Sony Events Broadcast Benefits of High-Def TV

San Diego -- Nineteen teams of at least two staffers from Sony Corporation of America began presenting parking-lot demonstrations this fall to explain high-definition television technology to consumers nationwide. The teams set up in inflatable domes to explain how the technology works and show samples of Sony TVs. The tours continue through this month, and may be revived in 2006 or used for other product demos."We've done truck tours and in-store demo days, but this is the first time we've done something like this, with a high-quality presentation and one-to-one interaction," explains Rich Black, senior manager of promotions and channel marketing for the Home Products division. "Usually, with those programs, we are trying to push through crowds of people. This is a high-interaction approach and the most detailed program we've done."The program was instituted because Sony saw an educational need in the market, Black says. "Market research indicated that 15% of consumers said they had high-definition televisions, but it also showed that market penetration is only 9%. So we knew that people didn't really know what they had and what they needed. And they often got more confused by going to websites or into stores, where the types of systems weren't explained well enough." In some cases, some consumers were buying televisions but not receiving high-definition service because they didn't know they had to provide that separately. "Our goal was to first go out and educate customers about what high-definition television is and what benefits it provides, and then let them see that Sony products are the best ones to buy." The program runs inside an inflatable dome that features images of two Sony spokesmen, NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning. "The inflatable dome provides a good shelter and the right lighting for us to do our presentations," Black says. The space includes 23- and 32-inch LCD televisions, a 55-inch rear-projection LCD television and an 80-inch front-projection television. Along one wall was a set of bleachers that could hold up to 20 people for the scripted presentation.The presentation lasts 22 minutes and is divided into seven sections. "If traffic is too heavy or too light, they'll go to personal interaction to answer questions, with the presentation or HDTV programming playing in the background," he explains. This year's program required a commitment in training and ad support from retailers. "On some past truck tours, retailers have agreed to have us come, but they have not been vested in our being there," he explains. "In this case, if they wanted to book us, they had to be part of the event." That included having salespeople view the presentation. In some locations, Sony worked with key accounts to run local TV ads and other media to draw people into the event. Other local retailers provided newspaper ads or radio ads. A total of 53 retail accounts, from large chain stores to independents, hosted presentations. In each case, the event lasts two to four days. Six of the 19 teams are traveling through set zones cross-country. The other 13 teams are based in key cities and stay within a 60-mile radius of that location. One to two teams each are centered in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Diego.In all, the Sony teams logged approximately 1,000 event days, requiring that they work with between 300 and 400 municipalities to secure permits for the events. "Permits are the biggest problem in putting on a program like this," says Black. "Each city has its own process. Going into retail sites in the manner that we're doing hasn't been done before primarily for that reason."At least six retailers have requested return visits in 2006, he notes. Each event's success can be tracked via website visits, based on seat tickets handed out at the event. Consumers are encouraged to use their ticket to enter an online sweepstakes which provides daily and weekly prizes. The ticket numbers are tied to each event, so marketers can see how many presentation-visitors went to the site.

Sony Events Broadcast Benefits of High-Def TV

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