Sony uses a Retail Advertising Portfolio to reduce costs and streamline business processes

Project Components

• Custom asset management system
• CD-ROM product portfolio
• CD labels and jewel case inserts

The Client: Sony Electronics Inc.

Sony is an internationally recognized manufacturer and distributor of electronics and entertainment equipment. The Sony brand has a reputation for quality, reliability and style.

Goals and Challenges: Sony seeks to streamline its marketing process

To streamline its marketing process, Sony needed improvement in the following areas:

1. To ensure a consistent and effective marketing strategy, Sony makes product specifications, digital photographs, PowerPoint presentations, logos and other marketing materials and guidelines available to vendors and printers for use in developing advertisements. All advertising materials must be distributed in a format that is easy to use, consistent and readily accessible to advertisers. Sony needed a cost-effective and efficient method to distribute these materials.
2. With multiple product lines available, Sony needed a way to provide information consistently across each product line.
3. Sony distributors and advertisers needed digital materials available in multiple formats for use across multiple computer platforms and operating systems.

The Project: A digital retail product portfolio

To help Sony reach its marketing objective, we designed the following:

• A CD-ROM based product portfolio. This user-friendly platform lent itself to customization around each of Sony’s product lines. By creating an initial template, we were able to incorporate the appropriate imagery into each portfolio to represent each product line.
• A user-friendly interface. Using a simple point-and-click method, users had access to the designated product line. An advanced navigation system, similar to that of a Web browser, gave users access through a drill-down category/subcategory system. The navigation included “previous” and “next” functionality. To assist users, we incorporated detailed help screens for each section of the portfolio.
• A search feature. Users could locate products by full or partial product number. In addition, a “logo finder” presented users with the ability to retrieve a list of products that matched specific logo criteria.
• Individual product pages. Each product page contained key information, including high, low and multimedia resolution photography, related logos and product specifications. Users could view products in a thumbnail or enlarged version, then select elements to download to their computer’s hard drive. Photos and artwork could be opened in any popular page layout program, and specifications could be opened in any text editor.
• An e-mail feature. Product information could be e-mailed directly from within the CD-ROM program by selecting the desired information and completing the e-mail form, similar to a web-based e-mail form.
• Collateral print materials. We designed CD labels as well as jewel case inserts and instruction booklets to complement each product line portfolio.

The Benefits: An easily distributed, cross-platform product portfolio

• Ensure marketing consistency. With a distributable CD containing all marketing materials to Sony’s specifications, print advertisers and vendors had precise product specs available for use in promotional materials. Sony was ensured proper logo usage, accurate display of product information and use of approved photos in all materials advertising its products.
• Improve service to vendors and distributors. The product portfolio gave vendors and distributors the freedom to develop advertisements without contacting Sony each time for specifications and approval.
• Save time and money. The CD reduced the number of calls and requests from vendors for product specs, freeing Sony representatives to focus on other business tasks. It also reduced the time it took to produce an advertisement by giving vendors information at their fingertips. They no longer needed to take time to contact Sony, wait for the materials, then produce the ad. By creating a customizable CD, Sony could release future portfolios cost-effectively.