LG kicks off Wednesday CES announcements
HDTV, Plasma
Korean heavyweight LG kicked off today's bevy of CES announcements with products combining three big trends at CES: flat screen TVs, Ultra-HD digital TV, and personal video recording systems. They announced a 72 inch plasma display at the show which supports Ultra-HD (1080p digital television), as well as 50 and 60 inch plasma displays that incorporate 160 GByte personal video recorders for recording and playing back high definition TV signals.
In addition, LG announced a wide array of LCD monitors, new cell phones (some of which are incorporating camcorder functions), and the fact it is now the #1 manufacturer of optical drives in the world.
The 720p HDTV images on the six-foot plasma displays were truly breathtaking. Pictures of those displays will be uploaded within an hour or so. US markets will see the 71-inch plasma displays within the next few months, despite its $75,000 price point. Lest you think that's out of line, Samsung's 102-inch plasma display is over $100,000.
An interesting factoid from LG: retailer returns of DVD recorders currently are running about 40%, because of format incompatibilities and user interface frustration. LG is introducing a multi-DVD recorder and playback unit that can record any format and play any format. It's a great example of a company trying to make things simple for consumers..
In 2004, LG pursued a two-brand strategy -- LG and Zenith -- that focuses on retailers who can clearly explain why consumers benefit, not just features. Further, LG used a strategy of no Internet direct sales of LG products because consumers might buy the wrong products and not realize the benefits. As a result, its business doubled in 2004. This is probably one of the best examples of a "less is more" marketing strategy paying off in real business results.
Korean heavyweight LG kicked off today's bevy of CES announcements with products combining three big trends at CES: flat screen TVs, Ultra-HD digital TV, and personal video recording systems. They announced a 72 inch plasma display at the show which supports Ultra-HD (1080p digital television), as well as 50 and 60 inch plasma displays that incorporate 160 GByte personal video recorders for recording and playing back high definition TV signals.
In addition, LG announced a wide array of LCD monitors, new cell phones (some of which are incorporating camcorder functions), and the fact it is now the #1 manufacturer of optical drives in the world.
The 720p HDTV images on the six-foot plasma displays were truly breathtaking. Pictures of those displays will be uploaded within an hour or so. US markets will see the 71-inch plasma displays within the next few months, despite its $75,000 price point. Lest you think that's out of line, Samsung's 102-inch plasma display is over $100,000.
An interesting factoid from LG: retailer returns of DVD recorders currently are running about 40%, because of format incompatibilities and user interface frustration. LG is introducing a multi-DVD recorder and playback unit that can record any format and play any format. It's a great example of a company trying to make things simple for consumers..
In 2004, LG pursued a two-brand strategy -- LG and Zenith -- that focuses on retailers who can clearly explain why consumers benefit, not just features. Further, LG used a strategy of no Internet direct sales of LG products because consumers might buy the wrong products and not realize the benefits. As a result, its business doubled in 2004. This is probably one of the best examples of a "less is more" marketing strategy paying off in real business results.
posted by Carl Howe at
10:58 AM
| View blog reactions
| 
