As long as I could remember, my family has forever been advocates of the Sony brand. Founded in 1946, Sony Corporation grew from a radio repair shop into a more than $60 billion global organization. My family purchased Walkman players, MD players, MP3 players, PSP, Bravia TV, Sound System, and even SME (Sony Music Entertainment) labeled CDs – Sony has been part of my life ever since I was a child. What makes Sony so successful in attracting customers of all demographics? I would like to refer to Jennifer Chu’s blog and analyze Sony’s sustainable competitive advantage.
Customer excellence –Valuing the customer’s voices, Sony established its Customer Information Center in 1963 to respond to inquiries. Today, Sony has Customer Information Centers worldwide, at which they can provide prompt responses to customer needs, which helps Sony enhance the quality of its customer service.
Operational excellence –
Sony employees’ culture is to live a Sony-centered life, which reflects on their motivation to increase the brand value. Consider this quote from Chairman Norio Ohga: “Every year a large number of new employees join the company, and I always say to them the most valuable asset is the four letters, S, O, N, Y. I tell them, make sure the basis of your actions is increasing the value of these four letters. When you consider doing something, you must consider whether your action will increase the value of Sony, or lower its value.”
Product excellence –
Sony is the leader in product innovation, which includes: the world’s first tape recorder; the first all-transistor TV; the world’s first color video cassette recorder; the Walkman; the CD; the MD player; and PlayStation game system. Other innovations include: VAIO; digital network recorders that rewind and fast-forward “live” television; and Hi-Scan flat screen TVs that deliver near HDTV picture quality.
