　　In the upper reaches of the industry chain, Sony China has started to reduce costs by using a universal television substrate design and using more common components. Of course, 3D TV can also contribute hundreds of thousands of units of sales to its market target. According to the estimates, China's 3D TV total sales will reach 512,000 units in 2010, 3D TV growth rate, has been significantly higher than the previous LCD TV, LED TV popularization speed.　　By 2011 China's 3D TV sales will reach 3.98 million, and if Sony still has a 40% market share, he will reap more than 1.5 million TV sales. The company's first-quarter earnings showed a sharp increase in profits compared with a year earlier, with a successful turnround and a 67 billion yen (753 million trillion) operating profit and a net profit of 25.7 billion yen.　　Most importantly, the growth in performance is mainly due to the increase in sales of television business resulting from the increase in LCD TV sales. This is a good performance, to achieve 3D dream, but also down-to-earth.