Reply from Sony Singapore

[av98m 0]

Most other companies do straw polls, or very limited interview with exisiting customers "research".

 

Most however depend on their marketing team's guesswork. Often this team will "discuss" at a meeting with their senior VP on the relative merits of one strategy or the other. At the slightest hint that the boss' opnion is going one way. The rest of the team from VP to senior managers to execs will have a race to the finish to agree with their boss' opinion and publicly declare that that has been their opinion all along - even if they were arguing a different opinion 10 mins prior to their boss' arrival into the meeting room. I have never seen such beautiful backflips and 180 dregree turns even in the Olympics.

 

 

   

Well that certainly sheds some light on the subject. Also sounds suspiciously like how government policies are made on a certain small island state (Now THAT I've seen fist hand)! I know some people at work that can start a sentence with one opinion and smoothly switch to another in mid-sentence! Incredible!

Edited May 5, 2005 by av98m

[idkfa 0]

av98m<<< Oops. I just happen to be not so much a StikFast Fan. I cannot justify that smallbox of plastic for $19.90 initially. Total ripoff I thought. But I though the idea to convince the plastic manufacturer to do toys was so timely neat. If you must ask, it was "hell" trying to piece up the "Xervos" series for the roadshow. I had not much problems with transforming 50 transformers but just this one Xervous made me sweat. Just ignore my opinion then. You a big fan of Stikfast?

 

Vintage Starwars are pretty cheap here. I got lots for my friends back in singapore. I can recommend you some shops that sell pretty cheap jap toys if you happen to come down tokyo . Getter or mazinger are good buys. Macross is EX.

 

And I'll love to see the pictures you took for the StikFast! Care to link?

[idkfa 0]

Most other companies do straw polls, or very limited interview with exisiting customers "research".

 

Most however depend on their marketing team's guesswork. Often this team will "discuss" at a meeting with their senior VP on the relative merits of one strategy or the other. At the slightest hint that the boss' opnion is going one way. The rest of the team from VP to senior managers to execs will have a race to the finish to agree with their boss' opinion and publicly declare that that has been their opinion all along - even if they were arguing a different opinion 10 mins prior to their boss' arrival into the meeting room. I have never seen such beautiful backflips and 180 dregree turns even in the Olympics.

I agree with you too. It's a time consuming process doing marketing analysis UNLESS the client did specify and of cse, pay for the findings. Sad to say but sometimes such research are pretty interesting. Packaging takes a more important stand in marketing analysis. I love it when we do the mocks and place it in real retail stores to monitor the reactions. Advertising? Well, it's all about numbers and percentages. It's easier to do a useless focus group with results that dun make sense, or flashy Creative Directors with glam ideas that are more scam than real.It's all about looking good and smooth talking AEs. Biggest flop ever was the Guinness Stout (Adam King) stunt. Wasted millions for nothing. Getting a little out of point here.

I think your 10 years in the ad agency must sure make you tired of the whole process eh?

[av98m 0]

You a big fan of Stikfast?

 

 

 

And I'll love to see the pictures you took for the StikFast! Care to link?

Actually no. I don't like stikfas but some of my colleagues love it(and all are ladies...must be a woman thing). Those pics were taken a few years ago man, I no longer have them.

[Absolute0 0]

Unlike you I happen to be in advertising (the major marketing tool) for many a year (more than a decade - lets leave it at that). In all my years in advertising only twice did I encounter a client (company) every doing market research - once back in 1989 for a cigeratte brand. And another when Mac Donalds decided to do localized advertising and not slavishly using the american ads.

 

Most other companies do straw polls, or very limited interview with exisiting customers "research".

 

Most however depend on their marketing team's guesswork. Often this team will "discuss" at a meeting with their senior VP on the relative merits of one strategy or the other. At the slightest hint that the boss' opnion is going one way. The rest of the team from VP to senior managers to execs will have a race to the finish to agree with their boss' opinion and publicly declare that that has been their opinion all along - even if they were arguing a different opinion 10 mins prior to their boss' arrival into the meeting room. I have never seen such beautiful backflips and 180 dregree turns even in the Olympics.

 

As part of the advertising agency team it used to surprise me, then ammuse me and towards the end of my advertising career we use to take bets before going into the meeting room on which of our clients (ie which manager, VP or exec) will be the first to the 180 degree turn.

 

Very interesting insights. Don't we all love hypocrisy?

 

Still, I think it doesn't take market analysis to realise that the demand for cans (especially those costing >$500) locally is weak, judging from the few headphones-dedicated stores we have locally.

[N@Z 0]

I don't really get this thread, appears more like a 'venting' thread rather than something appropriately for the Home Equipment Forum.

[Rameish 0]

Very interesting insights. Don't we all love hypocrisy?

 

Still, I think it doesn't take market analysis to realise that the demand for cans (especially those costing >$500) locally is weak, judging from the few headphones-dedicated stores we have locally.

The point is how many BMW 735i are there per year imported into singapore? 8 in 2003. But that helps to sell the 3 series, the 5 series and eben the 7 series by the hundreds.

 

So if sony brought in the R-10 and other exotic headphones - they may sell one or 2 of them per year but would sell even more of the 100 doller earbuds because the R-10 are probably the world's most expensive headphones. And if you look as Sony's worldwide marketing strategy they do mention the "bacteria" etc even for lower end stiff like the MDR-888 and eveb the CD-3000 (I believe). It's the singapore arm of Sony that's not up to scratch IMO.

 

What I would have done is get Selvester of the last Singapore Idol to endorse it And get a few more musicians - from the conductor of the SSO to yada yada yada.

 

Then sell sony el cheapos to the masses with a sticker of the R_10 or such with the words World's Best Headphone etc.

 

Sony of course prefers to print Glossy discount brochures in the guise of SonyStyle. LOL

[idkfa 0]

Slyvester?? Gosh, that is a thinking point. Not a tipping point I hope!

[Absolute0 0]

Seems like none of you has gotten his name right. It's "sylvester" or "sly". (I know it's a typo, but couldn't resist...)

 

Anyway I am seeing the bigger picture, thanks Rameish. Now I know why I am not cut out for business/econs. Sony Singapore does need more headphone enthusiasts, and perhaps a better marketing department. But I think they have a pretty healthy profit margin selling those stuff in the glossy discount brochures, I wouldn't be fretting over headphones if I were them.

[wil 0]

We have a closet "Sly" fan i see.

[Absolute0 0]

NO! Good gracious, his album really puts me off. You don't need to be a fan to spell his name correctly. Maybe I like sylvester the cat better.

Edited May 13, 2005 by Absolute0

[wil 0]

Who wouldnt?

[Rameish 0]

It's not about liking the person or his work. It's about flagship marketing and endorsement from people in the music industry. In tandum, Sony SG could have worked with AMEX and promoted their top-of-the-line at events like the recent World Gourmet Summit that lasted a month. Went to one of these and frankly they could have sold more than a handful of R-10. This was my opservation from the types of watches, fountain pens and cigars I saw.

[Rameish 0]

As per N@Z's comment I have moved this topic to the lounge :-)

[renesis 0]

still no news guys on the avaibility of these headphones? on another note was looking at the XD series, and they seem to be available on sonystyle malaysia but not on the singapore site.