Sony launches Xperia Z in India; Ups marketing budget to Rs 300 crore for FY13 - Pitch (blog)

In a bid to cement its position in the surging smartphone market dominated by the likes of Apple and Samsung and to reclaim some of its lost popularity after the brand's demerger with Ericsson, Sony has launched its flagship smartphone, Xperia Z in India. Nursing an objective of establishing Xperia among the top three smartphones in India, this new launch is accompanied by the rollout of an aggressive marketing strategy by Sony. To increase connect and engagement with consumers, Katrina Kaif has been brought on board to endorse Sony mobiles. Priced at Rs 38, 990 in India and with an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, Sony Xperia will compete against brands like HTC Butterfly, Nokia Lumia 920, BlackBerry Z10 and the much awaited Samsung Galaxy S 1V, all of whom target the premium consumer segment. Dennis Van Schie, Corporate Vice President, Head of Sales & Marketing, Sony Mobile Communications Some of the phone's unique features include a 5-inch full HD display and being water and dust resistant. It has also launched a video streaming app called Sony Liv which offers catch-up TV services for Sony network channels. In addition, the company has tied up with Vodafone to offer 8 GB free data download for two months to Xperia Z buyers, from the date of purchase. Eyeing Indian Smartphone Market Terming 2013 as a 'breakthrough year' for Sony mobiles, Dennis Van Schie, Corporate Vice President, Head of Sales & Marketing, Sony Mobile Communications considers India to be a high focus market for Sony. "India is a high focus and high-growth market for Sony. The smartphone market in India hold very strong mid-term growth potential, with smartphone sales projected to be approximately 33 million units by FY13 in India," he added. Sony Corp aims to triple sales of Xperia in India to Rs 3,500 crore in FY 13, said Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India unit. He also added that the brand plans to double the sales channel counters from 3,000 in FY12 to 8,000 in FY13, increase the service touch points to 200 and expand coverage to 150 cities in the country. Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India In keeping with the announcement of a new brand ambassador, Xperia's marketing budget has been tripled to Rs 300 crore. Besides television commercials, there will also be an extensive print campaign featuring Kaif. Cinema and digital platforms are the other key media platforms that will be used. In addition, the company will also launch outdoor campaigns and organize road shows in malls on a pan India basis to facilitate direct engagement with consumers. Xperia Z, which is now available in 60 countries across 5 continents, will be available in India from March 12. According to Schie, some of the top markets for Xperia include Japan (where Xperia Z went on sale last month), Europe, Mexico and South East Asia. At the phone's launch in Delhi, Sony India also announced that it will launch its 4G technology enabled Xperia tablet Z in May this year. via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHBXNlWN-mBj7LkMix5ac5MvonO8A&url=http://pitchonnet.com/blog/2013/03/08/sony-launches-xperia-z-in-india-ups-marketing-budget-to-rs-300-crore-for-fy13/

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