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The face of home entertainment has changed since we started the Best Brands survey. The category itself has changed from the Best Consumer Product to the Best TV Brand in 2005, to keep pace with the changes. From the 31-inch flat TVs – a luxury at the turn of the century – to the latest lot of LCD, Plasma or DLP TVs, the way we watch news and movies has changed but the top brand in the collective consciousness of our senior executives has remained. Like Toyota in the automotive sector, it has always been Sony for consumer electronics or TV. With the launch of a Bang & Olufsen (B & O) flagship store in Muscat recently, the picture may be different next year.
Some win, some lose
Though Sony retains its No 1 position increasing its score by 6.80 per cent, Samsung has bettered its score by 19.10 per cent and also moved into the top three league. In a category where most have slipped in score compared to last year, Philips is another brand that has scored more, albeit marginally. While it seems to have become less popular in the under-35 segment, it has more than doubled its score among ladies. Hitachi, which was at No 10 last year, has slipped considerably and has scored almost 294 per cent less than it did in 2006. LG also has slipped in both points and ranking, ceding the second runner-up position to Samsung. However, the LG magic seems to be working on ladies, who have given it 77.90 per cent more points this year.
The Sony factor
In a sector where all the top players have kept up with the changing market dynamics, there is little to make the consumer shift loyalties. Thus Sony and Panasonic retain their positions. Though Sony has managed to score more points compared to last year, it has slipped in the under-35 category. Again, while its recall factor has more than doubled among the ladies, men have given it fewer points compared to 2006. |
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