October 19, 2010

Sony Internet TV / Google TV

This is a Project (written paper) I had to do on a big player to expand their online brand. I chose the Sony Internet TV product. This is my observation and not from Sony.

I believe t hat Sony Electronics is beginning to see the value of Social Media and they are doing things on multiple levels on the consumer purchase cycle (1. Pre-shop steps: education, awareness and consideration. 2. Post-shop steps: trial, l oyalty and advocacy- The Spokesman Review) for this project I will do their product launch of the Sony Internet TV which is powered by Google TV. The goal of the launch of the Sony Internet TV is awareness and adoption.

I don’t think that there is one specific application that can help do this best. It is a combination of social media and traditional media that will spark curiosity.

The audience is essentially anyone looking to buy a new television that uses Internet on a daily basis and who likes to integrate the web and watching television. Nielsen did a study with that the simultaneous use of the Internet while watching TV reached three and a half hours a month, up 35% from the previous year. Nearly 60% of TV viewers now use the Internet once a month while also watching TV. This study shows that the rise of TV and Internet use is going up and using both simultaneously shows that the Google TV product is a technology advancement that meets the demand of this behavior.

The best plan of engagement is to put the Sony Internet TV in the hands of tech writers, tech bloggers who influence buying for tech enthusiasts this includes Sony’s resident Social Media Managers. This can be done by events, television interviews, and on trade show floors. The influencers will do reviews both written and through video and post on their own blogs or website. This eventually gets spread through social media channels Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even pictures of the product on Flickr through the share buttons on these applications. Specific strategy would include an integrated marketing plan combined with the use of Social Media. Specifically, this includes commercials, sponsored events, print ads and use of social media listed. I would definitely target YouTube to unbox the product and do a quick demo on the features and ease of use. Locally, I would have an event at the Sony Style store and invite the community through social media to observe the product in action. These events typically will have influencers writing or talking about the product shortly after to create buzz.

Sony has rolled out a Q &A page that was cleverly done and even has integrated sharing and tweeting capabilities. I would go so far to develop an extensive splash page specifically for the Sony Internet TV/ Google TV product, perhaps administering an augmented reality technology application so users can see how the TV controls work in the comfort of their own home.