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Published on November 27, 2007

It said Thailand would be a very important market and key strategic country for its business in terms of sales and manufacturing.

Katsumi Ihara, executive deputy president of Sony's Consumer Products Group, said Thailand was now the largest market in Southeast Asia for domestic sales. Sony also has three manufacturing plants in Thailand, mainly for LCD television sets, car electronics and semiconductors, and that these were growing in importance.

"Sony has previously focused its production of electrical consumer products in China, due to low labour costs and the big domestic market. The company currently has seven factories in China for TVs, video cameras, digital still cameras, DVD players, lithium-ion batteries and optimal pick-up devices.

"Labour costs in China and countries in Southeast Asia are now getting closer. So while the China market is still big, we see a big potential in Southeast Asia - including Thailand - for both sales and manufacturing," Ihara said, adding that Sony was now exporting both conventional and LCD televisions to India.

Sony's overall sales in the first half of its fiscal 2007 (from April to September) amounted to 4 trillion yen (Bt1.25 trillion), up 13 per cent from ¥3,598 billion recorded in the same period of last fiscal year.

However, the company's electronics business and consumer products group recorded growth of 16 per cent to ¥3,092 billion in the first half of fiscal 2007.

"In our overall electronics business, sales and profit showed high growth in the first half of fiscal year 2007. The Consumer Products Group's sales comprise more than half of the overall electronics sales. However, we are not complacent and are currently implementing new strategies to create sales and profit growth for the future," Ihara said.

Key strategies include reinforcing individual business units, enhancing the value of Sony products through networking, introducing challenging new products and businesses, nurturing talent and revitalising the organisation.

The company will also focus on product-to-product connections, in order to provide customers with ease of use. Ihara gave the example of high-definition television with connectivity, with consumers enjoying pictures shot on digital cameras on the company's Bravia television sets.

Sony Thai's new managing director, Taisuke Nakanishi, who assumed the top position last month, said his mission was to make Sony the No-1 local brand in products, sales and customer satisfaction and give Sony Thai the most excellent sales and marketing operation.

He said the mission could be achieved through innovative high-quality products, value-added marketing, excellent before- and after-sales service and good corporate citizenship.

"Joining Sony Thai is a great pleasure and the most challenging post in my 24-year period with Sony. This is my first assignment in Southeast Asia, where Thailand is one of the most dynamic countries in the region and a key strategic market for Sony business.

"I consider that this assignment in Thailand is definitely one of my most challenging missions, and my commitment is to carry on the key business directions and create new strategies for Sony Thai, to maintain market leadership here in terms of both products and customer satisfaction," Nakanishi said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

 The Nation