Generic Strategies of Sony Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Generic Strategies of Sony - Case Study Example This magnetic tape recorder evolved from G-Type to Model P which became the company's first profitable product. In 1957, Sony released the world's first pocket transistor radio, establishing a market leadership position for the company. The founding fathers were circumspect and did not gloat on their initial success. They sagaciously went about their work to create the global monolith with concentration and zeal. It took decades to transform the company from a small sized enterprise to what it is today. The company's first product was rice cooker. It established its first overseas operation with a capital investment of $500,000 in New York City. It also became the first Japanese firm in the United States to make public offering of two million shares of common stock in the form of American Depository Receipts (ADRs) in 1961. Morita was the driving force for the Walkman personal stereo in the late 1970s. The Walkman was a player and it did not receive enthusiastic response in the market in the initial stages. But the product's compact size and sound quality soon set the benchmark for a revolutionary market demand. Sony introduced the color television named "Trinitron" in 1968. And in 1972, the company set its first manufacturing in San Diego, California, in the United States. ... But the product's compact size and sound quality soon set the benchmark for a revolutionary market demand. Sony introduced the color television named "Trinitron" in 1968. And in 1972, the company set its first manufacturing in San Diego, California, in the United States. It was also the first Japanese manufacturing facility in the United States. Its presence in the United States helped to rapidly transform its operations and come out with several gadgets in the entertainment industry. The charged coupled device or CCD, the initial avatar of the camcorder and digital still camera was developed by Kazuo Iwama, president of Sony from 1976. Iwama died in 1982 but he lived to see the launch of the compact disc player, an innovation that changed the way people listened to music. From 1982 to 1995, Norio Ohga steered Sony into the modern age with product planning, stylish product design and innovative marketing. More was to follow with records and the movies. Sony took over CBS Records in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989, two of the world's largest content producers. These form Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) today. SME has featured Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Pearl Jam. Top rating films such as Sleepless in Seattle, Jumanji, Air Force One, Men in Black and Stuart Little have been produced by SPE. In 1994, the Sony PlayStation game console was launched in Japan. With PlayStation2, Sony has become the most successful game manufacturer in the world. Nobuyuki Idei, the present Chairman and CEO, is responsible for moving Sony into the digital network era. He set Sony's business model by augmenting Sony's core competencies with business partnerships with other companies. Sony