Trapped by their own newly strengthened mandated pricing programs, and a commitment to grow sales profitably, Sony Corp. has resorted to deploying a wave of 400 company employees into the field to sell Sony televisions at U.S. retailers. The move is said to be a way to try to stimulate Sony TV sales without resorting to retail discounting.
Marketing
Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Toyota’s Innovative New Use for Recycled Prius Batteries
Every year, 6,000 large, expensive, and depleted batteries, recycled by auto dealers all over the country, pour into Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan. The batteries have been pulled out of Prius automobiles as they are replaced by car dealers who then return them to the manufacturer for recycling. And given the growing popularity of the Prius, this rate will almost certainly continue to rise over time.
What to do with them? Toyota has ingeniously figured out a way to refurbish them, reconfigure them, and resell them back to the very dealers who had returned them. How do they do this?
See the ingenious power management system that Toyota will offer its dealers, made from old Prius batteries… [Read more…] about Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Toyota’s Innovative New Use for Recycled Prius Batteries
While Others Go Small, Panasonic Goes Big with 20-inch Tablet
For those of you who were at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month: Did you see the new tablet introduced by Panasonic? Featured during the Panasonic press conference as an example of Panasonic’s innovation, the company showed a new tablet computer launching it into the tablet computer fray which is dominated by the Apple iPad…with a rapidly growing Samsung with its Galaxy Note and Tab lines nipping at its heels.
But does this new Panasonic tablet have a market?… [Read more…] about While Others Go Small, Panasonic Goes Big with 20-inch Tablet
Is It Time to Start a Deathwatch on the Industry’s Annual CES?
It is now late January and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is well into our rear-view mirror. Yes, as in other years, there has been a flood of publicity and tons of articles on gadgets introduced at the show. The show’s promoter, the CEA, has already crowed about the event being the biggest ever and all seems well. Or is it?
See the warning signs that the CEA seems to be ignoring… [Read more…] about Is It Time to Start a Deathwatch on the Industry’s Annual CES?
10 Connected Technology Companies Debut The Internet of Things Consortium at CES 2013
One of the more interesting of the seemingly endless series of announcements at CES 2013 was one that heralded the formation of a new trade association called the Internet of Things Consortium (IoTC). Utz Baldwin, CEO of Ube, clued us in because, as we were to learn, Ube is one of the founding companies.
What is the Internet of Things Consortium all about? See more below… [Read more…] about 10 Connected Technology Companies Debut The Internet of Things Consortium at CES 2013
CES Overview – A Lot of Nervous Laughter
Today is DAY ONE of the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place in Las Vegas, NV and running through Friday. While many attendees arrived today, most of the press has already been here – lost in the desert – for the last two days…desperately searching for even just a drip…of innovation…
See what we know so far… [Read more…] about CES Overview – A Lot of Nervous Laughter
Ex-DDG Director Kaplan Joins with Brown & Yando to Form Consulting Business
We reported two weeks ago that David Kaplan, Director of the Digital Delivery Group (DDG) for the last seven and a half years, had left the organization. At that time, Kaplan gave no indication of his plans other than to let us know that something was in the works. Now we know that Kaplan has joined with industry notables Ed Brown and Fred Yando to become part of Sales Performance Management (SPM) – a consulting company formed by Brown three years ago.
See more about this newly invigorated group and the services they offer… [Read more…] about Ex-DDG Director Kaplan Joins with Brown & Yando to Form Consulting Business
Very Late to the Headphone Party – Is Onkyo Better Late than Never?
Onkyo has finally jumped on the headphone bandwagon, although they are about the last major audio component brand to do so. The company will formally launch its new headphone line at the International CES opening Tuesday in Las Vegas, NV.
As we had reported previously, Onkyo had hinted it would be moving in this direction at last year’s CES.
Is the Onkyo headphone line too late to the game? Or is it better late than never? [Read more…] about Very Late to the Headphone Party – Is Onkyo Better Late than Never?
DDG Scrambles to Rebuild in Wake of Member Defections
The world of national distributor groups often resembles the ever-shifting sands of the desert – members change, vendors change, and its relative market position often changes. So it is a radically changed world in which the Digital Delivery Group (DDG) finds itself in the wake of last week’s announcement of the formation of a new national distributor group – Catalyst AV – an announcement that prominently featured the names of four DDG distributors who apparently defected to the new competitor.
But DDG denies that these defections spell its doom… [Read more…] about DDG Scrambles to Rebuild in Wake of Member Defections
Internet Advertising Revenues Hit Historic Levels of $9.3 Billion in Q3
According to new data released by IAB Internet Advertising Bureau, total revenues from online advertising hit $9.3 billion in the third quarter of 2012. This is the highest level of revenue from Internet advertising ever and is hailed by the organization as a significant milestone for the digital media industry.
