Sony VAIO case study
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Have you used a Sony VAIO laptop before? Here you can have a look back at the golden age of Sony VAIO PCs, and learn why an used-to-be innovative PC company failed to meet the market changes and exited the market.
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Sony VAIO case study
- 1. Sony VAIO Case Study Prepared by Kevin Huang Feb 11, 2019
- 2. Page 2 Sony VAIO Design & Innovation
- 3. Page 3 VAIO Was A Trendy Brand
- 4. Page 4 Sony VAIO & 007
- 5. Page 5 A Look Back at the Golden Age of Sony VAIO PCs
- 6. Page 6 VAIO Chime The chime heard when a VAIO computer is booted are the DTMF notes corresponding to V-A-I-O (8-2-4-6) dialed on a telephone keypad. The VAIO logo itself was designed to represent the change from analog to digital, with the V and A representing analog waveforms, and the I and O miming binary digits.
- 7. Page 7 1996 1998 2000 2002 2003 VAIO was originally a brand of Sony and VAIO , originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, was amended to Video Audio Integrated Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary. PCV-90 series of desktops The first generation of VAIO laptop computers was released in 1997 and the US$2,000 PCG-505 model was designed to be "SuperSlim," and was kept in a four-panel magnesium body. 1997 VAIO PCG-707 Branded “PictureBook,” Sony’s VAIO C1 series introduced the idea of a built-in webcam to its notebook range in 1998. Sony returned to its Walkman roots with its MX series in 2000. Early models included an FM tuner, MiniDisc player, and built-in amplifier. The front of the PC tower also featured an LCD display with audio information. Combined with a set of speakers and a remote control, it was Sony’s fist attempt at an all-in-one media PC. LX series - shipped with a stylus and a display that tilted up to 65 degrees. VAIO W all-in-one - combined a PC with TV features. A built- in antenna input brought TV to this 15.3-inch PC, and the keyboard folded up onto the display thanks to a hinge mechanism. VAIO U series - looked like tiny portable DVD players. At the time, it was the world’s smallest and lightest PC running Windows XP. VAIO PCG-Z1 - Sony’s first VAIO Z notebook arrived at the dawn of Intel’s Centrino era, and just as Wi-Fi networks were becoming more popular. It shipped with a 14.1-inch 1400 x 1050 display that was unique at the time. 2001 PCG-R505 series VAIO PCG-705 GT1 (6.4”) – sold in Japan only PCG-U101 (7.1”)
- 8. Page 8 2004 2005 2006 2009 Sony’s VAIO X505 series had some impressive specs when it first debuted in 2004. It was just 0.38 inches at its thinnest point, and used Intel’s ultra-low voltage Pentium processor. It was the first laptop to feature a "chiclet" keyboard. VAIO UX series -followed Microsoft’s ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) initiative, the UX models included a slide-out keyboard, touchscreen, and Intel’s Core 2 Solo processor. A 4.5-inch display was the centerpiece of the device, with buttons on either side for additional controls. Sony also shipped the UX with a fingerprint reader. Sony’s UX made its way onto several TV shows and movies, including Terminator Salvation and Quantum of Solace. The VAIO SZ series was yet another expensive, high- specced machine, featuring the latest processors, display technology, and even a fingerprint sensor, all in a tiny package. Each notebook gave users the ability to switch between integrated Intel graphics and a discrete GeForce GPU from Nvidia. Sony launched VAIO VA series, an all-in-one with 20-inch display and TV tuner, in 2005 with Windows Media Center Edition. 2007 VAIO TZ-90 Solid-State laptop Sony’s VAIO P first launched in 2009 as an ultraportable notebook in a tiny form factor. Designed as an expensive and smaller alternative to popular netbooks at the time, the VAIO P shipped with an 8-inch display and 1600 x 768 resolution.
- 9. Page 9 Sony VAIO Started the Race to Thin
- 10. Page 10 20142009 2011 Sony sold its PC business to the investment firm Japan Industrial Partners in February 2014 as part of a restructuring effort to focus on mobile devices. Sony’s experimentation with slim and lightweight laptops culminated in the X series. At just 655 grams with a special lighter battery, Sony claimed it was the world’s lightest notebook back in 2009. VAIO Z series - stupidly thin and light, it came with a 13.1-inch full HD matte display, an SSD, and a suitably powerful processor. It also had an interesting port called Light Peak, based on Intel optical technology that we now know as Thunderbolt. With the Light Peak port, you could connect up an external dock that had a discrete graphics card and a Blu Ray drive. 2010 Sony released the world’s first Blu-ray- equipped VAIO VGN-AR70B notebook. VAIO VA1 series - created at a time when PC manufacturers were convinced media center PCs were the next big thing, it paired a 19-inch 1680 x 1050 display with a powerful CPU, large hard drive, built-in TV tuner, and a DVD drive. VAIO Z Canvas The VAIO returns
- 11. Page 11 Differentiation Strategy for VAIO • High end niche products • Consumers who give top priority to style and design • VAIO 505 line (1998) gained significant awareness and recognition • Positioned as “statement computer” 9kept away from attracting mass audience like others) • “Sleek” • Available in colors • Iconic: rich purple • Popular with image conscious people • Focused on reducing weight and size • Distinctive advantage: VAIO Media Gallery software (others were not likely to have) • Japanese brand image • Premium offering • Higher avg selling price
- 12. Page 12 Transition of VAIO PC Business Sony maintains a minority stake in the new, independent company, which currently sells computers in the United States, Japan, and Brazil as well as an exclusive marketing agreement. Sony still holds the copyright trademarks for the VAIO brand and logo. Currently in the US, VAIO products are sold by Trans Cosmos America, Inc.
- 13. Page 13 Sony's computers have long stood out from the crowd, slickly designed and clad in colorful cases, yet the VAIO line has struggled to capture everyday attention in recent times, accounting for a scant 1.9 percent of all PC sales in the third quarter of 2013. Why? It'd be easy to point a finger a Sony's design decisions. Most of the VAIO offerings announced in the past couple of years have been hybrids of one sort or another, as Sony—like its competitors—grappled to compensate for the sudden rise of tablets and the sudden shrinking of the PC market. Hybrids, whether of the laptop/tablet or (ridiculous) tablet/all-in-one form, have thus far failed to get everyday buyers drooling. The $1,200 Sony VAIO Tap 11 hybrid was almost impossibly thin, but rife with compromises. Why Sony VAIO Failed?
- 14. Page 14 Why Sony VAIO Failed? The decision highlights a problem that has begun to afflict smaller makers of Windows PCs, and even some of the big ones: as the global market for PCs shrinks, profits are fast turning into losses. Ranjit Atwal, devices analyst at research firm Gartner, says there is a shakeout coming. The PC market is dominated by five big companies – China's Lenovo, the American HP and Dell firms, and Taiwan's Acer and Asus. Together they ship 60% of the PCs sold globally a year. Apple has just over 5% of the market. That leaves about a third of the market for the smaller players, and far less of the profits. "They've lost market share, and the market they're in has shrunk as well. Scale is everything in this market. If you haven't got economies of scale then the underlying costs of getting to market, retail and so on, is too great to be profitable," Atwal said. Atwal ranks Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, and Fujitsu as the "bottom four" – together they had about 12% of the market last year – and as those most under pressure.
- 15. Page 15 VAIO Is Back But Can It Survive The Ever Competitive PC Market? After four (4) years of abyss, VAIO has unveiled the premium VAIO S Series - S11 and S13 - to some great Japanese fare on the 16th of August at Keyaki in Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore. Huney'Z World!
- 16. Page 16 “Nevertheless, I wasn't impressed with VAIO S Series. While the Business PC is a huge market, it is also known as a cut-throat market where pricing is a major consideration on top of availability and technical support. Unfortunately, the new VAIO S Series look "over spec" for general usage but "less sexy" and/or "less flexible" compared to those ultra-mobile PCs such as Microsoft Surface Pro or Apple MacBook Air. Ironically, it was VAIO that first created a disruption to the PC market with its first ultra-mobile PC under the U series back in 2004 and followed by the more iconic UX series in 2006. Let's hope it has plans in the coming months to repeat the feat, but until then, sorry to VAIO S series.”
- 17. Page 17 The New VAIO Website
- 18. Page 18 VAIO S13 Product Messaging
- 19. Page 19 VAIO S11 Product Messaging
- 20. Page 20 Product Options & Pricing 11.6" Full HD (1920x1080)13.3" Full HD (1920x1080)
- 21. Page 21 Can It Compete with the Hot Selling Surface Go/Pro? 12.3” (2736 x 1824)10“ (1800 x 1200)
- 22. Page 22 VAIO Community (as of 02/10/2019) 6.9K Followers 809 Followers 1.6K Followers (The latest post) (The latest post) (The latest post) Do Consumers Still Care About VAIO Brand?
- 23. Page 23 Brand Needs to be Reformed AGAIN!
- 24. Page 24 Appendix Previous VAIO Advertisements
- 25. Page 25 Sony VAIO Print Ads
- 26. Page 26 Sony VAIO Print Ads
- 27. Page 27 Sony VAIO Print Ads
- 28. Page 28 Sony VAIO Outdoor Ads
- 29. Page 29 Sony VAIO TV Commercials
- 30. Page 30 “I'm a PC, and I'm a Mac. And I'm a VAIO” Consumer Campaign