1.0 INTRODUCTION
In the corporate world today, marketing is the vital component needed to increase the profitability of a company, increase the rate of longevity and boost the sales of a certain product or service. This certainly applies in the telecommunication industry especially when there are so many mobile phone providers in the market that caused the industry to be extremely competitive. But what is marketing? Marketing is the general term used to describe all the process that lead to final sales, including the planning and executing of price, promotion and distribution to satisfy individual and organizational needs. (Erickson, 1996). From the definition above, it is seen that marketing is not just selling a product and service but an essential part of business to ensure the success of a company.
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication is a global provider of mobile multimedia devices, and it is a joint venture of Sony Corporation and Ericsson. It is one of the most successful mobile phone providers that implemented the concepts of marketing and gained competitive advantages within the industry. In this report, I will be explaining on how Sony Ericsson has serviced me as a customer, and how they maintained my loyalty towards their products.
2.0 The Marketing Mix
The marketing mix is a general term used to describe the different kinds of choices organizations have to make in the whole process of bringing a product or service into Boston Bruins Zdeno Chara jersey the market, including the product, place, promotion, and pricing strategies(ANON, The Marketing Mix and 4Ps, 1995-2009). Sony Ericsson has implemented all the four strategies, well enough to ensure that I am a loyal user of their products for the past seven years.
2.1 Product Strategies
2.1.1 Branding
Branding is a very important component of a product because it distinguishes one product from another, increases sales of a new product, and increases the rate of repeat sales. Sony Ericsson uses the co-branding strategy, which is the placing of two or more brand names on a product. Co-branding is a useful strategy when a combination of brand names enhances the prestige or perceived value of a product (Summers, Gardiner, Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, p. 195). The innovation in partnership of Sony Corporation and Ericsson has brought out a better range of mobile phone products since Sony is bringing out the latest entertainment content to mobile phones. I myself was not a fan of Ericsson phone but since Sony had added in good entertainment into Ericsson phone, my confidence towards the brand Sony had became a reason of me purchasing Sony Ericsson phones. This situation is the same to those who fancy Ericsson phone, because they might still purchase Sony Ericsson phones even though they are less interested in Sony products. These two companies have increased their profitability and the company's presence by combining customers of both companies and share the profits.
2.1.2 Warranty
Warranty is also a part of product strategies as product strategies are not just about the physical unit. Warranty is a confirmation of the quality or performance of a good or service. It protects the buyer and gives essential information about the product (Macdaniel, Lamb, & Joseph F. Hair, 2008,2009, p. 317). Sony Ericsson promises a full warranty where they will repair within a reasonable time without any charges if their products are not functioning in within a year. This had increased my confident level towards their products and became the reason of me purchasing their mobile phone.
2.2 Place (Distribution) Strategies
2.2.1 Retailing
Retailing is defined as all the activities in selling products or services directly for their personal, non-business use. To ensure the profitability of a company, it is important to ensure that their products are easy to be reached for consumers, making Boston Bruins Zdeno Chara jersey products available when and where customers want them. Sony Ericsson uses a few ways of the distribution channel to ensure that their products reach consumers easily. These include agents, retailers and internet. When I bought my current Sony Ericsson mobile phone, it was an urgent situation because I had lost my previous mobile phone. It did not take much effort for me to find a place where I can purchase a new mobile phone since Sony Ericsson uses effective way of distribution channel and I could easily find a retailer around. Since I am a loyal user of Sony Ericsson phones, the effective distribution of Sony Ericsson had avoided the situation whereby I will buy my mobile phone from other provider because of the unavailability of Sony Ericsson.
2.3 Promotion Strategies
2.3.1 Advertising
Advertising is one of the very important components in promotion strategies. It is any
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