Sony SWOT Analysis, Competitors & USP

SWOT analysis of Sony analyses the brand by its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats. In Sony SWOT Analysis, the strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors whereas opportunities and threats are the external factors.

SWOT Analysis is a proven management framework which enables a brand like Sony to benchmark its business & performance as compared to the competitors. Sony is one of the leading brands in the consumer electronics sector.

The article below lists the Sony SWOT, competitors and includes its target market, segmentation, positioning & USP. Let us start the Sony SWOT Analysis:

SWOT Analysis of Sony

For Sony, SWOT analysis can help the brand focus on building upon its strengths and opportunities while addressing its weaknesses as well as threats to improve its market position.

Sony Strengths

The strengths of Sony looks at the key aspects of its business which gives it competitive advantage in the market. Some important factors in a brand's strengths include its financial position, experienced workforce, product uniqueness & intangible assets like brand value. Below are the Strengths in the SWOT Analysis of Sony :

1. Sony is one of the biggest brands in the world on consumer electronics having a world wide presence via multi-brand stores and ecommerce portals

2. Sony is known as a pioneer in its field with offerings ranging from electronics, music, computing, gaming, semiconductors etc.

3. It has more than 100,000 employees across the world

4. Sony has a legacy of since it started in 1946 and the brand is still going strong with its diversified products

5. Sony has excellent brand image and is known across multiple geographies.

6. Sony has also ventured with PlayStation Gaming which is competing directly with Microsoft Xbox gaming

7. PS 5 has been received well as was the case with previous consoles like highly successful PS 4

8. Sony has been instrumental in inventing new technologies and starting new categories in the market

9. Apart from consumer electronics, Sony has diversified into financial services, movie production and music

10. As a part of its CSR initiative, the company has partnered with organizations like UNICEF, World Wildlife Fund and helped victims of floods, natural calamities etc.

11. The company has strengthened its position in the market via several strategic investments & acquisitions globally

12. Sony has always focused on complete marketing and spends millions on advertising via TV commercials, online ads, social media, digital marketing, event sponsorships and much more

Sony Weaknesses

The weaknesses of a brand are certain aspects of its business which are it can improve to increase its position further. Certain weaknesses can be defined as attributes which the company is lacking or in which the competitors are better. Here are the weaknesses in the Sony SWOT Analysis:

1. Sony is perceived to be great brand but also expensive in many of its markets

2. Sony is no longer a market leader in most of the categories it competes in because of the competition it has to face.

3. Sony has not been able to establish itself strongly in the mobile market as compared to its performance and image in the appliances category

Sony Opportunities

The opportunities for any brand can include areas of improvement to increase its business. A brand's opportunities can lie in geographic expansion, product improvements, better communication etc. Following are the opportunities in Sony SWOT Analysis:

1. Sony has lot to gain still in the mobile ecosystem as compared to companies in the smartphone segment

2. PlayStation Gaming is one area which can be increased further and can be targeted to common people, currently only young generation and gaming enthusiasts are the biggest target group

3. Acquisition of consumer electronics, internet companies & smartphone manufacturers can strengthen the position & business of Sony 

Sony Threats

The threats for any business can be factors which can negatively impact its business. Some factors like increased competitor activity, changing government policies, alternate products or services etc. can be threats. The threats in the SWOT Analysis of Sony are as mentioned:

1. Competition is very stiff in the electronics and mobile segment

2. External factors like taxes and changes in law in various geographies

3. Low quality goods which compete directly with premium brand like Sony

4. Gaming industry is quite dynamic and Sony needs to keep innovating in the Playstation category

Sony Competitors

There are several brands in the market which are competing for the same set of customers. Below are the top 12 competitors of Sony:

1. LG Electronics

2. Panasonic

3. Apple

4. Toshiba

5. Haier

6. Whirlpool

7. Samsung

8. Microsoft

9. Whirlpool

10. Philips

11. Lenovo

12. Dell

Hence this concludes the Sony SWOT analysis.

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About Sony

Sony Overview
Parent Company	Sony Group
Category	Home Appliances, Mobile and Entertainment
Sector	Consumer Electronics
Tagline/ Slogan	It's a Sony, Make. Believe
USP	High Quality Premium Products
Sony STP
Segmentation	People looking for Electronics, Mobile, Music
Target Market	Young Demographic/Tech Savvy/People with high disposable income
Positioning	Sony is a premium brand which positions itself as a high quality electronics and products manufacturer

This article has been researched & authored by the Content & Research Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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