Sony makes style pitch to women for flat TV

[korsjs]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sony Corp (6758.T) departs from the well-worn model of gadget marketing in ads for its new flat screen television, seeking to hook women consumers with the product's slim lines as much as with its large display.

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The company's Sony Electronics division will launch on Wednesday U.S. advertising for its "Bravia" flat TV series, a new brand that aims to bolster its ailing TV monitor business.

But while much of consumer electronics advertising gears its imagery and messages of technological sophistication for men, Sony's ads play on the battle between the sexes in the living room.

Touting its new brand as "The World's First Television for Men and Women," Sony has purchased all of Wednesday's advertising space on Style.com, the Web site for Conde Nast fashion bibles Vogue and W.

"Coveted by Men, Admired by Women," reads one of the Internet ads, which will run on Style.com during one of its heavier trafficked periods for the Milan fashion shows.

"Style is one of the attributes of the product that Sony really focused on to make this a beautiful thing in your living

space," Kevin Berman, strategic marketing manager at Sony Electronics, told Reuters.

"The decision making on (purchases of) high-end consumer electronics is not so male dominated as the rest of the advertising out there would lead you to believe," he said.

The U.S. Bravia campaign will roll out through Spring 2006,

with advertisements also running on top Internet portals like

Yahoo (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) and Microsoft's (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) MSN, as well as television commercials. All the ads carry the dual-gender appeal theme.

The exclusive Style.com placement also marks another trend for advertisers trying to create interest around products as consumers divide their time between media outlets.

Retailer Target recently paid for all of the advertising space in an edition of the New Yorker magazine that sported the

retailer's red-and-white bull's eye logo, while GM's Chevrolet

bought all the commercial time on the September 22 NBC network's "Tonight Show" for a serial-style advertisement with comedian Andy Dick .

"It's the idea of turning advertising into an event," said Dee Salomon, a managing director at Style.com. The site has tailored ads for other technology and consumer electronics advertisers for its core audience of women viewers with a focus

on style as well as function.

"The aesthetics and functionality play equal roles in the buying decision" of Syle.com's audience, she said. Sleek gadgets, from cellular phones to handheld organizers, have become fashion accessories in themselves.

Sony was, until 2000, the world's top TV maker with a nearly 10 percent market share for its flagship Wega and Trinitron brands. But a shift in consumer demand to flat TVs from bulky cathode ray displays dealt a severe blow to the company.

Sony is seeking to bring its TV unit back to profitability in the second-half of 2006-2007 and has been investing aggressively in liquid crystal display (LCD) panels.

The company aims to gain a 30 percent share of the Japanese

market for LCD TVs with its Bravia line. Sony began selling some Bravia models in the United States in August.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/tc_nm/sony_advertising_dc;_ylt=AhjZPkw_PowlnpdXSmPXNDIjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

 

[Carl B]

Never mind, I thought the thread title said "Sony makes style pitch to flat women for TV"

 

[riffjim4069]

Never mind, I thought the thread title said "Sony makes style pitch to flat women for TV"

That's funny. We have three HDTVs and after 3 1/2 years my genius (literally) wife doesn't know or care about the difference between SD and HD. If Sony wants to make a pitch to women, they can start by funding a Lifetime HD Channel.

 

[korsjs]

That's funny. We have three HDTVs and after 3 1/2 years my genius (literally) wife doesn't know or care about the difference between SD and HD. If Sony wants to make a pitch to women, they can start by funding a Lifetime HD Channel.

my wife could care less as well.

 

[Carl B]

My wife seldom recognizes the difference either. I constantly find her watching TNTHD or Leno w/ the partial-zoom on.

However, every so often I get her to take notice of the vast difference between HD and SD for some content. For example, we started watching "Lost" in HD this season and she was stunned by the color and clarity. Now she doesn't want to miss an episode. Also, last Monday night we pretty much lost HD for MNF w/ our local Broncos, with only occasional jumps into viewable HD. After one of these jumps back and forth she commented about how it sure was a lot better watching in HD versus SD.

It is taking some time (almost 2 years so far), but she is beginning to appreciate HD and my efforts to secure OTA HD for all the major networks. She also enjoys some of the DiscoveryHD stuff and some HDNet Movies. She doesn't have any interest in getting the VOOM channels because there isn't anything there for her that justifies to her the extra cost. She'd probably endorse the suggestion of getting a Lifetime HD channel.

 

[riffjim4069]

Lifetime has been looking into HD for quite sometime. If my wife is going to watch Lifetime, I would rather she do it in HD. Anyway, if you're interested...send dave_bowman@LifetimeTV.com an e-mail and let him know you and yours want Lifetime-HD.

 

[BFG]

I figured there'd be a thread for this stupid Idea.

I've seen the friggin commercial like 5 times in every show I watch.

But now the commercial say it's the first TV for men and women. So what are the features that gives this TV a gender?

 

[rkr0923]

That's what I wanna know....let's see the damn thang

 

[vurbano]

you too can have a 40 inch HD set for $3500 dollars

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=hid_pr_p_bravia_tv&DCMP=Overture_Corp_TV&HQS=bravia

 

[toto]

I figured there'd be a thread for this stupid Idea.

I've seen the friggin commercial like 5 times in every show I watch.

But now the commercial say it's the first TV for men and women. So what are the features that gives this TV a gender?

Its got a great picture and for the ladies, you can hang it on the wall and order more furniture.

 

[riffjim4069]

Phillip Swann makes pitch to sell HDTV to women...

Well, according to the talking ass known as Phillip Swann, here is one of his brilliant recommendations on this subject in his article 8 Steps to Better HDTV Sales . Earth to Swanny, ever heard of make up and camera filters? Clue: most stars are going to insist on looking their best on camera - and most women aren't like you; they are not shallow and void of common sense.

"3. Promote the 'HDTV Effect' to Women
The HDTV picture is so clear that you can see the facial imperfections and aging signs of actors and other TV personalities. For instance, Cameron Diaz, who is often listed as one of Hollywood's most beautiful actresses, looks like a different person in HDTV due to her longtime battle with acne scars. As more people buy high-def sets, the ''HDTV Effect' could change our perception of who's beautiful and who's not.

Women, who tend to appreciate Hollywood gossip more than men, might be more interested in HDTV if they knew that they could suddenly see their favorite celebrities as they look in real life. The industry should do more to promote the HDTV Effect -- and its entertainment value -- to females who are now reluctant buyers."

This is some of the most retarded drivel I have ever read.

 

[hbk409]

"BRAVIA", which stands for "Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture".

how is this statment true when the resolution is 720p? Especially when there are now sets doing 1080p

 

[riffjim4069]

I guess Sony figures that women aren't support to know the difference between 720p, 1080i, and 1080p just as long as it has a cute name...BRAVIA!

 

[Carl B]

Based on the commercial, it appears that the BRAVIA is being pitched to women as a style thing. It is physically attractive so it will blend w/ your decor and it is thin enough that it won't take up your valuable room space. Oh, BTW, your husband can watch HDTV on it if you turn on the power (Note that the commercial doesn't show the BRAVIA w/ a screen shot, so they aren't pitching PQ or HD Wow factor).

I find this marketing campaign replusive and insulting to women. However, I find a lot of commercials pitched to women replusive and insulting to women. But, many of them follow the the sterotype the commercial was made for and go after the product. We'll just have to see how successful Sony is with this marketing campaign.