Panasonic to launch 14 TV models
Panasonic Siew Sales (Thailand), a marketing arm for Panasonic audio-visual products, plans to put more emphasis on marketing activities nationwide and sales at dealers' shops during the second half of this year.
During the period, 70 per cent of the marketing budget will be used for activities such as road shows and the rest for advertising through various media channels, according to sales and marketing director Hiroyuki Muto. "Conducting marketing activities will allow consumers to learn the benefits of the products and compare them to others," he said. The marketing budget allocated for this year is 10 per cent of the Bt6.6-billion sales target. In spite of the economic slump, the company will continue to launch 14 new television models - six LCD , five flat-screen and three plasma sets. Panasonic started promoting the 14 models this month, requiring a Bt100-million budget, according to Ruriya Banjong, product manager for plasma and LCD televisions. This will be followed by advertisements and shop decorations featuring a sporting theme. The company expects its market share to increase from 8 per cent to 20 per cent in the LCD market while its share of plasma sets is expected to increase from 24 to 35 per cent. Ruriya estimated the overall LCD and plasma markets would represent 276,000 units this year, which is expected to increase to 500,000 units next year. From the 276,000 units, 236,000 are estimated to be in the LCD market. In the plasma market, Muto said the company would continue heavy marketing of its Viera model, although the market had a lower growth rate than the LCD market and overall prices had already decreased 30-35 per cent. He said its target groups - consumers who like watching sports and those who love watching television with families - still preferred to use plasma as it allowed a wider perspective. Also, plasma sets had the same durability as LCD receivers at 60,000 hours. He said the company was still a market leader but the share of the second-ranked company - LG - was getting closer. Currently, 80 per cent of sales of LCD televisions are contributed by retail channels, with the rest from corporate clients. Meanwhile, 70 per cent of sales of plasma sets are from corporate clients and the rest through retail channels.
Nitida Asawanipont
The Nation
|
